AMUG May 2023

President’s report

AMUG Members,

It’s May! And I just realized why they call this month May. It may rain, it may snow, it may hail, it may be 90 degrees, or it may be 20 degrees—all on the same day. But there is one thing you can count on— AMUG is already preparing for our 2024 Conference. Our preparations begin with creating our volunteer committees, which are made up of dedicated members like you that contribute talents and time.

Personally, I have served on AMUG committees for many years and for various reasons. But the primary reason is to give back to an organization that has given me so much in knowledge, contacts, and friends. The second reason is to make changes. It is easier to incorporate ideas from the inside than to complain from the outside. The third reason is a chance to leave a legacy as my career comes to a close.

We have numerous committees that you can contribute to. Check out your AMUG Committee Volunteer Opportunities, which describes responsibilities. To qualify, you must be a current AMUG Member and submit your committee choices before June 1, 2023. Even if you served on a committee last year, you must resubmit an application.

We often have an overwhelming number of applicants and cannot place everyone on a committee. But do not be discouraged; we have other volunteer opportunities onsite at the conference that will be announced as we get closer to the 2024 AMUG Conference.

I’ve said it many times, but it is worth repeating; thanks to all volunteers that make the AMUG Conferences so rewarding. I look forward to serving with our committee members this coming year.

Mark Abshire
President
President@amug.com

AMUG reflections from Les Kalman, scholarship winner

I always have some trepidation and nervousness about attending a large conference for the first time, and I definitely had those feelings before attending the AMUG Conference in Chicago. I did not know what to expect or how I would fit. But those emotions were wiped away immediately when I attended the first informal AMUG team gathering the Friday before the conference. The entire team was friendly, curious, and extremely welcoming. That night we shared stories, contacts, drinks, and a cigar…and this was just the first night!  Such a great start to an enormous event.

The rest of the weekend was packed with team tasks and preparation to get things rolling for Monday’s launch. Everyone seemed to share the same passion and energy for AM and each other.

Monday was the official first conference day, starting with keynote sessions. I had the privilege of sharing some of our dental AM research with an audience of about 1900. I can honestly say that I have never had such positive feedback and interest in our collaborative research. The day continued with the Technical Competition, which I entered to showcase our Lithoz collaborative AM zirconia lattice-structured dental implant bar. I was privileged to share other research with incredible innovators like Carbon, Wilson, and UDRI. All members could view and hold the AM devices and structures through an evening of engaging face-to-face discussions. I’m not sure if I had more questions about our dental implant bar or dentistry, but either way, much information was shared. That day left such an impact on me, as the kind words and supportive comments confirmed that our challenging AM research journey was on track.

Side note: I had a member whose front crown came off, and I instructed him on how to recement it. It worked out great because he thanked me later that week. Next time I’ll bring some tools, just in case.

The week continued with keynotes, talks, and sessions that completely expanded my knowledge and drive. It was also filled with unlimited networking opportunities through randomized meals, coffee talks, and spirited chats. The AMUGexpo was massive, showcasing everything from Hollywood props to industrial applications. But the evenings were another story, as there was no shortage of unique activities to build camaraderie and dialogue. The food was fantastic, and the selection of spirits would satisfy most connoisseurs. The week ended with a final-day impromptu round table discussion on medical and dental AM. We all agreed that this space will see expanding and evolving roles for AM. The future looks exciting and bright!

As I reflect on the week, there are a few take-home memories that I would like to share. The AMUG family is kind, welcoming, and supportive. The AMUG events are big, bold, and fun. My emails and LinkedIn messages have never been so full of potential collaborations and partnerships. Lastly, AM is a remarkable space, and I am so grateful for the support, recognition, and opportunity. I’ve returned energized and recharged with an abundance of passion to continue expanding our AM research and teachings. Thank you to everyone that made this possible. See you next year (I hope)!

Dr. Les Kalman
Assistant Professor in restorative dentistry
Western University

2023-2024 AMUG Board

After elections and appointments, the AMUG Board is comprised of the following volunteers:

• Officers & Directors
  • President: Mark Abshire
  • Vice President: Shannon VanDeren, Layered Manufacturing and Consulting
  • Treasurer: Robin Van Bragt, Eagle Design & Technology, Inc.
  • Secretary: Heather Natal, GoEngineer
• Directors
  • Director at Large: Gary Rabinovitz, Reebok International
  • Director of Education & Conference: Jordan Weston, Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE)
  • Director of Events and Hospitality: Thomas Sorovetz
  • Director of Membership: to be appointed
  • Director of Sponsors & Exhibitors: Tim Bell, MELD Manufacturing Corporation
• Ex Officio
  • Past President: Carl Dekker, Met-L-Flo
  • Immediate Past Treasurer: Vince Anewenter, Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE)

The board, which serves from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024, is comprised of nine directors and two ex-officio members (Dekker and Anewenter). The president, vice president, treasurer, and secretary also serve as the corporation’s officers.

The 2023-2024 AMUG Board.

2023 AMUG Conference proceedings now available

The 2023 AMUG Proceedings are now available on the AMUG website. As an AMUG member, you can access a wealth of knowledge and information from the conference, including presentations, AMUG member feedback session, and the AMUG business meeting questions and answers. This information is also available in the AMUG Mobile App.

The AMUG proceedings are for the exclusive use of AMUG members that attended the conference. Your access key is your registrant id (registration confirmation number) that was sent in your registration confirmation email. You use the same access key to log into the Mobile App. Information and content will continue to be added as it is made available.

Another boot camp for Michael Resseguie

I want to recognize Michael Resseguie from the United States Air Force, who was my shadow this year. Michael did an awesome job keeping up with me into the middle of the night (0200 hours) and then down to the general session area by 0600 hours to make sure everything (including the food) was “good to go” by 0700 hours when attendees started to arrive.

Michael is learning the role of Director of Event and Hospitality so he can run for the position in the future. Thank you, Michael, for all your help, and I look forward to working with you in 2024.

Thomas A. Sorovetz
Dir. Event and Hospitality
Eventmanager@amug.com

Live: photo gallery

Relive the AMUG Conference with our photo gallery. With over 1,300 HD images, the gallery captures the AMUGexpo, general sessions, workshops, and evening activities.

If you find an image you like, simply right-click and select ‘save as.’ We do ask for one favor: please cite AMUG as the source of the pictures when using them for public-facing media.

Enjoy!

SPONSOR NEWS

Smart Fusion: the first-time-right metal AM software

Committed to the advancement and adoption of metal AM, EOS has launched Smart Fusion software technology for laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) metal 3D printing that automatically adjusts laser power in real time. The technology eliminates the need for most support structures, minimizes material use, reduces post-processing requirements, and lowers the cost-per-part (CPP) for metal AM applications.

Smart Fusion’s real-time capability adjusts laser power to address potential manufacturing issues quickly and efficiently. The technology measures the laser energy absorbed by the powder bed and adjusts it using advanced algorithms. As a positive side effect, support structures can be avoided or even eliminated. This saves time and lowers CPP through reductions in post-processing and material consumption.

“Smart Fusion is another important breakthrough for metal AM, especially for those organizations with highly engineered applications, such as energy, space tech, mobility, and aerospace,” said Mirco Schöpf, EOS product line manager, software. “Other solutions in the market have significant drawbacks such as slower build times and a need for an expert to make sure it works. Smart Fusion offers an industrialized solution that is faster, flexible, and more accessible.”

Explore Smart Fusion now.

Meltio wire-laser metal 3D printing solutions raised visitors to Rapid + TCT 2023

The unique wire-laser metal 3D printing technology being developed by Meltio once again raised the anticipation of visitors for Rapid + TCT 2023 in Chicago. Meltio’s solutions, the M450 metal 3D printer and wire-laser head that integrates with a CNC machine or robotic arm, help automotive, aerospace, marine, military, engineering, oil & gas, and many other industries manufacture and repair metal parts made of stainless steel, titanium, nickel, and other materials.

Thanks to this technology, industries reduce costs and gain efficiency and productivity. We had the chance to show off our great portfolio (possibly your next futuristic AM solution). We had first-timers on American soil, such as our ¨big guy¨ the  Meltio Engine Robot Integration, at the show.

During Rapid + TCT 2023, Siemens, a global leader in AM technology, is expanding its focus on AM initiatives in the US to help accelerate the transformation through serial manufacturing. For this purpose, it collaborates with Meltio, using its wire-laser metal 3D printing solutions. To do so, Siemens partnered with Meltio and installed the Meltio Robotic System at the Charlotte Advanced Technology Collaboration Hub (CATCH) in Charlotte, North Carolina. Under the various AM initiatives, it is enabling Meltio to grow in the US market.

ADDiTEC introduces the Performance AMRC-P: The first forward-deployable AM portable robot cell rated for reactive materials

ADDiTEC launched its newest portable robotic system earlier this month, the Performance AMRC–P (Additive Manufacturing Robot Cell – Portable). The Performance AMRC-P makes forward-deployable, on-demand manufacturing a reality. The system’s production-ready capabilities allow for parts to be printed on demand from anywhere, eliminating the need for long lead times associated with traditional manufacturing methods.

The Performance AMRC-P is equipped with powerful, easy-to-use software tools that simplify the printing process for both novice and expert users. Its high degree of flexibility allows users to tailor their printing parameters to their specific needs.

Its advanced features include a potent 6 kW fiber-laser-configured deposition head and closed-loop process controls, affording high deposition rates of up to 4 kg/hr for titanium. The system can print large parts up to 1.8 meters and can achieve intricate geometries with its multi-axis robotic architecture.

ADDiTEC has partnered with major industrial robot brands, allowing for seamless integration for large-scale robotic 3D printing. The system can print in a wide range of materials, including aluminum, copper, carbon steel, mild steel, stainless steel, Inconel and titanium.

Learn more at additec.net.

2-in-1 Performance with Onulis

Do you have resin-based technologies in your shop? Are you sick of paying for hazardous waste removal? The team at Onulis has you covered with the WRAPCure! In case you didn’t see this mighty machine at AMUG 2023 or RAPID + TCT, this two-in-one solution lets you choose between two modes to assist you with your resin-based post-production. Mode one allows you to post-cure your parts to ensure they are safe after the initial build. Or flip to mode two and axial print your expired and waste resin for safe disposal.

Explore how this small investment can make you save BIG!

Nexa3D Introduces XiP Pro industrial 3D printer

During Rapid + TCT 2023, Nexa3D announced the immediate availability of its XiP Pro ultrafast industrial 3D printer, providing the highest daily production throughput and lowest total cost of ownership in its class.

Featuring print speeds exponentially faster than other DLP- and LCD-based technologies, and a more powerful print engine, the XiP Pro delivers previously unattainable production capabilities for industrial users. With a 19.5-liter build volume, a single XiP Pro delivers the daily throughput of at least four competitive resin-based printers, allowing users to dramatically change the economics of 3D printing production. With an industry-leading print speed of up to 24 vertical centimeters per hour, XiP Pro can produce its entire build volume in under two hours without sacrificing print quality or surface finish.

XiP Pro uses a 7K LCD screen with 46µm pixel size and 23µm sub-pixel resolution using anti-aliasing technology to deliver unparalleled precision reliably and repeatedly. XiP Pro is available immediately and can be ordered through an authorized Nexa3D reseller.

Introducing industry-leading 3D printing software: GrabCAD Print Pro™

GrabCAD Print™ simplifies the traditional 3D print preparation workflow and provides intelligence around printer technology so your team can get quality 3D prints, faster. GrabCAD Print Pro™ takes GrabCAD Print to the next level.

GrabCAD Print Pro supports high-performance end-use parts or prototypes utilized in process-controlled conditions. This includes enhanced features such as Accuracy Center, Manufacturing Templates, 3rd Party Plugins, and Per-Part Estimation. With GrabCAD Print Pro, users will experience reduced print prep time and scrap, resulting in greater cost and time savings.

GrabCAD Print Pro is now available for FDM™ and SAF™ 3D printers. Additional features will be included in future releases.

Learn more about the new GrabCAD Print Pro.

MEDIA SPONSOR NEWS

Bridging the AM ecosystems of India and Germany

AMTech Expo, India’s largest business networking platform for AM, and Rapid.Tech 3D, Germany’s established specialist conference, have agreed on a multi-year cooperation.

Read the full story.

RAPID + TCT 2023: Massive as expected – with solutions designed for both AM users and technology providers

North America’s largest AM meetup, RAPID + TCT, happened a few weeks ago in Chicago. Over 350 exhibitors and 10,000 industry professionals packed the nearly 125,000 square feet of McCormick Place, just south of the city’s center. When you cram that many AM nerds in one space, it’s hard to be surprised when big product releases come out, hot new tech appears around every corner, and business cards passing between hands plant the seeds for future partnerships and friendships to come.

Among the wide range of things that caught our attention, we shed light on some of the solutions designed for AM users and for AM companies that were showcased in the show. 

AM is taking over composites at JEC World 2023

The variety of processes seen at JEC World 2023 that now enable composite parts to be produced additively is expanding to include large-format, continuous-fiber and other hybrid and indirect formative techniques, including increasingly large and complex 3D printed composite tools.

Of all the companies now starting to reap benefits from the composites AM market, no one has done more to build it than Airtech. Through the Airtech Advanced Materials Group, the California company (with a European HQ in Luxemburg) has established a strong leadership offering LFAM-specific materials in pellet form. As the number of companies offering LFAM composite tooling systems and services has increased exponentially over the past five years, so has the demand for Dahltram materials.

Today, just about every leading company involved in LFAM, from Ingersoll to CMS, Caracol, CEAD, and Belotti, uses them. Airtech is also a major adopter via Thermwood LSAM systems and the Airtech 3D division for 3D printing of composite tooling. Airtech’s president and CEO, Jeff Dahlgren, confirmed that AM is a highly strategic segment for the company’s future and that Airtech intends to continue to invest to build this market.

Read the full and exclusive reporting on all the AM seen at JEC World 2023 at VoxelMatters.com.

AM funding has fallen to pre-pandemic levels

3DPrint.com analyzed all the investment deals in the 3D printing sector between January 2015 and April 2023. In addition, we collected data from various sources and tracked the amount of funding raised by more than 640 3D printing companies during this period.

3DPrint.com data shows that funding has fallen during the first four months of 2023. Is the heyday of funding for the 3D printing industry ending?

Get the details here.

Simulation focus in May issue

The May issue of Digital Engineering magazine includes features on the hidden cost of post-processing for AM, as well as the use of simulation for improving 3D-printed part quality. In addition, our focus on simulation covers simulation-driven design, the state of model-based engineering, and cloud-based simulation.

Read the May issue here.

How to improve 3D printing services?

3D Printing Industry is back from Chicago and refreshed after the AM-packed week. In case you missed our daily roundups, you can read the recaps from every day of the show. Get started with day one at RAPID+TCT.

Also, this month, we want to hear from you. We’re running a survey looking at the adoption of, and how to improve, 3D printing services. Where are the pain points, and where are the wins? The full results will be available to everyone who participates. If you have five minutes free to take the survey now, click here.

Out now: the latest edition of Medical Device Developments

The latest issue of Medical Device Developments is packed with high-quality content discussing the latest issues and challenges facing medical device OEMs in getting their devices effectively to market. It is a bumper edition with plenty of articles to engage with, offering direct insight and perspective from the OEMs and academia. Some of the highlights include:

Jabil Healthcare’s Christa Schnider discusses the growing opportunities within the cardiovascular segment and the factors that define a strong manufacturing partnership.

Andrea Valentino takes a look at the integration of high-tech vision protocols in automated production lines with additional insight from Jabil Healthcare’s Ken McClannon and Imperial College London’s Anil Bharath.

Monica Karpinski looks at one of the latest innovations within microfluidics, as researchers from the University of Manitoba and EMBL European Molecular Biology Laboratory, have created microfluidic devices that mimic the microenvironment of a placenta so the pathogenesis of certain diseases may be observed.

We are also pleased to confirm the edition will be distributed at the following events in the coming months: MedtecLIVE, Medical Technology Ireland, MedTech Europe (Dublin), automatica, LASER World of PHOTONICS, The Assembly Show, and MD&M Minneapolis.

Grab your copy or read it online here.

Lessons learned at NASA from a developmental rocket engine failure

This month, we’re highlighting one of the most talked about articles from the Spring 2023 issue of Metal AM magazine.

So much is discovered when it all goes wrong. From a ‘design-fail-fix’ perspective, it’s expected that developmental components may be pushed to destruction. With rocket engines that operate near the limits of their performance, however, the need to understand the cause of a failure is critical. There’s a clear advantage in not disclosing knowledge gained from such incidents in the competitive commercial space business. Thankfully, NASA can share what others cannot.

Here, Alison Park, deputy technical fellow, materials and additive manufacturing, and Paul Gradl, principal engineer, share insights into one such failure.

Read the full article here.

Register for free for ADDITIV Medical World

After the success of our previous ADDITIV virtual events, we are back once again. This time, join us on June 6 for ADDITIV Medical World, a half-day virtual event bringing together the 3D printing and medical sectors. There will be panel discussions, workshops, and networking with the main players in medical AM, as well as healthcare professionals and medical equipment manufacturers looking for an approach to new technologies.

From orthotics to dental, hospitals to bioprinting, and certifications to 3D printed implants, come learn all about the latest in 3D printing in medicine. Register for free to attend!

TCT 3Sixty 2023 – The world’s largest free AM conference

In just over two weeks, AM experts from Ocado, LEGO, JCB, and Natural History Museum will take to the stage to share technical insights at the UK’s definitive and most influential 3D printing and AM event, TCT 3Sixty 2023.

Almost 100 speakers with a combined industry experience of almost 1,000 years will feature across four stages on June 7-8, 2023, at Birmingham UK’s NEC for the largest free AM and 3D printing conference on the planet. The program will include user stories from organizations such as Collins Aerospace, LISI Aerospace, and Oscar-winning animation studio Mackinnon & Saunders, alongside the latest research from Fraunhofer Institute, University of Bristol, University of Birmingham, and more.

Knowledge partners Additive Manufacturing UK, DfAM Network, and PrintCity will also run specialist sessions during the program focused on examples of how to adopt the technologies and design for AM.

To attend, register today for free.

3D printing gets faster, better, and more automated in 2023

With the AMUG Conference and Rapid + TCT under our belt, the AM industry has already covered a lot of ground in 2023. So far this year, we’ve seen an uptake in interest across all sectors on how 3D printing technology can boost production, transform business models, and support sustainable manufacturing. Aerospace, defense, and medical are still lead adopters, but more automotive, tool-making, fluid power, and robotics companies are exploring the benefits beyond prototyping and tinkering.

Plus, solutions are expanding beyond the scope of 3D printers and consider what the modern factory looks like—a mix of humans and robots co-existing and working together to maintain uptime.

It’s clear that more manufacturers want to evolve beyond prototyping and gear up for production. However, the question of how, where, and when to scale AM processes remains.

Read more about AM and automation here.