AMUG May 2025

President’s Report

Some may say the month of May is the gateway to summer. I can subscribe to that! One of my favorite things is seeing new blooms all around. New blooms represent new opportunities and another season to grow and shine. May is also a month of celebration, including many graduations, Mother’s Day, Armed Forces Day, Victoria Day, and Memorial Day!

As you are likely aware, AMUG has a few things happening right now that involve you, our members. We have our member survey, which is still open. How do you complete that? Thank you so much for asking. Open your AMUG app and look for the orange button titled “Evaluations & Certifications”. You will see a task for the 2025 AMUG Conference Survey. Please do take the time to share your feedback!

This conference is built for you…thus, we need you. We need your feedback, your input, your insight. Help make us to be better, wiser.

We’ve also made the volunteer form available—here is where you may express your wish to be involved through an AMUG committee. We use this exact list to build the teams within the committees. If you want to be involved, this is precisely how you let us know.

We are preparing for our board’s annual strategy meeting in July. We will review every survey response and build from the insights from the members’ and sponsors’ feedback. We have every intention to create another event focused on education and collaboration within the AM technology user community. Our focus is to advance the users…educate, empower, and inspire! And remember, in 2026, we GET TO experience a new location.

As we navigate the coming months of summer, we are focused on you. If you have insights or feedback you want us to know, please complete your survey or even send me an email directly at president@amug.com.

I wish you a month of joy, blessings, and growth.

Warmly,

Shannon VanDeren
President
President@amug.com

AMUGexpo 2025: A Fiery Triumph for AM!

What a show! The AMUGexpo 2025 in Chicago was a straight-up masterpiece, and we owe every ounce of its success to our phenomenal sponsors, exhibitors, and attendees who made this year’s event an absolute banger. In an era where AM is navigating a wild storm of mergers, acquisitions, shrinking investor dollars, and the loss of some iconic brands, you all showed up, brought your expertise, and turned the expo into a red-hot crucible of innovation, connection, and pure AM passion.

Our sponsors and exhibitors, from Diamond to Gold, set the floor ablaze with next-level tech, hands-on demos, and ideas that rewrote the rules of what 3D printing can achieve. You didn’t just display solutions; you ignited conversations that’ll drive AM’s future.

And to our attendees—engineers, designers, and makers who eat, sleep, and breathe this industry—your relentless energy, sharp questions, and real-world know-how made every session, workshop, and late-night networking activity a powerhouse of collaboration. The AMUGderby…that high-energy race at prime time was a masterclass in community spirit!

This year’s expo wasn’t just an event; it was a battle cry. AM’s tougher than the gnarliest titanium alloy, and our community is unbreakable. Thank you for making AMUG 2025 a blazing testament to what we can do when we unite. Let’s keep the fire roaring until we hit the floor again!

Naomi Nathan on EHFAM & Melting 3D Printing Barriers in Medical

Naomi Nathan, head of MGA Medical, is leading efforts to remove barriers to 3D printing in healthcare. Building on MGA’s work uniting rail and transport industries, Nathan is bringing together device firms, materials companies, researchers, and hospitals to advance AM in medicine. She’s also organizing EHFAM, a new Basel-based medical 3D printing congress launching this June.

Nathan, a former medical doctor and healthcare policy expert, believes the key to real impact is listening to health systems.

Nathan said, “We can’t keep creating a solution and then look for a problem. We have to reach out to users, have them indicate what the problems are, and then work with stakeholders to find a solution.”

With new working groups on materials, biocompatibility, and standards, Nathan hopes MGA can help make 3D printing a practical tool for patient care.

Read the full interview here.

AMUG Conference Coverage Continues

With the caliber of speakers within the AMUG Conference program, it’s no surprise that the number of articles we’ve published on this year’s event is now in double digits (and set to rise!).

If you missed 3DPI’s coverage of the 2025 AMUG Conference, you can now easily find a summary here.

Our articles include not only insights from the speakers but also interviews with exhibitors. For example, this short interview with Alpha Powers, one of the companies in the illuminating Toyota Production Engineering sponsored Start-Up Launchpad zone.

April Edition Focus is on AM

The April issue of Digital Engineering focuses on AM advancements, including features on the fatigue life of printed parts, production-grade printing, and how to balance constraints in DfAM (design for AM).

You can download the digital issue here.

Less than 3 Weeks until TCT 3Sixty 2025!

The UK’s definitive industrial 3D printing and AM event returns to Birmingham on June 4 & 5.

TCT 3Sixty will bring together 100+ exhibitors alongside a packed two-day conference showcasing AM developments across defence, aerospace, consumer goods, and healthcare, plus discussions on key trends and the future.

By registering for TCT 3Sixty, you’ll get free access to industry-leading talks from organizations such as the Ministry of Defence, Natural History Museum, and Sartorius on how they’re adopting AM technologies today, and you can also get up to speed with the latest research and insights from The Manufacturing Technology Centre, University of Bristol, Boston Consulting Group, and more.

With UK debuts from exhibitors, an unrivalled free educational program, plus ample networking opportunities, TCT 3Sixty is a must-attend event for anyone looking to invest in new equipment, further their knowledge, and optimize their AM capabilities.

Register for free to attend.

Understanding Moisture in Metal Powders: An Overlooked Risk

In the current issue of Metal Powder Technology, Metal AM’s sister publication, we explore the overlooked impact of moisture in metal powders.

Metal powders underpin many advanced manufacturing processes; yet, one often-overlooked factor can significantly impact their performance: moisture.

Excess moisture reduces flowability, accelerates oxidation, and increases the risk of porosity in finished parts. While standards do exist, traditional testing methods rarely offer real-time insight.

This article examines how moisture interacts with metal powders, the impact on processing, and how emerging measurement techniques can help safeguard powder quality and consistency.

Read the full article here.

What if More Accessibility Leads to Mass Customization?

Each year, one edition of 3D ADEPT Mag goes beyond the usual news on product launches and new applications of AM in healthcare. This edition examines important yet often overlooked issues, pushing past what has become the norm. This time, we’re talking about costs.

In most industries, cost discussions tend to stay behind closed doors. In healthcare, however, they take on a whole new dimension. A significant portion of the costs for AM-powered patient care would fall on the patients themselves—raising essential questions about fairness and accessibility.

The latest edition of 3D ADEPT Mag puts the spotlight on reimbursement policies and their crucial role in making 3D printing more accessible in hospitals.

More importantly, if patient care powered by AM becomes more accessible, what technologies and advancements will help us scale this progress—and potentially lead to mass customization?

We explore these questions across several sections of this issue.

Download the 2025 March/April edition of 3D ADEPT Mag.

Making AM Sustainable

Does opting for 3D printing always mean using less material or less energy? More importantly, even if AM is more sustainable, how do companies weigh environmental costs against monetary ones? Do manufacturers care about sustainability when their success or failure can be measured in dollars or cents per unit?

Discover these insights in this article.

Discover the Top Companies Driving the Future of Ceramic AM

The technical ceramic AM sector is evolving fast, moving from niche innovation to a high-growth industrial market. According to VoxelMatters Research’s Ceramic AM Market 2025 report, this industrial segment is set to grow from $166 million in 2024 to $2.5 billion by 2034, led by services (32.7% CAGR), with hardware and materials also expanding. Ceramic AM is gaining traction in aerospace, medical, and semiconductors, thanks to materials such as alumina, zirconia, and silicon carbide, which are valued for their extreme hardness, chemical resistance, and low weight.

Companies like Lithoz, 3DCeram, Desktop Metal, and Tethon 3D are shaping the future of ceramic AM through specialized hardware and materials. Service providers like Bosch Advanced Ceramics and Schunk are currently the fastest-growing segment, driven by demand for complex, high-performance parts and industry-specific expertise. While still maturing, ceramic AM is no longer experimental—it’s emerging as a key solution for producing components that traditional methods struggle to deliver.

See the full article here or purchase the full market report here.