A Word from the President
Gary Rabinovitz
AMUG President
Last month I issued an open call for speakers, and a number of you responded. Thank you to those who have contacted me. We are still building the conference sessions, so I welcome even more of you to get on board as an active participant in “your” users group. No matter what technology you are using, I would love to hear from you. I am especially looking for speakers who can present on using dual technologies within the same project. Please email me at president@am-ug.com if you are interested in this exciting opportunity. Some of the tracks that we are looking for include but are not limited to the following: consumer products, metals, architecture, medical, aerospace and automotive.
For those of you attending EuroMold in Frankfurt, Germany, November 29th thru December 2nd, please plan on stopping by the SLM Solutions booth (SLM is one of our 2012 Platinum Sponsors) as AMUG will be represented within the their booth area with a podium of its own. I look forward to seeing you all soon.
I wish all of you a Happy Thanksgiving and holiday season.
Best Regards,
Gary Rabinovitz
AMUG President
Our Mission: AMUG educates and advances the uses and applications of additive manufacturing technologies.
VP Report
Scott Schermer
Vice President
We have had a fantastic response to our sponsorship and exhibitor programs, which means that the 2012 conference will be the great event that Gary, our president, has promised. But there is still room for more participants in our Exhibitor Expo and more corporate sponsors.
If you know of–or work for–a company that should be participating, please let us know.
We have emailed exhibitor and sponsor program information to all the companies on our list. As we move toward the end of the year, we will be following up with these companies to answer questions and ask for their support. If your company or suppliers did not receive the emailed information, contact us at vicepresident@am-ug.com. We will follow up with the information needed to become a conference sponsor and exhibitor.
Mark Abshire & Scott Schermer
Vice Presidents
2012 Sponsors
Conference Value
Jason Lopes
Legacy Effects
Since attending the conference, conversations that were started have grown into collaborations and onsite visits and consults. The months since the conference have been very rewarding thanks to what I have gained from this group. If I have any questions, I now know that I have a network from which to learn. Since AMUG is now open to all technologies, the knowledge base and content will just get better and better.
This annual event is a must for anyone that is looking to expand their network, skill set or development within additive manufacturing. The coordination of this event is top notch, as are the attendees, so every user and every user’s company will benefit by attending.
Jason Lopes
Legacy Effects
Sponsor News
New High Temperature Material is highly beneficial for thermal testing of static parts such as hot air-flow for automotive vents.
Objet Continues 3D Printing Revolution – Launches High Temperature Material
Objet Ltd., has introduced a new High Temperature Material (RGD525) that is available for Objet Connex500 and Eden500V 3D printers. The High Temperature Material is capable of simulating the thermal performance of engineering plastics and provides outstanding dimensional stability for static 3D models and prototypes.
The new Objet High Temperature Material has a heat deflection temperature (HDT at 0.45 MPa) of 65 °C (149 °F) out of the printer and 80 °C (176 °F) after a short oven-based, post-thermal treatment. With this new addition, the number of Objet 3D printing materials is 68, including 51 composite materials (Digital Materials), enabling a wide range of rapid prototyping usages, from realistic product visualization to advanced functional testing.
The High Temperature Material produces 3D models and prototypes combining high thermal functionality with outstanding dimensional stability. The material’s temperature resistance makes it highly beneficial for thermal testing of static parts such as hot air-flow or hot water-flow in taps and faucets. When jetted off the Objet Connex multi-material 3D printer, the High Temperature Material can be simultaneously printed with Objet’s Tango family of rubber-like materials to simulate over-molded parts such as air-flow vents used in automotive, defense and household appliances.
Video Resources: Objet High Temperature Material Video
Sponsor News
Engineers review the base component of the ACL TOP 500.
Medical-Instrument Maker Maximizes Redesign
For Instrumentation Laboratory, moving from virtual to rapid prototyping cut manufacturing costs by 40 percent. This maker of in vitro diagnostic instruments developed its hemostasis testing system, the ACL TOP 500, to offer a lower price point than previous models. This required re-engineering many components to make them less expensive to manufacture.
A Fortus 3D Production System helped engineers redesign more parts compared with virtual prototyping because of faster turnaround, maximizing cost savings. “We were able to re-engineer over 25 parts at a cost savings far greater than could be realized with traditional virtual prototyping,” says Scott Notaro, mechanical engineering manager. The result: Manufacturing costs shrank 40 percent.
Read the whole story.
The Sorovetz Report
Tom Sorovetz
Event Manager
Five months and counting before our BIG historic event, and I can’t wait! The executive board is really working hard to make this the best user group conference of all time, and I am confident that each of you will agree that its efforts paid off once you arrive at the event. I do not want to spoil Gary’s fanfare, however, rest assured it will be great!
For the past few months, I have showcased shopping, restaurants, and things to do while in Costa Mesa. I have also asked if anyone is planning on bringing a spouse or guest that might be interested in some planned events during the day when we are in our meetings. However, I have had no response. Should I continue to try to plan some daytime events, or should I just let our guests go their own separate ways? Please email me at eventmanager@am-ug.com and let me know your thoughts.
Reservations for the hotel are now online, so please go to our website and click on the link to secure your room at the $115.00 rate before it is too late.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving,
Thomas A. Sorovetz
From the Editor
Todd Grimm
Editor
“Thank you for the practical, usable information,” is the compliment that I value above all others. Luckily, it is the compliment that I most often receive. It seems that the world is hungry for the details that help in making better decisions and in getting more from additive manufacturing systems.
I mention this only to note that practical, usable information is exactly what AMUG offers. As Jason Lopes noted, when you attend the AMUG Conference, you will be immersed in information that only experience can yield and offered advice that was learned the hard way–through hands-on work.
Sure, you could turn to forums and blog posts to get tidbits of ideas from anonymous (who really knows how experienced they are?) posters. But you will never get the rich details and insight that can only be conveyed in a face-to-face conversation.
So, if you are hungry for practical solutions and sound advice, make sure that you attend the 2012 AMUG Conference.
Regards,
Todd Grimm
