A Word from the President
Call for Speakers
Welcome to the October issue of your AMUG newsletter.
Now that we are less than seven months away from the historic “First Additive Manufacturing Users Group Conference,” I would like to issue an open invitation for the Call for Speakers. No matter what technology you are using, I would love to hear from you. I am especially interested in 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.
Once I receive presentations topics, I will inform everyone in future newsletter articles and on our website (www.am-ug.com) when the preliminary agenda is posted. As sessions, workshops and activities are added, the agenda will be updated regularly.
If you are on our mailing list, you should have received your personal invitation to register for the AMUG Conference as an attendee, exhibitor or sponsor. For additional details, please be sure to read Guy Bourdeau’s article that includes registration information.
Best Regards,
Gary Rabinovitz
AMUG President
2012 Sponsors
Donation Received
AMUG has received a generous donation from the Additive Manufacturing Branding Initiative (AMBI). In its last act, AMBI’s 12 member companies voted to donate its remaining funds to our organization.
AMBI was founded with the lofty goal of collaboration amongst additive manufacturing vendors to raise awareness of the technology and interest in its wide-ranging applications. Regrettably, the diversity of applications and users, which is a strength of the additive manufacturing industry, proved to be a pitfall in the plan. Vendor interests were too diverse, and their strategic plans were too varied.
Sadly, AMBI has been dissolved. AMUG extends its thanks to the AMBI members for their efforts in growing the industry and for their generous contribution.
AMBI members:
3D Systems, CONCEPT laser, DSM Somos, Evonik, envisionTEC, EOS, Materialise, Objet, Realizer, Stratasys, voxeljet and Z Corporation.
AMUG Conference Value
If you are considering attending the users group conference (AMUG) or looking for ways to convince your company to let you go, keep in mind that most of the knowledge we gain cannot have a value placed on it. Once we have it, no one can take it away.
European Liaison’s Report:
TCT Live
together Interplas, MEMS Live, and NANO Live.
The event was an outstanding success with approximately 4000 delegates from across the world attending. They were treated to 120 exhibitor stands in the TCT Live hall.
Duncan Wood, Managing Director of the Events Division at RNCG commented, “Once again TCT Live has taken a leap forward. A record numbers of visitors and the largest show floor we have produced highlight the excitement and interest there is currently around 3D printing and additive manufacturing. As always the exhibitors who display such cutting edge technologies are the real key to the success of the event. They are the reason the event is so highly regarded, and I wish to thank them all for their contributions.”
The showcase exhibits were the Bloodhound SCC, a car that plans to shatter the world land speed record, and Torpedalo, a pedal-driven boat. Bloodhound will try to reach 1000 mph in 2014. Richard Noble presented one of three keynote presentations on this project. Torpedalo will be attempting to raise �250,000 for charity by traveling 3000 miles across the Atlantic using only pedal power.
The other keynote speakers were Todd Grimm, who presented 3D Printer Landscape – What rapid prototyping has become, and Terry Wohlers, who opened the conference giving his State Of The Industry presentation. The program also included presentations from Siemens, Clarks, TATA Motors and Rolls Royce, as well as other globally renowned companies, universities and research organisations.
Wood said, “Special thanks must also go to our keynote speakers Terry Wohlers, Richard Noble and Todd Grimm. Each day at TCT Live 2011 kicked off with a bang because of these key contributions. You cannot fail to be inspired by the passion these gentlemen display when talking about technology and engineering, and this buzz translated across the event, setting the scene for three busy and productive days.”
A follow-on to last years success was the additive manufacturing briefings where the major vendors where given the opportunity to showcase their technologies in short, to-the-point presentations.
New releases shown included 3D Systems’ new BFB system, the 3D Touch, which incorporates a touch-screen display and control panel and multiple print heads. Also shown by 3D Systems was the new ProJet 1500, which uses a modified V-Flash Film Transfer Imaging technology. Its material, which is applied using a wiper arm, is available in a range of colors.
Mcor technologies, whose technology uses standard A4
letter paper to manufacture 3D models, introduced its new business model to help make access to 3D printing more affordable. Mcor supplies a printer free of charge and then provides the option of three different service plans starting at �9,950.
Renishaw Plc exhibited its new acquisition, MTT Technologies, and its additive metal systems. SLM Solutions, which split off from MTT, was also on hand to show its offerings for selective laser melting. Materialise exhibited its software and had a stand devoted to .MGX that showed a large collection of its furniture and lighting designs. Also showcased was the new Connex260 system that offers all the benefits of its bigger Connex350 and Connex500 siblings.
The TCT Live 2011 program was found by many to be one of the best TCT shows ever presented.
Graham Tromans
G.P.Tromans Associates
Sponsor News:
$90,000 in Scholarships Awarded to ‘Extreme’ Students
The eighth annual Extreme Redesign 3D Printing Challenge is underway! The global contest, sponsored by Stratasys, encourages students to submit an innovative new product design, a redesign of an existing product, or an original or redesigned work of art or architecture.
Dimension 3D Printing, a brand of Stratasys, will award nine student winners either $2,500 or $1,000 scholarships in the categories of Middle School and High School Engineering, College Engineering, and Art & Architecture. Designs are awarded based on creativity, usefulness, part integrity and aesthetics.
Sponsor News:
Objet Launches New Bio-Compatible 3D Printing Material for Medical and Dental Solutions
Objet has a new Bio-Compatible 3D printing material, MED610(tm) . The material combines Bio-Compatibility with high dimensional stability and transparency. This makes it useful for PMMA simulation and a wide range of medical and dental applications – particularly the production of highly accurate, customized surgical guides.
Dr. Stan Brodie, specialist in digital implant planning and surgical guides at iDent, comments, “The accuracy and fine detail of Objet 3D-printed surgical guides guarantee surgeons a consistently high level of precision that’s unmatched by manual processes. The new bio-compatible material now introduces further benefits to the process with improved transparency, making it easier to monitor underlying soft tissue during dental procedures.”
MED610 is ideal for prolonged skin contact of over 30 days and mucosal-membrane contact of up to 24 hours. It has five medical approvals according to the harmonized standard ISO 10993 1: cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, delayed type hypersensitivity,irritation and USP plastic class VI. MED610 is also manufactured under the ISO 13485:2003 certification, which specifies that each and every batch of the material undergoes bio-compatibility conformity testing, including GC-FID, before it is packaged. This ensures the highest bio-compatible standards for medical and dental application requirements.
MED610 is the second material the company has created specifically for dental and medical applications. It joins the company’s original Objet VeroDent material, currently used extensively by dental labs worldwide in the digital dental process.
This Bio-Compatible material can be used on all Objet Connex and Eden 3D printers.
Treasurer Report
Conference Registration
I would like to update everyone on the new online registration process for the 2012 AMUG Conference. Registration is available here or from our website at www.am-ug.com/events.htm.
Conference Attendees
Conference attendees have full access to all conference activities included in the fee. To register as an attendee, you must own or operate additive manufacturing equipment. Note that this option is not for employees of sponsors and companies participating in the Exhibitor Expo (see below).
Conference attendees have the option of bringing a guest to the Awards Banquet for an additional fee. Please complete a separate registration for your guest by selecting Awards Night Guest Only from the dropdown menu. Also, attendees may purchase a spot for the Saturday golf outing or fishing trip. These options are available when registering as an attendee.
Cost:
- Conference attendee: $495 until April 1, 2012, $600 thereafter.
- Awards Banquet guest: $125.
- Golf outing: $125.
- Fishing trip: TBD.
Sponsors and Exhibitors
There is a slight difference versus last year with sponsor and exhibitor registration. Below are some simple rules to follow to register properly.
Sponsors:
Please select Sponsorship on the first input screen in the pull down menu. This directs you to all the options for your level of sponsorship. Please follow all instructions, and if you are at level of $5000 or more, please check the Comp Registration box and add employee information on the next screen. Comp registration provides full access to all conference activities and meals.
Sponsorships of $5,000 or more also include a table or two for the Exhibitor Expo. Check the Comp Table box to participate in this Sunday-night, Monday-night expo if you plan to participate.
Sponsor may purchase additional Awards Banquet, Exhibitor Expo, conference and lunch registrations if needed.
Exhibitors:
If not sponsoring the conference, please select Exhibitor Registration. Please read all information and fill in the required data. Exhibitor registration includes access to the Expo for one employee. If additional employees will be staffing the stand, please register them as “Additional Associates.” Note that your company must first complete the exhibitor registration process before registering any additional associates. Also note that these associates must be affiliated with your company. Sharing space with other companies or company representatives is a violation of the additional associate policy and may result in an additional charge for an Exhibitor Expo fee.
Exhibitors may purchase Awards Banquet and lunch registrations for its registered associates.
Cost:
- Sponsorship: varies.
- Exhibitor Expo: $600 until April 1. 2012, $750 thereafter.
- Awards Banquet: $125/person.
- Lunches: $35/person/day.
The “no refund policy” will go into effect after April 1, 2012. However, you may substitute individuals if needed.
If you have question on how you should register, please email me at treasurer@am-ug.com or phone at 954-559-3728.
Guy Bourdeau
Treasurer
The Sorovetz Report
I can’t believe it is just six months before the historic 2012 Conference; it seems like only yesterday when we were all together in Miami. The 2012 Conference will be a conference like no other, so please start spreading the word to new users (of ANY additive system) as well as those who have not participated in previous years.
We are now building the conference agenda, so let us know what topics you would like to see as a presentation, breakout or round table discussion. And if you or anyone you know is willing to present, we want to hear from you. Please contact Gary Rabinovitz at president@am-ug.com.
Over the past few months, I’ve asked if your spouse or guest would be interested in some scheduled daytime activities such as a cooking class, wine tasting, spice tasting, fashion show, etc. However, I’ve had no response, so I do not know if I should continue to look into these activities. If there is interest, I’d be happy to make these arrangements. So, please let me know–even if there is a slight chance–if someone joining you in Costa Mesa would be interested in some extracurricular activities.
Conference Update: Discounted Disney Park Tickets!!!
This month’s showcase attraction is Disneyland. For those of you who are bringing your family and planning to arrive early or stay a few extra days, Disneyland is offering AMUG discount tickets.
Through Disney, AMUG is offering 2012 AMUG Conference guests, friends and family members greatly discounted Disney Park Tickets. These tickets are valid April 20 to May 03, 2012, and can be purchased at disneyconventionear.com/ZAAD12A.
This offer expires April 23, 2012, at 9:00 pm, so be sure to purchase your tickets before then! Magical memories await you at “The Happiest Place on Earth.”
Have a great day,
Thomas A. Sorovetz
Event Manager
From the Editor
While attending TCT Live with AMUG’s European Liaisons, Graham Tromans and Stefan Ritt, I found myself in many conversations about the users group. There was lots of interest and many questions about AMUG. But one kept cropping up, even though it was never explicitly stated.
How do you say AMUG?
Is AMUG an acronym (pronounced as a word) or an abbreviation (stated as individual letters)? Officially, it is an abbreviation, pronounced “ay – em -you – gee.” Unofficially, it is an acronym pronounced “ay-mug.” Over time, one will likely win out over the other, but for now, your users group will happily answer to either pronunciation.
If you have a preference, or another suggestion, feel free to drop me a line at news@am-ug.com.
Regards,
Todd Grimm
Editor
About AMUG
3DS Users Group has become AMUG, an organization that educates and advances the uses and applications of additive manufacturing technologies. The transition to AMUG supports the expansion of the user group to include all commercial additive manufacturing technologies for companies such as 3D Systems, EOS, Objet Geometries, Stratasys and Z Corporation. AMUG meets annually to provide a forum for technical presentation on processes and new technologies. This information addresses operation of additive manufacturing equipment and the applications that use the parts they make.