President’s Report
Things are moving fast and the 2015 AMUG Education and Training Conference is rapidly taking shape. This conference we are planning for five diamond and six platinum sponsors, and we already have over 60% of them committed. It is wonderful to see the support from longtime sponsors and the enthusiasm from new sponsors.
If you haven’t registered yet as a sponsor or exhibitor, I recommend you do so soon to ensure that we have a spot for you. We are also well ahead of attendee registrations compared to previous years. With that in mind, I can’t stress it enough – please register early and book your hotel to help us with our planning and ensure that you have a spot for the 2015 conference.
I am also pleased to announce our keynote speakers for the 2015 AMUG Conference.
- Monday, April 20th – Todd Grimm, T. A. Grimm & Associates
- Tuesday, April 21st – Lonnie Love, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
- Thursday, April 23rd – Jason Lopes, Legacy Effects
This is an exciting lineup of keynote speakers. Todd Grimm, from T.A. Grimm & Associates, is our AM advisor and industry expert, and he will start the event off with a look at the industry, specifically looking at training and education needs for additive. On Tuesday, Lonnie Love from Oak Ridge National Laboratory will present on what his team has been developing and working on. And to wrap-up a great week of education and training, we have our crowd-favorite Jason Lopes from Legacy Effects to close out the week with an overview of his latest work in the entertainment industry.
Our agenda structure is in its final stages of preparation, so we are now ready to fill in the speakers. If you are interested in speaking, please send an email to Gary Rabinovitz at advisor@am-ug.com. When you register for the conference, you should also check the box that you are interested in speaking. We have track leaders that will be helping us solicit and review presentation topics, so any topics that come in will be directed to them.
The specific tracks we will have this year are:
- Business
- Going from Concept to End-Part
- Aerospace/Space
- Art & Architecture
- Education
- Casting
- Medical
- Metals
- Scanning
- Stereolithography
- Selective Laser Sintering
- Transportation
- Workshops (variety of hands on activities)
There are more things that are in the works that I can’t officially announce yet, but stay tuned for future news as we have these items finalized.
Best regards,
Mark Barfoot
President
president@am-ug.com
Our Mission: Additive Manufacturing Users Group (AMUG) educates and advances the uses and applications of additive manufacturing technologies.
Vice President’s Report
The VPs are excited to announce our committed (so far) sponsors and exhibitors for the next year’s users group:
Diamond:
- Concept Laser
- Somos
- Stratasys
Titanium:
- NCP Leasing
Platinum:
- ExOne
- SLM Solutions
Gold:
- Argyle
- Aristo Cast
- Engineering.com
- GPI Prototype
- Materialise
- RAPID Conference & Exposition
- rp+m
- Solidscape
- TCT
- UL
Bronze:
- DPSS Lasers
- PostProcess Technologies
Go to our website to learn more about our sponsors, who we appreciate for their early commitment to AMUG! As AMUGexpo 2015 will be limited to 60 exhibitor booths, it is extremely important to book your space as soon as possible! If you have not already signed up, please make sure to do so, as booth location selections will start soon, in the order received. We’ll see you at AMUG 2015!
Best regards,
Dana Foster
Sponsor News – Stratasys
Objet500 Connex1 and Connex2
Objet500 Connex1
The Objet500 Connex1 3D Production System is the gateway into the triple-jetting platform. Connex1 allows users to 3D print multi-material models with as many as three base resins in a single build – no assembly required. It’s great for engineers, service bureaus and designers needing mixed trays and large throughput.
Applications include tooling and prototypes that simulate over-molding with Vero and (pure) Tango, and mixed trays with diverse parts to serve a variety of needs simultaneously.
Objet500 Connex2
The Objet500 Connex2 has all the capabilities of Connex1, plus the power to combine base resins in pairs to create two-component Digital Materials. With more than a hundred material options, including Digital ABS, Connex2 is perfect for customers who need precise mechanical properties or a variety of shades and opacities.
Applications include manufacturing tooling, such as injection molds made with tough Digital ABS, and over-molded parts with a range of Shore A values.
The Road Ahead for 3D Printing
ENGINEERING.com
Additive manufacturing technology has not been capable enough or cost-effective for most end-product or high-volume commercial manufacturing. Expectations are running high that these shortcomings are about to change. Several technology trends are feeding these expectations. An emerging class of mid-level 3-D printers is starting to offer many high-end system features in a desktop form factor at lower price points. Printer speeds are increasing across the product spectrum; at least one high-end system under development could print up to 500 times faster than today’s top machines. And key patents are about to expire, a development likely to hasten the pace of innovation.
Read the whole story on ENGINEERING.com.
More news from ENGINEERING.com:
Sponsor News – Somos
Somos® Precise Launched at TCT Show
We’re back from our successful trip to the TCT Show in Birmingham, UK. It was great to see some of you again, and we would like to thank those that stopped by our booth.
In case you weren’t able to make the trip across the pond, we are proud to have announced the launch of our latest material, Somos® Precise. A fast-building stereolithography material, Somos® Precise is specifically designed to produce accurate, detailed patterns with easy cleaning and reduced post-curing times. We had many great discussions at the show, including the possibility for a new application created by using Somos® PerFORM for tooling. We were also able to match many of the newer users with service bureaus that would be able to help them with their next project.
If you want to learn more or see how Somos® can put you in touch with a service bureau, sign up for our e-newsletter or visit us at: www.dsm.com/somos.
TCT Show Success
AMUG had a very successful TCT Show. Over the show’s three-day run, there was a lot of traffic in the booth and a lot of interest in attending the 2015 conference. Many that stopped by noted their commitment to attending. What was very pleasing is that many of those that visited were aware of AMUG, and they commented on the great things they have heard. What a difference from just a few years ago.
During the event, Todd Grimm, AM industry advisor, Gary Rabinovitz, past president, and Graham Tromans, European liaison, met with potential sponsors and walked away with five commitments.
We want to thank the TCT team for their support, which made this possible.
Secretary’s Report
We’ve received a fairly steady flow of registrations since the opening last month. Of those that have registered so far, 39 different companies are represented, spanning a wide range of industries, which shows the diversity of applications to which additive manufacturing technologies can be applied. Also notable, 31% are first timers to the conference.
Keep ’em coming! Use up your leftover 2014 budget money and register before the year is out. Or if you need to wait until 2015, there is a ‘Save & Return Later’ option that lets you register now and pay later. Select this option under the payment method on the registration checkout page.
Remember to register early. The attendee price increases by $100 on March 15.
Whether you’re looking to attend, exhibit, or sponsor, register today.