AMUG Newsletter April 2014

President’s Report

Bret Bordner
President

Wow! What a great crowd we had at this year’s conference.

I want to take this time to thank everyone on the board for all their hard work this past year and allowing me to serve as the 2014 president. It was an honor and a privilege to work with such a great group and be part of the largest AMUG Conference ever. I would also like to congratulate Mark Barfoot for being elected as our 2014 – 2015 president, along with two new board members, Steve Deak and Dana Foster.

Last but certainly not least, my thanks to all the sponsors, exhibitors and attendees who made this a fantastic conference. Without the support from all of you, it could not have happened.

Thanks to all and see you next year in Jacksonville, the location for the 2015 AMUG Conference.

Regards,

Bret Bordner
AMUG 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

Mark Barfoot
Vice President

It’s hard to believe that AMUG 2014 is already over. A great big thank you goes out to our record number of exhibitors and sponsors this year. I heard lots of great comments about people enjoying the opportunity to see equipment and conduct a deeper dive into the technology than you are typically able to do at a normal trade show. I especially want to thank our gold+, platinum and diamond sponsors for bringing AM equipment for us all to explore. It was also great to see the wide range of ancillary equipment as well.

Stay tuned for next year as we are already planning on having online booking of exhibit/sponsor space. So make sure you register early to guarantee the best location.

I felt privileged to be selected as a DINO this year. I was not expecting it and am very honored with that award. I am also thrilled to have been elected to be your president. I’m excited to see the group continue its momentum and growth. Please don’t hesitate throughout the year to send me your thoughts so that the new board can fold them into the plans for AMUG 2015.

Let’s make AMUG 2015 even better!

Regards,

Mark Barfoot
VicePresident@am-ug.com

Past President’s Report

Gary Rabinovitz
Past President

It has been an incredible experience being able to serve AMUG over the past four years. Although I am no longer an officer on the board, I have been asked to stay on as an advisor to the board, which I have gratefully accepted.

There is such passion on the AMUG board that what most people would consider work we consider just another day of serving the industry that we all love and enjoy. I would like to thank everyone that has helped to make AMUG what it is today; it was more than just a group effort, it was a multitude of individuals, exhibitors and sponsors that made AMUG the most sought-after users group on the planet!

I was extremely honored to be only the sixth recipient of the AMUG President’s Award. Thank you to Bret Bordner for bestowing this honor on me.

Best regards,

Gary Rabinovitz
PastPresident@am-ug.com

New Board

Congratulations to AMUG’s newly elected and appointed board members.

• President: Mark Barfoot, Hyphen
• Past President: Bret Bordner, Laser Reproductions
• Vice President: Steve Deak, GE Aviation
• Vice President: Dana Foster, rp+m
• Secretary: Kim Killoran, Stratasys
• Event Manager: Thomas Sorovetz, Chrysler Group
• AM Industry Advisor: Todd Grimm, T. A. Grimm & Associates
• Advisor: Mark Abshire, Somos Materials by DSM
• Advisor: Derek Ellis, Computer Aided Technology, Inc.
• Advisor: Gary Rabinovitz, Reebok International

Sponsor News – Stratasys

New PolyJet Material, Endur, Simulates Polypropylene

A new photopolymer from Stratasys works on PolyJet 3D Printing technology to create prototypes that mimic the appearance and functionality of polypropylene products. Endur combines durability and a beautiful surface finish with reliable operation on the Objet30 Pro, all Objet Eden and all Objet Connex 3D Printers. It’s engineered to quickly build tough prototypes for snap-fit components, living hinges and other demanding applications. Because Endur is composed of a single PolyJet resin, Connex owners are free to use it alongside one or two other base resins in the same model or on the same tray for complex, realistic models and added versatility.

Technical Competition

This year’s Technical Competition had many fantastic entries. Word has it that Graham Tromans, one of five judges, spent nearly two hours to come up with his final scores. When the judges’ scores were tallied, the results were:

Advanced Concepts

• 1st Place: Carlos Bolanos & Gary Rabinovitz, Reebok International
• 2nd Place: Eric Mutchler, Solid Concepts
• 3rd Place: Mike Littrell, C.ideas

Advanced Finishing

• 1st Place: Mike Littrell, C.ideas
• 2nd Place: Eric Mutchler, Solid Concepts
• 3rd Place: Mathew Olney, Nike

Bolanos’ and Rabinovitz’s entry demonstrated the application of additive manufacturing throughout the five-year development effort for Reebok CHECKLIGHT, a wearable technology that visually indicates cranial impacts that may have caused concussions.

Littrell’s entry was a stunning two-fifths-scale 1927 Miller 91 race car that was created entirely from additive manufacturing parts that were painted, textured, plated, vacuum metalized and decorated.

New DINOs

During the annual Awards Banquet, AMUG named five DINOs (Distinguished INnovator Operator), a prestigious award that recognizes industry veterans for years of experience as well as contributions back to the additive manufacturing industry.

The newly named dinosaurs are:

• Mark Barfoot, Hyphen
• Scott Crump, Stratasys
• Stewart Davis, CRP USA
• Jason Dickman, American Precision Prototyping
• Jim Reitz, Rapid Tech Consulting

Congratulations on your well-deserved recognition.

Rabinovitz Receives President’s Award

AMUG presented Gary Rabinovitz of Reebok International with its President’s Award. Rabinovitz, the sixth to receive this prestigious award, is Reebok’s RP lab manager and the users group’s past president.

Rabinovitz received the award, which was presented by Bret Border, during the conference’s opening session. Bordner said, “AMUG presented Gary this award in recognition of his years of service for the advancement of the users group and his leadership that has grown the organization.” In his presentation, Bordner cited Rabinovitz’s role in transitioning the users group to a technology-neutral, industry-wide membership base.

Secretary’s Report

Kim Killoran
Secretary

When the dust finally settled from this year’s conference, we took a final look at the numbers. We had a total of 531 additive manufacturing users attend the conference. An overwhelming 283 of those attendees were first timers, which is just over half! We sincerely hope you felt welcomed into the Additive Manufacturing Users Group community and continue to come back to keep connecting and learning year after year.

The chart below shows the wealth of AM experience assembled at the conference.

Also, a big thanks to all that volunteered this year. Your time and efforts helped greatly to make this event a success.

Kim Killoran
Secretary@am-ug.com

The Sorovetz Report

Tom Sorovetz
Event Manager

WOW, I am spellbound about the AMAZING turnout at the 2014 AMUG Conference and Expo! The event broke every possible record: number of attendees, number of vendors, number of sponsors, sponsor financial contributions and number of hotel room nights. Everyone played a part in the success of this event; so thank you very much for the efforts and contributions.

Now that the 2014 AMUG Conference and Expo is behind us, we have to start focusing on the 2015 event, which will be held April 19 – 23, 2015, at the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville in Jacksonville, Florida.

If you were in the business meeting, you have already heard my explanation of why you need to make hotel reservations early. If you missed it, here is a brief recap. Even though the hotel has over 900 sleeping rooms, I only guarantee 1600 total room nights at the $137.00 group rate, which means if everyone stayed four nights, there are just 400 rooms available at that rate. I do not guarantee more rooms because AMUG does not want to be liable for any unused rooms, so it makes sense to book early. If I see an upward trend and believe that we will fulfill our guarantee, I will try to negotiate additional rooms at the group rate. But I cannot guarantee it. Bottom line: book now and cancel later if necessary. And keep in mind that the AMUG Board believes we will have another 20% to 30% increase in attendance for 2015. That means 660 people using 2640 room nights, which is well over our guarantee of 1600.

To register at the Hyatt, you can use the link the AMUG website, or you can call (888) 421-1442 to book your room. Don’t forget to mention AMUG to receive the $137.00 rate. If you have any issue booking your rooms, please e-mail me at eventmanager@am-ug.com.

Hope to see everyone in Jacksonville,

Thomas A. Sorovetz
Event Manager