‘Good vibes’ at the Additive Manufacturing Users Group Conference

2021 AMUG technical competition winners Bill Braune (left) and Vito Gervasi. AMUG

AMUG members waited a long time to wrap up their 32nd annual conference. Originally scheduled for March 22-26, 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic pushed the event back until May 2-6, 2021. But based on conversations I had with 15 or so attendees at the Orlando, Fla., conference, it was worth the wait.

The event “gave off good vibes,” as my teenage self might have said. The primary reason why, not surprisingly, is because the conference was the first organized industry event many of us had participated in since the coronavirus erupted. And for some, including myself, it was the first business-related outing of any kind since March 2020.

Everyone savored the opportunity to reconnect with friends and colleagues and make new connections—not to mention get out of their home offices.

Other vibe enhancers: the event was well-organized and offered a broad array of additive manufacturing-themed presentations and interesting speakers. Plus, some attendees expressed that AM is beginning to come into its own, following the mid-2010s when the technology was perceived as failing to fulfill its promise. More and more, additive is being recognized as a viable way to build high-quality devices that often can only be made by 3D printing.

Burnishing AM’s reputation the past year—particularly in the early days of the pandemic—were the many companies that mobilized to 3D-print PPE and other essential devices. Some supplied these products to health-care workers for free or at cost. This outpouring of goodwill also demonstrated AM’s design agility and ability to rapidly produce parts.

A highlight of the conference that dovetails nicely with a discussion of the pandemic and growing acceptance of AM occurred during the Innovators Showcase, which recognized the achievements of Dr. Hans J. Langer, founder of 3D printer builder EOS GmbH. The showcase included a thought-provoking Q&A session with Langer and AMUG industry adviser Todd Grimm.

At one point, Langer said budding entrepreneurs often ask him to share the secret of his 30-plus years of success in additive manufacturing. “I tell them things take longer than expected,” he said. “Don’t give up.”

That’s solid advice for coping with a pandemic, as well as succeeding in business and life.

Following are excerpts from AMUG press releases that provide details about winners of the conference’s technical competition and DINO (Distinguished INnovator Operator) Award, President’s Award and scholarship recipients, and newly elected board members. The complete releases are available at the AMUG website.

Technical competition winners. The winners of AMUG’s annual tech competition, which recognizes excellence in AM applications and finishing techniques, were Bill Braune of Dinsmore Inc. and Vito Gervasi of Cadens LLC.

AMUG 2021 conference DINO award winners (from left): Shane Collins, Robin Van Bragg, Giles Gaskell, and Ana Neves.

Braune’s winning entry in the advanced finishing category was a detailed, intricate scene titled “Death: A Horseman’s Journey,” inspired by the Darksiders video game series. To reflect the character’s journey, Braune turned to Carbon’s Digital Light Synthesis technology to print the scene’s fine details and subtle features.

He then used various painting and finishing techniques to capture the essence of the dark, foreboding scene and add textures representing fabric, flesh, bone, feather, stone, and steel.

Braune said his palette included 30 colors applied with dry brushing, airbrushing, and washes to create gradients, shades, and highlights. He applied 3D printing polymer powders to the model’s surface to add a gritty texture.

Gervasi took first place in the advanced concepts category for “BAAM Dam,” a 1/10th scale replica of a 3D-printed turbine system that has been in operational testing since July 2020.

According to Gervasi, additive manufacturing is the key to enabling a radical cost reduction, creating more opportunities for these power-generation systems to be put into service. “What we propose to do in the next five years will reduce the U.S. carbon footprint, create jobs, and help small towns to power their municipal facilities, small businesses, or add power to the grid. AM has the potential to empower tens of thousands of communities with limited budgets to reduce utility power costs by activating dormant hydropower facilities.”

For the full-size microhydro system, Cadens turned to Oak Ridge National Laboratory for support. ORNL’s BAAM (Big Area Additive Manufacturing) printer was used to construct 2,000 lbs. of large conveyance components and composite layup tools. Cadens used fused deposition modeling technology to make the smaller, higher-resolution components.

Leveraging AM’s capabilities, several new approaches were incorporated to provide compression along non-linear paths.

Innovator award winners. AMUG announced four DINO Award winners at the conference:

• Shane Collins, ASTM International

• Giles Gaskell, Hexagon

Technical competition winner Bill Braune used Digital Light Synthesis technology to 3D-print a scene from the Darksiders video game.

• Ana Neves, RAMCO

• Robin Van Bragt, Eagle Design and Technology Inc.

The awards are presented in recognition of recipients’ tenure in the AM industry, years of service, contributions to the industry, and active support of the users group.

President’s Award. In AMUG’s 33-year history, it has presented its President’s Award to 10 individuals. The group gave awards this year to Terry Hoppe and Vince Anewenter.

Terry Hoppe, former director of Stratasys’ North American applications team, received his award posthumously. He died late last year. Scott Crump, co-founder of Stratasys, accepted the award on Hoppe’s behalf.

The award was presented primarily to recognize Hoppe’s role in transitioning AMUG from a supplier-specific users group to one that embraces a broader swath of the AM community.

Of the transition years, AMUG Chairperson Gary Rabinovitz said, “We needed support from additive manufacturing companies representing a range of technologies to make the reinvented AMUG Conference work.

“The AMUG Conference is unique in that it is a forum for information exchange, but potential sponsors were evaluating it for its lead-generation potential,” Rabinovitz continued. “We invited Terry as a guest of our event so that he could experience what we were trying to do. From that exposure, he became a believer and advocate. Terry took that conviction back to Stratasys and championed the AMUG way. He was effective; Stratasys became a foundational sponsor and has remained a strong supporter over the past nine years.”

Vince Anewenter, of the Milwaukee School of Engineering, has served as AMUG’s treasurer for nine years. Through his financial stewardship, AMUG has realized a tenfold growth in conference attendance and remained financially healthy.

In Anewenter’s first year as treasurer, according to Rabinovitz, he was handed a box containing paperwork and a laptop that he had to decipher before building the financial systems and fiscal policies that guide the organization.

Technical competition winner Vito Gervasi used a BAAM printer to make a 1/10th scale replica of a 3D-printed turbine system.

“Starting with very little, Vince has guided and managed AMUG operations through transitions, growth, and challenges. And he has done that collaboratively … as part of the team … where he listens to others and works hard to satisfy divergent goals,” said Rabinovitz.

Scholarship recipients. AMUG awarded two scholarships at its recent conference: John Sorvillo, director of Westwood Prep Academy at New Beginnings, Youngstown, Ohio, and Sean Dobson, who is pursuing a Ph.D in materials science at the University of Cincinnati (Ohio).

The scholarships honor and recognize students and teachers who demonstrate a passion for AM. The 2021 recipients show their passion through dedication to advancing additive technology and a commitment to advancing individuals through the technology, according to AMUG.

New board members. AMUG’s 2021-2022 board of directors is scheduled to be installed July 1. The board’s primary responsibilities will be to build and oversee the 2022 AMUG Conference and implement a new organizational structure that will support the ongoing growth of the annual event.

Elected and appointed individuals comprise the 10-member board. AMUG members elected eight individuals during the conference in Orlando. The current board appointed two individuals to fill the treasurer and director-at-large positions.

Carl Dekker, of Met-L-Flo, who has previously served two terms as vice president, will serve a second term as president. Paul Bates, ASTM International, will retain the past-president position. Andrew Allshorn, 3D-Squared, was re-elected vice president for a second term.

The other 2021- 2022 board members are:

• Treasurer, Vince Anewenter, Milwaukee School of Engineering

• Secretary, Leslie Frost, GE Additive

• Director of membership, Bill Macy, Titan Robotics

• Director of education and conference, Jordan Weston, Milwaukee School of Engineering

• Director of business development, Tim Bell, Siemens Digital Industries USA

• Director of events and hospitality, Thomas Sorovetz, Stellantis

• Director-at-large, Gary Rabinovitz, Reebok International

The next AMUG Conference is scheduled for April 3-7, 2022, in Chicago.