The Additive Manufacturing Users Group (AMUG) will open online registration for the AMUG 2025 conference on September 3, 2024.
Open to owners and users of industrial 3D printing technologies for professional purposes, AMUG 2025 will be held in Chicago, Illinois, between March 30 to April 3 next year.
The Annual conference seeks to gather users of all experience levels to share additive manufacturing insights and experiences.
During the event, attendees will be able to explore 3D printing best practices, real-world use cases, challenges and applications. AMUG offers the chance to connect with and learn from the additive manufacturing community through keynote presentations, panel discussions, and networking activities.
Based on user feedback, AMUG 2025 is set to feature more hands-on workshops and an expanded AMUGderby.
“AMUG is for users, by users. Our diverse group of problem solvers appreciates the unique opportunities to network and develop relationships with other users at the conference,” explained Claire Belson Barnes, AMUG’s Director of Membership.
“From day one, you are immersed in learning and teaching opportunities that will propel new ideas and advancements for your work.”
Previewing the AMUG 2025 conference
The AMUG conference seeks to promote user participation every day from early morning to late evening. In a user-driven agenda, visitors will be able to attend presentations, workshops, the AMUGexpo, and evening activities with catered meals available throughout.
“The user-driven agenda is made possible because our very own user community dedicates thousands of hours to serving on our varied committees that are dedicated to building the AMUG conference,” commented AMUG President Shannon VanDeren.
The conference will kick off with the annual New Member Welcome get-together. Barnes calls this “AMUG’s way of bringing new participants into the fold.” First-time attendees will learn tips and tricks for a successful conference and connect with AMUG veterans and long-time volunteers.
A range of keynotes, panel discussions, education sessions, inspiring talks and hands-on workshops will held throughout the week, helping users develop their additive manufacturing expertise.
According to Ed Graham, AMUG’s Director of Education and Conference, the conference will feature key technical knowledge covering software to hardware. He added that this will include insights “you can only get from networking with like-minded folks.”
Interactive workshops will form a key part of the event agenda. Notably, the last-day drop-in workshop series will return, where members can rotate through hands-on experiences. AMUG will be adding a dedicated track for more workshops to join throughout the week.
A highlight of the conference program will be the tenth annual Innovators Showcase. This will include an on-stage interview with the winner of the Innovators Award. The recipient of this award will be announced next month.
The popular AMUGderby will also return at AMUG 2025. Last year’s inaugural event saw 87 contestants race gravity-powered 3D printed cars in a pinewood derby format. The races will take place on Wednesday evening during a special event and dinner.
On the expo side, Sunday (March 30), Monday and Tuesday evenings will see over 140 companies showcase their newest 3D printing technologies and solutions.
The five-day, all-inclusive conference registration fee is $1,295.00 when signing up before December 13, 2024, on the official AMUG website. Companies interested in participating as sponsors or exhibitors are encouraged to sign up as soon as possible as space is limited.
What happened at AMUG 2024?
AMUG 2024 saw Jason Lopes, Director of Additive Manufacturing at Gentle Giant Studios, take to the stage as part of the keynote agenda. He discussed how additive manufacturing and 3D scanning have advanced the entertainment and creative services industries.
A “returning favourite” to AMUG, Lopes highlighted how these technologies have supported the development of movie props, consumer products and fine art pieces.
Olaf Diegel, Professor of Additive Manufacturing at the University of Auckland, New Zealand, also took to the stage to explore the creative potential of design for additive manufacturing (DfAM). He discussed how DfAM can streamline traditionally slow and costly additive manufacturing approaches.
During the AMUG 2024 expo, metal 3D printer developer Meltio launched the M600, a new laser metal deposition (LMD) 3D printer. Featuring a Blue Laser deposition head, the 3D printer is designed to unlock industrial-scale manufacturing. According to Meltio, it is optimized for machine shops and other 24/7 production environments, reducing lead times and overcoming supply chain insecurity.
Elsewhere, RP America, a UnionTech reseller, showcased the UnionTech RSPro1400 industrial SLA 3D printer. This features multiple galvanometer technology, which reportedly enables fast and precise 3D printing by employing multiple scanners to precisely control the light beam’s movement.
On the 3D printing software side, Belgian 3D printing company Materialise introduced its e-Stage for Metal+ software. This platform leverages physics-based modeling to streamline data and build preparation for laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) by automating support structure generation. Notably, the software predicts areas prone to deformation and generates needle-thin and cone supports accordingly.
Chicago-based 3D printing quality assurance software developer Phase3D also exhibited at AMUG 2024, announcing its True Layer Thickness toolkit. This metal 3D printing monitoring and inspection tool measures the quantity of metal powder distributed across a 3D printer’s build platform. This helps users ensure an even material distribution for each layer during powder bed fusion 3D printing.
AMUG also announced several awards at its 2024 conference, including five Distinguished INnovator Operator (DINO) awards and the organization’s prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award were announced.
The highly coveted AMUG DINO awards went to Jamie Cone, Steve Grundahl, Thomas Murphy, Vadim Pikhovich, and Bob Renella. Gary Rabinovitz, AM/3D Printing Lab Manager at Boston-based shoe manufacturer Reebok, became only the second person to receive AMUG Lifetime Achievement Award in the organization’s 36-year history.
The winners of the AMUG Technical Competition were also unveiled, along with the recipients of its two 3D printing scholarships.
Want to help select the winners of the 2024 3D Printing Industry Awards? Join the Expert Committee today.
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Featured image shows first-time attendees gathering at the New Member Welcome to kick-start engagement and learning at the AMUG conference. Photo via AMUG.
