The Additive Manufacturing Users Group (AMUG) has announced its keynote speakers for the 2025 AMUG Conference.
Taking place from March 30 to April 3, 2025, in Chicago, Illinois, the AMUG Conference will bring together additive manufacturing professionals for nearly 150 presentations, workshops, panel discussions, and hands-on training sessions.
Featuring distinguished keynote speakers and interactive opportunities, the event will foster collaboration and highlight the evolving AM applications across industries.
This year’s conference will see Ryan Watkins, Research Engineer with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), deliver his keynote address on Tuesday, April 1, followed by Joe Scarbo, President of Scarbo Performance Corp, who will take the stage on Thursday, April 3.
Both speakers bring a diverse range of expertise, showcasing the potential of 3D printing in industries ranging from aerospace to high-performance automotive engineering.
Conference details and registration are available at www.amug.com.
Aerospace and automotive advances
This year, Watkins will present his work on 3D printed crushable structures for high-speed impact attenuation during the upcoming conference.
Developed for aerospace applications, these structures integrate advanced materials and computational design techniques like topology optimization to overcome unique engineering challenges. Watkins will share insights from his role at JPL, where he focuses on enabling innovations to support future space missions.
As a Ph.D. graduate in aerospace engineering, Watkins has been part of NASA’s JPL for nine years, contributing to projects like the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission and the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) mission, where he designed, built, and tested launch restraint hardware.
His current research extends to lattice structures, 3D printed shape memory alloy systems, and optimizing workflows for flight projects. In 2024, Watkins’ achievements were recognized with the 3D Printing Industry Awards in the aerospace category. His software, UnitcellHub, was also named JPL’s Software of the Year and made available as open-source technology.
Shifting from aerospace to high-performance motorsports, Scarbo will highlight how AM has been utilized in creating high-performance motorsport vehicles.
As the founder of Scarbo Performance, he has integrated 3D printing into the design and manufacturing of components for race cars, including those that competed in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb and the Baja 1000. Scarbo’s presentation will offer insights into the decision-making process behind using AM for vehicle optimization.
Scarbo’s passion for engineering began at a young age and led him to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering. He started his career working for Arciero Racing and later contributed to Volkswagen Motorsport’s Baja program, focusing on the Toureg TDI.
After exploring 3D printing at a California firm and applying it in consumer electronics design, Scarbo returned to Scarbo Performance, where he shifted the company’s focus to low-volume manufacturing.
To date, Scarbo Performance has produced more than 30 bespoke vehicles and numerous performance components, combining traditional engineering expertise with novel manufacturing techniques.
Together, Watkins and Scarbo’s work highlights the versatility of AM, demonstrating its ability to address challenges in aerospace and motorsport while facilitating new developments across industries.
A recap on previous AMUG Conferences
Looking back, previous AMUG conferences have explored diverse uses of 3D printing, diving into developments in film, energy, medical, and aerospace industries.
Last year, the 2024 AMUG conference featured Jason Lopes of Gentle Giant Studios, who explored the role of 3D printing in film industry, showcasing its impact on Disney collectibles and large-scale art installations. His talk also highlighted advancements in metal printing, translucent materials, and integrating traditional color techniques.
In addition, Siemens Energy’s Tad Steinberg discussed AM’s use in hydrogen technology, emphasizing rapid prototyping and combustion challenges.
The event also celebrated achievements, with Gary Rabinovitz of Reebok receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to additive manufacturing.
Two years ago, the 2023 AMUG Conference highlighted a collaboration between Nicholas Jacobson of CU Anschutz Medical Campus and Robert Ducey of LAIKA Studios.
Their partnership blended techniques from special effects and medical fields, resulting in new workflows for 3D bitmap printing. Max Haot, CEO of Launcher, discussed how AM accelerated the creation of the E-2 liquid rocket engine and Orbiter space tug program, showcasing the technology’s aerospace applications.
Attendees at past conferences also engaged in technical sessions, networking events, and the Innovators Showcase, with contributions celebrated through the return of the DINO Awards.
Who won the 2024 3D Printing Industry Awards?
All the news from Formnext 2024.
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Featured image shows 2025 AMUG Banner. Image via AMUG.
