AM users out there, it’s almost time to start packing – the Additive Manufacturing Users Group (AMUG) conference is around the corner.
The users’ event, to be held in Chicago, Illinois from 3 – 7 April, will bring together owners and operators of industrial additive manufacturing technologies of all experience levels and across multiple industries.
Through talks delivered by experts in the fields and networking activities, AM users will have a chance to share expertise, practices, results, challenges and application developments.
This year’s keynotes speakers will be Kevin Czinger, founder, lead inventor, and CEO of Divergent 3D and Czinger Vehicles, and Ellen Lee, technical leader of additive manufacturing research at Ford Motor Company, who will take the stage to discuss innovations and change in the automotive sector.
“It will be interesting to hear Kevin’s and Ellen’s similar but different perspectives on the present and future of manufacturing in the automotive industry,” said Jordan Weston, AMUG director of education and conference.
“On one hand, we will have the perspective of a young company seeking to disrupt. On the other hand, we will hear from a large, established company seeking to adapt and lead.
“Ellen represents a 118-year-old company that changed the game over a century ago yet continues to innovate in response to shifting demands,” said Weston.
“Kevin represents a company that will make its mark by changing the process, altering vehicle architectures, and localising adaptive, sustainable manufacturing.”
Czinger will take the stage on Tuesday, April 5th, and will share how he founded Divergent 3D in 2013 to rethink how vehicles are produced at scale. A central point his the keynote presentation will be DAPS (Divergent Adaptive Production System), a system-level solution that delivers multi-objective, optimised designs, purpose-designed materials, tool-less additive manufacturing, and automated, fixture-less assembly.
Lee’s presentation will take place on the last day of the conference event, April 7th, and will be titled ‘Automotive Manufacturing to Additive Manufacturing: From History to the Future of Mobility.’
As the title suggests, she will share how key events and needs in the history of mobility have influenced the development and advancement of the modern manufacturing industry, such as the moving assembly line, development of new materials, and creation of new technologies.
During the event, AMUG will also be awarding outstanding innovators in the AM industry through the Technical Competition, the Innovators Award, and DINO Awards.
Back in December 2021, AMUG had announced that the winner of the Innovator Award for 2022 is Andy Christensen, founder and former president of Medical Modeling Inc., acquired by 3D Systems Corporation in 2014, and currently a professor in the Department of Radiology at the University of Cincinnati.
Christensen will make an onstage appearance during the conference’s Innovators Showcase to talk about how he cultivated innovative ideas that have advanced the additive manufacturing industry.
Attendants to the AMUG Conference can also expect panel discussions, technical sessions and hands-on workshops designed to help users get more from their AM solutions.
The organisers encourage extensive participation, with a dense programme from early morning to late night, for more than 50 hours of activities planned over the 5 days.
“AMUG builds the program for the conference, but our attendees make the experience unique and beneficial,” said AMUG president Carl Dekker.
“On the surface, it may look like any other conference, and many first-time attendees expect that to be the case. But when they engage in conversations that dive deep with unvarnished truths, they have an ‘ah-ha’ moment that the AMUG Conference is on a completely different level. The depth of free-flowing information that is exchanged is what motivates individuals to return year after year.”
Having taken on board feedback from attendees to past editions, AMUG said it is adjusting its 2022 conference programme to deliver more training and hands-on experiences.
One of the highlights of the conference agenda, which is expected to offer nearly 150
presentations and workshops, is the seventh annual innovators’ showcase, an informal on-stage interview, where attendees get to know an innovator in the industry and discover insights from their experiences.
The conference programme also includes the AMUG expo, which is scheduled on 3 – 4 April and is expected to have over 140 participating companies.
For more information or to register for this event then click here.
