The Additive Manufacturing Users Group (AMUG) announced its featured keynote speakers for the 2018 AMUG Education & Training Conference, which will be held in St. Louis, Missouri, from April 8 – 12, 2018. Todd Grimm and Dr. Ing. Dominik Rietzel will inform, inspire and excite attendees with their discussions of additive manufacturing applications, trends and technologies.

Paul Bates, AMUG president, said, “We have a very strong presentation lineup, and perhaps the greatest topic-specific agenda of any prior conference. Our attendees are in for some fantastic information transfer. And that transfer will be started with two powerful keynote presentations. Our agenda committee selected Dominik Rietzel and Todd Grimm for the insights they will provide and the tone that they will set for the balance of the conference.”

Todd Grimm, president of T. A. Grimm & Associates and AMUG’s AM industry advisor, will open the conference on Monday, April 9. Grimm’s presentation, Light at the End of the Tunnel, will blend industry updates with observations of a palpable shift in expectations and attitudes in the AM industry. He hints that while the shift is encouraging, he will also share his thoughts on the covert obstacle that must be addressed for AM to proliferate. This will be his eighth appearance as an AMUG keynote speaker.

“We invite Todd back year after year because his presentations have set the tone for the conference, engaged our members, provided a concise update on the industry and challenged all to think differently. The energy, passion and knowledge he displays are a perfect kickoff to AMUG’s week-long information transfer,” said Bates.

Dominik Rietzel, head of BMW Group’s Additive Manufacturing Center (Non-Metal), will take the stage on Thursday, April 12, with his presentation titled Additive Manufacturing on the Road. A Journey from Prototyping to Production. Rietzel, who joined BMW Group’s center of competence for Additive Manufacturing in 2012, initially focused on technology scouting with the aim to use AM for serial production. Today, he oversees all non-metal AM operations and applications from prototyping to production. The journey represents his own experiences as BMW Group transferred from using additive manufacturing solely for prototype applications to using it as an important technology for their digitalization strategy.

Bates said, “Our attendees have a huge appetite for information on applications and how, as well as why, to make the transition from conventional processes to additive manufacturing. Hearing a first-hand account from within a company like BMW will provide much-wanted insights that offer guidance for implementation, justification and adoption.”

Featured presentations for Tuesday and Wednesday will be the Innovators Showcase and the Global AM Review. The Innovators Showcase is an on-stage, conversational interview that elicits valuable insights and personal stories from AM industry leaders. This year’s guest of honor is Fried Vancraen, founder and CEO of Materialise. Stefan Ritt of SLM Solutions and Graham Tromans of G. P. Tromans Associates will expose attendees to the AM activities around the world in the Global AM Review. The conference will also include over 200 presentations, workshops and hands-on training sessions. A preliminary agenda is available at www.amug.com/conference-agenda-planner.

The users group conference, now in its 30th year, is open to all that have direct ownership of industrial additive manufacturing equipment that is used for professional applications. The all-inclusive conference registration fee is $995.00 through March 10, 2018. For details and a link to registration, visit www.amug.com.

Additive Manufacturing Users Group (AMUG)
 www.amug.com