In the course of the 2024 Additive Manufacturing Customers Group (AMUG) convention, the recipients of 5 Distinguished INnovator Operator (DINO) awards and the group’s prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award have been introduced.
Held in Chicago between March 10-14, the 2024 installment of the AMUG convention as soon as once more sought to unite industrial additive manufacturing customers to community, trade insights, and showcase new expertise choices.
The extremely coveted DINO awards went to Jamie Cone, Steve Grundahl, Thomas Murphy, Vadim Pikhovich, and Bob Renella in recognition of their service and contribution to the additive manufacturing trade.
Gary Rabinovitz, AM/3D Printing Lab Supervisor at Boston-based shoe producer Reebok, acquired the AMUG Lifetime Achievement Award. That is solely the second such award to be offered within the group’s 36-year historical past, after Thomas Sorovetz in 2018.
“A lot of what Gary has carried out is unknown to the AMUG membership. However having labored intently with him for thus a few years, I witnessed his pivotal position in offering management, steerage and counsel as AMUG transitioned over the previous 24 years,” commented Paul Bates, Rabinovitz’s former supervisor at Reebok and a former AMUG President.
“I’ve additionally seen his diligence in doing the work wanted to make the modifications potential and maintain AMUG true to its mission.”
AMUG awards second ever Lifetime Achievement Award
A prestigious title inside the 3D printing group, the AMUG lifetime achievement award seeks to recognise people who exemplify management and excellence inside Additive Manufacturing.
Rabinovitz has held roles at AMUG for the previous 27 years, having entered the additive manufacturing customers group again in 2001.
After turning into Vice President of the Selective Laser Sintering Person Group in 2001, he was promoted to President the next yr. The SLS Customers Group later merged with the Stereolithography Customers Group to kind what’s now often called AMUG.
Since 2011, Rabinovitz has carried out uninterrupted service as an AMUG officer or director. These roles have included Vice President, President, Previous President, Advisor to the Board, Chairman, and Director at Giant. Moreover, Rabinovitz has often contributed as a convention volunteer, alongside his spouse Mary.
The award was offered by Bates, who launched Rabinovitz to Reebok and additive manufacturing and has supported his lengthy affiliation with AMUG. After taking to the stage, Rabinovitz acknowledged “This Lifetime Achievement Award means the world to me. I by no means imagined being a volunteer within the AM trade for over 20 years after which being acknowledged for it. I’m very humbled to obtain this prestigious award from AMUG.”
“Gary has been a major contributor to the additive manufacturing trade for many of his years as a person inside Reebok. Gary has constantly contributed his vitality, time and expertise to diverse organizations with the mission to additional advance additive applied sciences,” added incumbent AMUG President Shannon VanDeren.
“Throughout many years, the consistency of his involvement is what’s so marked to me as I look upon his contributions.”
Rabinovitz now joins Sorovetz as one of the vital honored AMUG members of all time, having beforehand been awarded the President’s Award in 2014 and the DINO Award in 2001.
5 new DINO’s introduced
The DINO award is considered one of AMUG’s most famed prizes, with solely 190 awarded all through the group’s historical past. Granted to these with the very best ranges of additive manufacturing experience, all recipients have demonstrated a willingness to share their information with these within the trade.
DINO winners will need to have spent a minimal of ten years ‘personally concerned’ within the sector, attending at the very least three AMUG conferences within the course of. “This award acknowledges not solely expertise but in addition character and keenness,” defined Rabinovitz, who’s DINO Choice Committee Co-Chair and AMUG Director at Giant.
Current recipients embrace the likes of Ben Arnold from Massivit 3D, Bob Wooden from ExONE, and Materialise’s Evan Kirby.
This yr’s winners characteristic Jamie Cone, a Senior Engineer at BD, Prototek’s Vice President of Additive Manufacturing Steve Grundahl, Thomas Murphy of the New Jersey Innovation Institute’s COMET Undertaking, MAGMA Foundry Applied sciences’ Vadim Pikhovich, and Bob Renella, who serves as Regional Engineering Supervisor for GoEngineer.
In line with Rabinovitz, the winners have been chosen from over 1,500 AMUG 2024 attendees following a prolonged nomination and assessment course of. All of this yr’s DINO awardees boast notable contributions to additive manufacturing and AMUG.
Cone was chosen for her six years of service as a Vice President, Volunteer Committee Chair and Expo Committee member. Pikhovich and Renella have been acknowledged for his or her monitor chief and workshop coordinator roles in metallic casting and 3D scanning, respectively. Murphy’s years volunteering as a member of the Scholarship Committee and Expo Committee have been highlighted as supporting his nomination. Lastly, Grundahl acquired his DINO in recognition of his “unwavering assist for AMUG.”
Giles Gaskell, member of the AMUG’s Monitor Chief Committee, offered the award to Renella, stating that “He has carried out every little thing requested of him, and extra, to assist the expansion of the scanning and metrology monitor over a few years and with out asking for thanks or recognition. His DINO is totally deserved.”
DINO Award nominations for AMUG 2025 will open on October 1, 2024.
Extra highlights from AMUG 2024
These weren’t the one people to be acknowledged throughout AMUG 2024. Earlier than the convention, it was introduced that Alex Campbell and Phil Rufe had been chosen for the AMUG 3D printing scholarships. Taking to the stage on March 12, 2024, Campbell and Rufe have been chosen for his or her efforts to advance additive manufacturing in each training and trade.
Along with awards, AMUG 2024 additionally witnessed the showcase of latest additive manufacturing expertise. In the course of the convention, metallic 3D printer developer Meltio unveiled the M600, its latest laser metallic deposition (LMD) 3D printer. That includes a newly developed Blue Laser deposition head, the 3D printer is designed for industrial-scale manufacturing purposes.
Chicago-based 3D printing high quality assurance software program developer Phase3D introduced the commercialization of its new True Layer Thickness toolkit. The monitoring and inspection software measures the amount of metallic powder distributed on a 3D printer’s construct platform, making certain a good materials distribution throughout powder mattress fusion 3D printing.
AMUG 2024 additionally noticed Belgian 3D printing firm Materialise introduce its e-Stage for Steel+ software program. Using physics-based modeling, this new providing is designed to streamline information and construct preparation for laser powder mattress fusion (LPBF) 3D printing.
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Featured picture reveals DINOs from the previous 26 years gathered to have fun the 2024 AMUG Convention. Picture by way of AMUG.