The TyRex Team at AMUG 2022

Every year, the Additive Manufacturing Users Group (AMUG) hosts a conference that brings together engineers, designers, and educators from across the globe to share their knowledge, challenges, and developments in additive manufacturing technology. This year, some of our TyRex Technology Family were able to attend this year’s event in Chicago, and they wanted you to be able to see this conference through their experiences.

Picture this: it’s 2022 and you’re at the Hilton Chicago during the week of April 3rd to attend the AMUG Conference. At this expo, you’re surrounded by the best and the brightest minds in the world of additive manufacturing. With over 2,500 people, there was a a lot to take in and experience, and TyRex was lucky to be able to have four of our own Technology Family representatives in attendance.

Andrew Cooper, Daniel Hogberg, Martin Johnson, and Marie Mattson traveled to Chicago with a competition entry in one hand and gratitude coins in the other.

The AMUG Technical Competition is open for users of additive manufacturing technologies to showcase their application and finishing capabilities. The project our team presented was up against some fierce competition this year with 27 total entries – a large increase from the 3 projects that were presented at the 2021 competition. During the competition, competitors present their products and research to both judges and AMUG expo attendees. This year, AMUG added the Members Choice Award, where AMUG members could vote on their favorite entry.

Though we didn’t bring home the win for this year, the gratitude coins helped to make our team stand out amongst the sea of innovators. These 3D printed coins have a QR code that allows the recipient to enjoy a cup of coffee while learning about the work being done by the TyRex STG 4 Fronts team.

Check out what each of our TyRex attendees have to say their experiences at the epicenter of the future of additive manufacturing.

“The number of technical presentations had more than doubled this year, which was another indicator that the industry is now showcasing more knowledge than the OEM providers. There were a few areas of 3D that clearly were seeing growth, innovation, and better represented due to global supply chain events… The AM industry as a whole is clearly the wave of the future with well-defined segmentation in OEM capabilities, new areas of optimization, and a resurgence of ‘built in America.’”

-Andrew Cooper, TyRex CEO

“Aerospace, military, automotive, and medical were primary industry focus areas. Metal and resin printing were the largest growth areas, and there were more printers using jetting as a means of laying down materials. Post processing and automation were key areas where end-users wanted to see improvements and innovation… The quality of the presentations were good, and the events were designed to get people to engage more, and there was a clear focus on connections.”

-Martin Johnson, TyRex Executive Vice President

“My first experience with AMUG 2022 was both exciting and overwhelming… Every morning, the attendees met together in the Grand Ballroom to hear from the keynote speaker as well as the AMUG committee who discussed difference topics. After that, it was off to sessions and panel discussions that were very well presented… There were more than double the number of technical entries than the prior year. Many of the entries had beautiful aesthetics and stories too.”