Laura Griffiths
AMUG announces 2024 keynote speakers
The Additive Manufacturing Users Group (AMUG) has announced its keynote speakers for the 2024 AMUG Conference.
The focus will be on the adoption of 3D printing technologies in creative industries with Jason Lopes, Director - Additive Manufacturing at Gentle Giant Studios, and Olaf Diegel, Professor of Additive Manufacturing at the University of Auckland, New Zealand, taking to the main stage on Tuesday and Thursday.
Lopes’ presentation will focus on 3D scanning, design, and additive manufacturing, while Diegel is set to address design for additive manufacturing (DfAM).
Ed Graham, AMUG’s Director of Education and Conference, commented: “Our 2024 keynote speakers embody additive manufacturing as an art form for tackling complex challenges and elevating what is possible. I believe that Olaf’s and Jason’s talks with be complementary, having different perspectives on the creative use of additive manufacturing, and they will bring a global view of additive case studies to the stage.”
Lopes, whose 3D printing movie credits include films such as Avatar, Terminator Genisys & Salvation, Thor, and Iron Man, will discuss how AM and 3D scanning have been advanced by the entertainment and creative services industries. An AMUG DINO recipient, Lopes’ stories come from his experiences at Gentle Giant Studios, and using 3D technologies to create visual effects and products.
Diegel’s keynote, Design for Additive Manufacturing: Understanding Value, will demonstrate, through real-world examples across aerospace, transportation, healthcare, and artistic applications, how DfAM can transform products with value-added features. Attendees will walk away with practical guidance on how to design products for additive manufacturing and how to leverage the recent advances in computational design software to automate complex product design.
Graham said: “I have followed Olaf for many years on social media. I was very pleased and excited when he agreed to travel from New Zeeland to Chicago so that he can share his creative, wide-ranging use cases of additive manufacturing with our members.”
Renowned for his stylised 3D printed guitars, manufactured through his company ODD, Diegel has been an AM advocate, educator and practitioner for 25 years. Diegel is the Professor of Additive Manufacturing at the University of Auckland, New Zealand, and as a consultant, has developed a wide range of products for companies around the world.
Completing the line-up will be the previously announced Innovators Showcase presentation on Wednesday morning, featuring metal additive manufacturing pioneer Greg Morris.
