Greg Morris to receive 2024 AMUG Innovators Award
The Additive Manufacturing Users Group (AMUG) has announced 3D printing veteran Greg Morris as the latest recipient of its Innovators Award.
The award recognises individuals who have ‘cultivated innovative practices that have advanced the additive manufacturing industry,’ and will be presented during an intimate live Q&A during the 2024 AMUG Conference.
Morris co-founded Morris Technologies in 1994, a leading provider of specialist AM services in the U.S. In 2003, the company expanded into metal AM and brought the first metal machine to North America. The company, along with sister company, Rapid Quality Manufacturing, was later acquired by GE Aviation, where Morris served as additive technologies leader, and later as an advisor to GE's then newly formed AM-focused subsidiary GE Additive in 2016. Morris retired in 2018 but in 2020, founded advanced manufacturing service provider Vertex Manufacturing. Shortly after, the company was acquired by medical device start-up PrinterPrezz. The companies now operate under the Zeda Inc. where Morris currently serves as CTO.
Morris was inducted into the TCT Hall of Fame in 2018 for his significant contributions to the AM industry through application development, and ultimately “helping to validate the entire metal 3D printing industry.” According to AMUG organisers, Morris’ influential role in AM metals was central to his selection for the award.
Tim Bell, AMUG's Director of Sponsors & Exhibitors and a former colleague of Morris', said, “Greg is a visionary who saw the potential for additive metals and took the calculated risk of introducing metal powder bed fusion [PBF] to North America. His early adopter role paved the way for those who followed and now use metal PBF to create innovative products.
“As a leader, Greg gave his team the freedom to experiment and push the boundaries. This, in turn, led to suppliers being eager to work with Morris Technologies to make the additive manufacturing systems better, more reliable, and more capable of achieving serial production.”
Shannon VanDeren, AMUG President, added: “Greg is continually in a mode of coaching. He genuinely wants to see not only the industry grow but also the individuals working within it. He is willing to share within our industry to create more thought-provoking processes and successful results.”
Morris said, “I am honoured and humbled to accept the AMUG Innovators Award. As most everyone would agree, there are usually many people that team together in any endeavour to create success. I am certainly in that category and gratefully accept this award on behalf of all the talented and creative colleagues I have had the fortune to work with who have been equal contributors in advancing these technologies.”
Morris is the ninth recipient of the award and joins an esteemed group of AM luminaries including Chuck Hull, Scott Crump, Carl Deckard, Fried Vancraen, Gideon Levy, Hans Langer, Andy Christensen, and Diana Kalisz.
The 2024 AMUG Conference will be held March 10-14, 2024, at the Hilton Chicago in Chicago, Illinois, and will feature nearly 150 presentations, hands-on workshops, and training sessions. Registration is now open.
