AMTC 2022: Driving Global Collaboration and Sustainable Innovation in Advanced Additive Manufacturing
For the fifth consecutive year, the highly anticipated Advanced Manufacturing Technology Conference (AMTC) will convene leading minds in additive manufacturing. Scheduled for October 11th and 12th on the vibrant campus of the Technical University of Munich (TUM), this prestigious event serves as a pivotal platform for professionals, researchers, and decision-makers alike. The AMTC is renowned for its unequivocal commitment to fostering international cooperation within the dynamic field of additive manufacturing, a commitment that is more vital than ever in today’s interconnected world. This global perspective is brilliantly reflected in its distinguished roster of speakers, who will journey from Europe, Asia, and the USA to share groundbreaking insights. Attendees can expect comprehensive updates on countless AM innovations spanning diverse industrial sectors, advanced manufacturing processes, and crucial industry news. In a year defined by various global crises, the additive manufacturing sector is once again challenged to step up and deliver its unique contributions. This imperative primarily centers on evolving production methods and product development towards more resource-saving and climate-friendly approaches, reinforcing AM’s role in building a sustainable future.
The internationally acclaimed AMTC conference offers an unparalleled opportunity for high-level engagement. It brings together C-level executives from prominent industrial enterprises, key decision-makers from regulatory bodies, and esteemed experts from the realms of science, research, and standardization. Their collective objective is to robustly discuss and strategically shape the ongoing development and widespread adoption of additive manufacturing in industrial applications. As previously announced, a central theme guiding this year’s program will be the profound importance of international cooperation, encapsulated by the provocative question: “What can the three major economic regions of America, Europe, and Asia learn from each other?” Prof. Michael Süß, Executive Chairman of Oerlikon and the visionary founder of the AMTC, further elaborates on this critical focus: “The profound global upheaval currently impacting political systems and markets is fundamentally reshaping international supply chains. This, coupled with an intensified focus on sustainability, represents a primary driver behind the accelerating demand for additive manufacturing. The range of application fields for AM is continually expanding, and the underlying printing and processing technologies have already attained an exceptionally high level of sophistication. We believe that the remaining technical and regulatory hurdles can most effectively be overcome through concerted global cooperation. In this crucial endeavor, the international AM community plays an undeniably significant role, fostering the shared knowledge and collaborative efforts necessary for widespread industrial adoption and long-term innovation.” This statement underscores the conference’s mission to transcend geographical boundaries, promoting a unified approach to advancing this transformative technology.
The AMTC takes place on TUM’s campus, a hub for technological innovation and academic excellence (photo credits: AMTC)
What to Expect: Highlights and Innovations at AMTC 2022
The AMTC 2022 agenda is meticulously crafted to deliver valuable insights and foster dynamic discussions across the additive manufacturing spectrum. The first day of the event, Tuesday, October 11th, kicks off with an engaging focus on the burgeoning 3D printing startup scene. This segment will feature an insightful discussion centered on the current trends and future trajectories within the international 3D startup ecosystem. Attendees will benefit from compelling keynote speeches delivered by prominent figures such as Arno Held from AM Ventures, a leading venture capitalist in the AM space, and Helmut Schöneberger from UnternehmerTUM, a renowned center for innovation and entrepreneurship. Following these inspiring keynotes, interactive discussion sessions will delve deeper into real-world applications and challenges, with participation from innovative companies like Kinexon, known for its real-time location and motion intelligence, Seurat, pioneering in area printing for industrial metal additive manufacturing, and Kumovis, specializing in 3D printing solutions for medical applications. The highlight of this session will be a series of concise and impactful pitches where a total of six selected startups will present their innovative ideas. These pioneering solutions include advancements in AM powder derived from recycled materials, offering a sustainable alternative; novel wire alloys specifically developed for large-format 3D metal printing, enabling bigger and more robust components; and a completely new printing process that harnesses the power of microwaves as an energy source, potentially revolutionizing speed and efficiency in additive manufacturing. This focus on startups underscores the AMTC’s commitment to nurturing the next generation of AM pioneers and exploring disruptive technologies.
The second day of AMTC, Wednesday, October 12th, promises equally significant developments, beginning with the official foundation of the “Bavarian AM Cluster.” This strategic initiative brings together a powerful consortium of industry leaders, including global players such as Siemens, Audi, MTU, EOS, Linde, GE Additive, and Oerlikon. The primary objective of this cluster is to foster collaborative efforts aimed at improving and collectively overcoming both technical and economic challenges that arise for scientific institutions and companies throughout the entire additive manufacturing value chain. This encompasses everything from materials development and process optimization to post-processing and industrial integration, ensuring a holistic approach to AM advancement within the region. Following this pivotal announcement, the agenda transitions to a novel and highly anticipated content exchange segment. For the first time ever, all AMTC participants – whether attending online or physically on-site – will be granted an exclusive opportunity to gain unparalleled insights and future outlooks on emerging markets directly from the industry’s foremost experts. This unique foresight will be made possible through the comprehensive publication of a cutting-edge trend study, providing a data-driven overview of future directions in additive manufacturing, complemented by direct answers and predictions from the renowned futurologist Kai Gondlach. His insights are expected to offer a macro-level perspective on how additive manufacturing will shape industries and societies in the years to come, providing invaluable strategic guidance for attendees.
Beyond the foundational initiatives and forward-looking studies, attendees at this year’s AMTC can also anticipate engaging with an impressive lineup of high-profile experts drawn from various critical industries and sectors. This distinguished group includes Ilse Aigner, President of the Bavarian Parliament, who will provide insights into policy and regional development; Oliver Hoffmann, Member of the Board of Management for Technical Development at Audi AG, offering a deep dive into automotive applications; Peter Körte, Corporate Vice President, Chief Technology & Chief Strategy Officer at Siemens AG, sharing perspectives on digital industrial transformation; Thomas Hofmann, President of TUM, highlighting academic contributions; Francisco Betti, Head of Advanced Manufacturing and Member of the Executive Committee at the World Economic Forum, discussing global economic trends and AM’s role; and Lionel Lim, Vice President & Head, Technology Hardware & Equipment at the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB), presenting regional growth strategies. Through these diverse speakers, participants will not only gain a deeper understanding of real-world additive manufacturing applications but also receive exciting updates and breakthroughs directly from the research community. Representatives from leading universities and prominent research institutions will report on their current projects, delving into technical issues in intricate detail. Specifically, the conference will highlight two major international EU projects: one focusing on innovative laser beam shaping techniques designed to make the AM process significantly faster and more energy-efficient, and another dedicated to combining different AM processes and materials, enabling the customization of material properties within a single component to precisely adapt to local structural or functional needs, paving the way for truly optimized and multi-functional parts.
Furthermore, the AMTC 2022 will offer attendees a comprehensive and truly global insight into extensive projects originating from all three major included continents: Asia, Europe, and North America. From Asia, specifically Singapore, the renowned company SembCorp Marine will present fascinating developments in metal 3D printing for the crucial maintenance of ships, highlighting the significant advantages of AM in reducing downtime and enhancing vessel longevity. Also from Asia, this time from China, the innovative company Deep Blue Space will showcase their advanced production of critical components for rocket propulsion systems, demonstrating AM’s transformative impact on the aerospace sector. From Europe, attendees can look forward to a total of four exciting and diverse projects. One particularly notable presentation will come from the Fraunhofer Institute IGCV, in a powerful collaboration with Siemens Healthineers and other key partners: they will be demonstrating the cutting-edge 3D printing of an extremely complex heat sink made of copper, a material notorious for its thermal properties and challenging for traditional manufacturing methods, proving AM’s capability for intricate geometries. The vital automotive industry will also find its well-deserved spot in Munich, as Audi and Siemens will jointly present in meticulous detail how an additive manufacturing project can be successfully guided through its entire lifecycle, from concept and design to production and quality assurance, offering a blueprint for industrial adoption. From North America, we can anticipate groundbreaking insights from industry titans such as Eaton, known for its power management solutions; Collins Aerospace, a leader in aerospace systems; and Boeing, a global aerospace giant. These companies are at the forefront of integrating AM into their operations, promising to share invaluable lessons and future outlooks. If you are eager to discover even more about the AMTC prior to the event, including detailed agendas and speaker biographies, please click HERE to visit the official conference website.
We invite you to engage with the global additive manufacturing community. Will you be attending AMTC 2022 and contributing to the dialogue on advanced manufacturing? Let us know your thoughts and plans in a comment below or connect with us on our officialLinkedIn,Facebook, and Twitter pages! Stay informed with the very latest developments in 3D printing by signing up for our free weeklyNewsletter here, delivering breaking news straight to your inbox! Additionally, you can find all our insightful videos and interviews on our dedicatedYouTube channel, providing visual content that complements our written coverage. Join the conversation and become a part of the future of advanced manufacturing!
*All Photo Credits: AMTC