Additive Manufacturing Award Competition Launches

AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology (Mclean, VA) and VDW – Verein Deutscher Werkzeugmaschinenfabriken (German Machine Tool Builders’ Association; Frankfurt am Main, Germany) have announced that the competition period for the 2016 International Additive Manufacturing Award (IAMA) is now open. Those interested in applying for the award should click here for information. Entries will be accepted through December 7, 2015.

The IAMA recognizes innovations in additive manufacturing for industrial applications. This includes developments in the design of systems or major components, advances in processes or materials, new applications, data generation or measurement. Those in the industry, such as system producers, users, component suppliers, data modelers, and international academia, are invited to apply. The 2016 award will be presented at METAV 2016, the 19th International Exhibition for Metalworking Technologies, held in Düsseldorf, Germany, on February 23-27, 2016.

The applications will be evaluated by a high-ranking international jury comprised of representatives from industry, academia, trade organizations and the media. This is the second edition of the IAMA. The inaugural award was presented in March 2015 at The MFG Meeting to Hybrid Manufacturing Technologies Ltd. (Leicestershire, UK; Plano, TX) for its self-contained laser cladding head, which mounts to a machining center’s spindle and augments a traditional “subtractive” CNC machine’s operations with additive capabilities.

AMT and VDW partnered on the International Additive Manufacturing Award program in response to the rapidly changing landscape in manufacturing created by advances in additive technology. Not only do these advances present myriad opportunities, but also challenges to entry and scalability. This award was created to encourage innovators to accelerate the technology’s current avail-abilities while also creating new solutions to its challenges.

“Additive technology continues to have a significant impact on manufacturing operations and product design,” said Douglas K. Woods, the president of AMT. “With this award, we are aiming to shine a spotlight on innovations and creative solutions in this bourgeoning field. Following a successful inaugural competition, we are looking forward to numerous project entries for the 2016 award.”

VDW executive director Dr. Wilfried Schäfer added, “Additive manufacturing will be one of the technology trends radically transforming the production processes of the future. It has meanwhile evolved into an autonomous technology that opens up new options to the industrial sector for manufacturing complex parts.”

The 2016 IAMA winner will receive a $20,000 cash prize and a media package valued at $80,000 to promote the winning development.

www.amtonline.org