It’s amazing what you can do with 3D printing. Take a look at the recent winners of the Additive Manufacturing Users Group (AMUG) annual Technical Competition, which was held during the group’s 28th annual conference in St. Louis, Missouri. A panel of industry veterans named Alan Guyan of Under Armour and Andrew Sliwa of Custom Prototypes Inc. winners of the competition.
Alan Guyan’s winning entry in the advanced concepts category was the UA Architech performance training shoe. This limited-production footwear features 3D-printed midsoles that offer athletes support and cushioning. The function of the midsole was achieved through generative design, which created a performance-focused lattice structure that can only be practically manufactured through 3D printing. Guyan used Autodesk’s Within software for the design and selective laser sintering for the 3D printing.
Andrew Sliwa’s winning entry in the advanced finishing category was a recreation of Vincent van Gogh’s “The Starry Night.” This ¾-scale replica is entirely 3D printed using stereolithography. Custom Prototypes’ talented staff then hand painted and aged the artwork and frame to create the remarkable piece.
In the advanced concepts category, Vince Anewenter of Milwaukee School of Engineering took second place with a 3D-printed bronze holograph, and Phill Dickens of Added Scientific, Inc. took third place with a diesel pump front plate that shaved 40% from the weight of the conventionally manufactured part it replaces.
In the advanced finishing category, Todd Reese of Realize, Inc. took second place with a replica of BB-8 from the Star Wars franchise, and Heather Tackett of Scicon Technologies Corp took third place with a creature caricature titled “Thug.”
The annual Technical Competition recognizes excellence in additive manufacturing applications and skill in finishing additive manufacturing parts.
