FDA and the 3Rs of 3D printing

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for protecting the public health, so the agency is reviewing and researching 3D printed products to make sure they are safe and effective for the public. Manufacturers use 3D printing to create patient-specific devices and products with very complex internal structures.

3D printed medical devices can help doctors better visualize complex health cases. The FDA also has medical applications for regulated drugs and biologics, so it is studying this technology to better understand it when conducting medical product reviews and to offer guidance to manufacturers.

To learn more about how the FDA is using this technology to promote and protect public health watch “The 3Rs of 3D Printing” at https://goo.gl/n77bmA. www.fda.gov

New board elected for Additive Manufacturing Users Group

At the Additive Manufacturing Users Group (AMUG) annual business meeting in March, members elected AMUG’s 2017-2018 board. Assuming the role of president, Paul Bates will lead AMUG as of July 1, 2017.

Bates, manager of UL’s Additive Manufacturing Competency Center, has served as deputy vice president and most recently as vice president. He will replace Steve Deak of GE Aviation, who was ineligible for re-election due to his company’s ownership stake in Arcam AB and Concept Laser. Deak will continue to support AMUG as its past president.

AMUG members elected two first-time officers, Vice Presidents Jamie Cone of BD and Carl Dekker of Met-L-Flo. Tom Sorovetz of FCA US LLC and Kim Killoran of Stratasys were re-elected to the positions of event manager and secretary, respectively.

The year-over-year growth and projected increase prompted the board to expand its ranks with the addition of three deputy vice president positions. Candidates for these appointed positions and those for chairman, treasurer, AM industry advisor, deputy secretary, and registrar were proposed by the outgoing board and accepted by the incoming board. www.am-ug.com