AMUG announces 2026 Technical Competition winners
The Additive Manufacturing Users Group (AMUG) has announced the winners of its annual Technical Competition, which recognises excellence in Additive Manufacturing applications and finishing techniques. A panel of industry veterans selected entries from REM Surface Engineering and B9Creations as Finishing & Post Processing and Advanced Concepts winners, respectively. AMUG Members also selected REM Surface Engineering’s entry as the Members’ Choice winner.
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The Technical Competition took place at the annual AMUG Conference, March 15-19, 2026, in Reno, Nevada, USA.
“There were a lot of firsts this year. The categories were modified,” explained Corey Wardrop, Technical Competition Committee Chair. “The venue was new, as was the Technical Competition space, and many of the entrants were first-time competitors or even first-time AMUG attendees. We have come to expect exceptional creativity and expertise in the competition, but equally impressive is the courage and initiative shown by the competitors.”
Finishing & Post-Processing
Joshua Boykin, Ph.D., a senior research chemist with REM Surface Engineering, submitted the winning entry in the Finishing & Post Processing category. It not only impressed the judges, but it also inspired AMUG Members to award it the Members’ Choice award.
Boykin’s entry, titled ‘Breaking the Powder Barrier: Selective Chemical Declogging Enables Truly Free AM Design,’ presented a production-ready chemical process that selectively removes stubborn, sintered powder from fully enclosed internal passages in metal powder-based components, without degrading critical thin-wall geometries. Validated through high-resolution X-ray CT analysis, the work demonstrated near-complete powder removal, preservation of structural integrity, and restoration of functional flow paths in complex TPMS-based heat exchanger architectures.
By addressing a key post-processing limitation in metal Additive Manufacturing, the approach expands design freedom for high-performance thermal systems and, according to the company, offers a scalable route to broader adoption in aerospace and industrial applications.
One of the judges referred to the approach as “an amazing solution to a problem currently creating a massive roadblock for the adoption of powder metal Additive Manufacturing.”
Two entries shared second place in this category:
- Aaron Sherman, HellermannTyton – ‘Pip-Boy 3000 Mk V Prop Replica from the Fallout TV Series’
- Joe Olguin, Sandia National Laboratories – ‘Adapting an As-printed LPBF Design for Ultra-Thin Sectioning’
Sherman’s entry demonstrated advanced finishing techniques to create a functional, metallic-feel prop with integrated electronics. Olguin’s work showed that residual stress, rather than geometry, limits ultra-thin sectioning in Laser Beam Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB) 316L, and that combining build strategy adjustments with vacuum annealing enables sectioning down to 400 µm.
Advanced Concepts
Ethan Hartmann, solutions engineer at B9Creations, won the Advanced Concepts category with ‘Additive-Enabled Miniature Silicone Component Manufacturing via Sacrificial Tooling.’
The project demonstrated a workflow for producing platinum-cure silicone components at the microscale using high-resolution DLP and soluble sacrificial tooling. The process enabled complex internal geometries and feature sizes of a few hundred microns – capabilities not achievable through conventional moulding.
Through optimisation of build parameters, tooling design, and silicone processing, the work achieved consistent mould filling, dimensional control, and repeatable part quality. By combining commercially available materials within a highly engineered workflow, the approach expands the manufacturing envelope for micro-scale silicone components.
Second and third place in Advanced Concepts were awarded to:
- Second place: Halil Tekinalp, Oak Ridge National Laboratory – ‘Multiplexing Extrusion System (MExS)’
- Third place: Jason Jones, Hybrid Manufacturing Technologies – ‘In-situ Volumetric Inspection’
Tekinalp’s system reportedly enables purge-free, in-bead multi-material Additive Manufacturing with improved interlayer bonding and throughput. Jones’ hybrid workflow integrates AM, machining, and in-situ ultrasonic inspection for real-time defect detection in safety-critical components.
Wardrop concluded, “The 2026 Technical Competition brought together a truly diverse set of skills and creative drive. All twenty entries showed a very high standard, and judges had difficulty isolating their favourites.”
Boykin and Hartmann will receive complimentary admission to the 2027 AMUG Conference, where they will present their work and provide project updates.
The judging panel comprised twelve AMUG DINOs: Dan Braley, Carl Dekker, Bob Diaz, Timothy Gornet, Joerg Griessbach, David Leigh, Nicholas Licari, Jason Lopes, Thomas Murphy, Heather Natal, Jeremy Pullin, and Ed Tackett.
