ASME IAM3D Challenge Winners’ Innovations Highlighted During Reception in New York

Students from six of the teams who participated in the inaugural ASME Innovative Additive Manufacturing 3D (IAM3D) Challenge were among the guests at a special reception held April 16 at ASME's headquarters at 2 Park Avenue in New York.

Earlier this month, ASME President J. Robert Sims, ASME Executive Director Thomas Loughlin, members of the Board of Governors, and other representatives from ASME welcomed the winners of the inaugural ASME Innovative Additive Manufacturing 3D (IAM3D) Challenge during a special reception at the Society’s New York Headquarters.

During the event on April 16, Sims, Loughlin and members of ASME leadership and staff unveiled a new exhibit located in the headquarters reception area on the sixth floor of the building. The redecorated lobby now incorporates several of the award-winning 3D-printed innovations from the final round of the IAM3D Challenge, which was held last November during the 2014 ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition in Montreal, Canada.

ASME President J. Robert Sims (foreground) welcomes guests to the IAM3D Inaugural Reception. Cindy Stong (far left), senior vice president of the ASME Student and Early Career Development Sector, and ASME Executive Director Thomas Loughlin also provided opening remarks during the event

The inventions featured in the new exhibit include the winner of the competition’s Best Overall Award, the FDM UAV, a 12-pound unmanned air vehicle that was designed by students from Purdue University and Brigham Young University to help farmers reliably monitor the condition of their crops over large areas, as well as the entry judged Most Innovative — Fishing Future — a 3D printing process for fishing bobbers designed by students from South Dakota State that enables affordable customization while eliminating the creation of scrap material.

The other notable entries from the inaugural IAM3D Challenge now on display include the 3D Printed Granular Jamming Hand, an open-source, customizable hand and forearm prosthesis from the Stevens Institute of Technology for use in everyday tasks such as opening doors and lifting glasses; and Winds of Change, a 3D-printed turbine blade designed by students from Sheridan University and the University of Toronto that dramatically cuts production costs, production time and material use.

During his opening comments, President Sims noted the significance of hosting such an exhibit at ASME’s headquarters. “The headquarters office is a testament to the contributions and innovation of engineering as represented in the architecture, artwork and displays on the sixth and seventh floors,” he said. “Our office is just another way that ASME shows its commitment to ‘communicating the excitement of engineering,’ which is a vital and important part of our Society’s mission. This reception is dedicated to the innovative work of some of today’s brightest engineering students and engineering programs.”

(Left to right) Radhika Sagar, a member of the IAM3D Challenge team from Sheridan University and the University of Toronto, discusses her team's entry, Winds of Change, with ASME Senior Vice President Cindy Stong and Tatyana Polyak, director of ASME Student and Early Career Programs.

ASME Executive Director Loughlin underscored this commitment to innovation during his remarks. “ASME has embraced the field of additive manufacturing and 3D printing because of its countless opportunities to drive innovation and provide solutions to the challenges of our world,” he said. “This new ‘industrial revolution’ has great potential to reduce manufacturing costs and lead time, to build and grow economies, and to contribute to a more robust engineering workforce. The IAM3D Challenge, the ASME Innovative Design Simulation Competition and programs like the ASME Innovation Showcase — the IShow — are just some of the many ways that ASME is offering students opportunities to grow, contribute and succeed in their engineering careers.”

Cindy Stong, senior vice president of ASME’s Student and Early Career Development Sector, also provided remarks during the reception’s introduction. Najib Metni, chair of the Board on Student Programs, and Farzad Rayegani, chair of the IAM3D Committee, then introduced six students whose individually or team-designed innovations are featured in the new ASME exhibit: Aaron Inouye from Brigham Young University, Maggie Serra from Stevens Institute of Technology, Hargurdeep Singh from Sheridan College, Eric Chapin from South Dakota State, Alex Benvenuto of Temple University, and Hituvan Lachhar from Sheridan College.

Other special guests at the reception included Paul Stevenson, the incoming senior vice president for the Student and Early Career Development Sector; IAM3D Committee members Howard Rhett and Imre Horvath; and student faculty advisors Jim Chen (Temple University), Atilla Nagy (Sheridan College), Hossein Ahari (formerly of Sheridan College), Greg Jensen (Brigham Young University), and Todd Letcher (South Dakota State University).