Meeting Resources

2020 Annual International Solid Freeform Fabrication Symposium – An Additive Manufacturing Conference

August 17-19, 2020 • Hilton Austin Hotel • Austin, Texas, USA

2020 ABSTRACTS MOVED TO 2021

It is with regret that I inform you that the parallel sessions and in-person sessions for the 31st Annual Solid Freeform Fabrication Symposium – An Additive Manufacturing Conference, set for August 17-19, 2020 in Austin, Texas USA, have been moved to the 2021 (32nd) SFF Symposium. We are planning a morning Zoom virtual session for 8 AM to noon Central Standard Time (GMT-5) on Monday morning, August 17 which will constitute the 31st Annual Meeting. This session will be free to all and will include four keynote presentations and the two FAME presentations. We are pleased to announce that the winner of the Freeform and Additive Manufacturing Excellence (FAME) Award is Professor Ming Leu from the Missouri University of Science and Technology. The FAME Award for a young researcher this year will be presented to Dr. Abdalla Nassar from Penn State University. Details and the Zoom link for the keynote and FAME winner presentations will be posted on the website in due course.

The Organizing Committee places a high priority on the safety of the conference attendees and staff. The future impact of the COVID-19 between now and August 2020 is very uncertain. We are currently experiencing a recent surge in active cases and hospitalizations in the Austin metro area, presumably associated with reopening of the State of Texas in late May. Most attendees are presently working under governmental and organizational travel restrictions which may or may not be lifted in time to adequately plan travel. We feel that a significant number of attendees will be justifiably uncomfortable traveling and participating in a conference setting even if there are no external restrictions. These factors, coupled with reduced viable exit strategies as the meeting approaches, all were considered in the decision making process.

We are technically moving the in-person part of the 2020 31st meeting for next year, the 32nd annual meeting set for July 26-28, 2021. This impacts the disposition of submitted abstracts. This will be the only SFF Symposium held in 2021. Your submitted and accepted abstracts will be automatically moved to the new date in 2021 without any action required on your part. If you submitted an abstract for 2020 and wish to cancel/withdraw your abstract from the 2021 meeting, please email programming@programmaster.org. If you wish to modify your abstract, you may do so in your ProgramMaster Presenter/Author tools. There will be no conference proceedings prior to the end of the 2021 meeting. Therefore, all 2020 deadlines for manuscript submittal are no longer active and will be revised to comparable dates in 2021.

We are seeking a one-year no-cost extension of the grad student registration fee waiver funding. All current applications will be inactivated, and, pending availability of funding, a new competition for registration fee waivers will be initiated next year.

If you have made a hotel reservation for this year, please cancel your room.

On behalf of the SFF Symposium Organizing Committee, I regret any inconvenience this may cause. We are committed to providing a forum for dissemination of research in Additive Manufacturing and are already looking forward to a less stressful conference in 2021.

Dave Bourell, Ph.D., P.E., FASM, FTMS
Temple Foundation Professor
Chair, Organizing Committee
SFF Symposium

The 2020 Annual International Solid Freeform Fabrication Symposium – An Additive Manufacturing Conference (SFF Symposium) will be held Monday, August 17, through Wednesday, August 19, with a pre-conference social event scheduled for Sunday, August 16. Additional information regarding this symposium, such as events, awards, and hotel options, can be found on the SFF Symposium website.

IMPORTANT DATES

Abstract Submission Deadline:
April 15, 2020

Registration Deadline:
August 13, 2020

Conference Dates:
August 17-19, 2020

RESOURCES

Registration Information

Full-conference and student registration fees include the following:

  • Full technical meeting access
  • Sunday evening pre-conference event
  • Monday evening awards banquet
  • Tuesday lunch
  • A flash drive copy of the conference proceedings+

+The conference proceedings flash drive will be sent to full-conference and student registrants at the address provided on their registration form. If the proceedings should be sent to a different address, please notify TMS before August 19. Individuals who cancel their registrations and do not receive a refund are entitled to the flash drive conference proceedings.

Technical sessions will begin on Monday, August 17, and run through Wednesday, August 19. Attendees are required to register, and badges must be worn for admission to technical sessions and all conference events.

Registration Fees

Full Conference $640
Student* $420
Daily (Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday)** $260

*Must be a full-time graduate or undergraduate student to register at student rate. Students may register online and must send a copy of their student ID card by email to mtgserv@tms.org. Students must bring their student ID cards with them on-site to get their conference materials.
**One-day registration includes one social event ticket on that day, but does not include a copy of the proceedings.

Cancellation Policy
Requests for cancellations must be made in writing (by e-mail or mail) to TMS. A $75 processing fee is charged for all cancellations. No refunds will be processed after the registration deadline of August 13, 2020.

Obtain a Travel Visa for Conferences held in the United States

Request a Visa Letter

To request an official visa invitation letter for this conference, please send your request to TMS Meeting Services. Letters will be generated as requested, so you can submit it along with other required documentation to the appropriate consulate/embassy. Please note that this letter does not guarantee you will be granted a visa. If you need additional assistance, please call at 1–724–776–9000, ext. 211.

Visa Application Process

Meeting attendees from countries that require a visa to enter the United States are reminded that the process of obtaining a visa takes a minimum of three months. You are strongly encouraged to plan ahead and begin the application process early. The U.S. State Department website includes visa information concerning temporary visitors to the United States that may be helpful to you.

Please note that the Department of Homeland Security is implementing the Electronic System for Travel Authorization, which is expected to be mandatory for Visa Waiver Program travelers. Complete information is available on the Visa Waiver Program page of the U.S. State Department website.

For More Information

For questions or more information regarding this symposium, please e-mail the TMS Programming Staff.

Please Note: The 2020 Annual International Solid Freeform Fabrication Symposium – An Additive Manufacturing Conference is organized by the Mechanical Engineering Department/Lab for Freeform Fabrication under the aegis of the Advanced Manufacturing and Design Center at the University of Texas at Austin. The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society (TMS) is handling registration and programming support services for this symposium.