Meeting minutes - Global Alliance of Rapid Prototyping Associations ...

Attendees :
Deon de Beer, South Africa
Luca Luliano, Italy
Ismo Mäkelä, Finland
Bent Mieritz, Denmark
Graham Tromans, UK
Jukka Tuomi, Finland
Terry Wohlers, USA
Global Alliance of Rapid Prototyping Associations
Global Summit 2003
12 October 2003
Crowne Plaza Hotel, National Exhibition Centre
Birmingham, UK
Meeting Minutes
Opening and welcome
Graham Tromans welcomed everyone on behalf of the UK.s Rapid Prototyping and
Manufacturing Association, and gave some opportunity for introductions of the members
present. It was decided that Deon de Beer would take notes and Terry Wohlers would assist in
the editing thereof.
Old Business
The minutes of the previous meeting was used as basis for discussion of old business..
1. GARPA WEBSITE
1.1.The suggested template (by Andreas Gebhardt) was, as far as could be
established, not complete. It was suggested that Ian Gibson.s proposal
(see Attachment 1) be discussed under this point.
Following a discussion lead by Terry Wohlers and based on Ian Gibson.s
document, the need for a more permanent GARPA secretariat was
explained. In an attempt to keep GARPA membership as simple as
possible, it was decided not to charge a membership fee or levy, but to
rather ask members to contribute in-kind services. A good example of this
is the hosting of the GARPA website by QMI Solutions, publication of
case studies (previously done by Ian Gibson), and similar in-kind services.
Similarly, a proposal for a supporting secretary (e.g., half a day per week)
was discussed. This is a service that could be rotated among GARPA
member organizations.
It was confirmed that the document titled .Guidelines for Forming an
Association. was published and made available at www.garpa.org. (See
Attachment 2.) Separately, it was decided that the document titled
.Proposed GARPA Membership Policy. instead serve as a guideline and
not as a strict policy. The document is now titled .GARPA Membership
Guideline. and is Attachment 3. This document has also been added at
www.garpa.org.
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Global Alliance of Rapid Prototyping Associations
On the issue of member organisations not necessarily being nationally
representative, it was decided to keep the status-quo, especially in terms of
founding members, and to apply .positive energy. on members to become
.nationally representative. and active. It was again stressed that member
associations should be .inclusive,. and that GARPA should safeguard these
principles.
Future members should be kept to these principles. Serious objections by
companies or institutes that feel their country is not represented by a
national organisation will be handled by GARPA on an individual basis.
New countries that apply for GARPA membership will be expected to
provide proof of membership circulation before admission.
1.2. On the issue of Japan.s website being available in Japanese (following
the link from the GARPA website), Graham Tromans was asked to
establish whether any changes took place.
2. COMPLIMENTARY MEMBERSHIP FOR GARPA REPRESENTATIVES
2.1. The consensus was that it was impractical for member associations to
give other GARPA association representatives complimentary
membership. Members were instead asked to please share significant
information with other associations.
2.2. Associations were urged to provide complimentary conference
registration or discounts to GARPA representatives whenever possible.
A notice board on the GARPA website was also discussed.
2.3 It was also suggested that a standard slide show be created that
discusses GARPA, how it benefits to GARPA members and their
associations, and how its 15 member groups and associations are
linked. As a starting point, Jukka Tuomi agreed to contact Ian Gibson
to obtain a copy of the PowerPoint slides he used in Portugal.
3. Graham Tromans was asked to follow-up on the formation of an Irish Association,
and also to follow up on the reason why so few European associations were
represented at GARPA meetings.
4. CASE STUDIES & APPLICATION STORIES
It was noted that the case studies publication was important, and should be an
ongoing effort.
4.1 It was noted that Neil Hopkinson.s report on ICRPM 2002 was complete
and available at www.garpa.org.
4.2 Graham will follow up on the chairman.s report from David Wimpenny,
which could serve as a guide for other RP associations.
4.3 Deon de Beer to follow up with Ian Gibson on the case study competition.
www.garpa.org

New Business
Global Alliance of Rapid Prototyping Associations
5. Following the discussion noted under 1.1, Terry Wohlers requested Deon de Beer
to expand on discussion held at a previous GARPA meeting, regarding the hosting
of a GARPA secretariat in South Africa. Deon proposed that the GARPA
secretariat be hosted by the Technikon Free State Science Park, and that Mrs
Jenny van Rensburg become GARPA.s secretary. Terry seconded the proposal.
He went on to explain that he has communicated with Jenny on numerous
occasions and found her to be highly efficient and effective. The proposal was
gladly and thankfully accepted. This will be done on a trial period.
6. Global Summit 2004.
Deon de Beer offered to host Global Summit 2004, as part of a greater
.Innovation Summit. that will be held from 2-4 November at the Technikon Free
State in Bloemfontein, South Africa, to also coincide with RAPDASA 2004.
It was further suggested that Italy host the 2005 Summit, with Scandinavia hosting
the 2006 summit.
7. The meeting adjourned.
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Global Alliance of Rapid Prototyping Associations
Attachment 1
Proposal for a GARPA Secretariat
Ian Gibson
Discussion document for the GARPA Summit meeting.
Rationale: Currently, GARPA is a purely voluntary organization, relying on the good
will of its members to contribute to activities. As the number of members increase
and the activities, references and applications to use the GARPA name also increase,
there is a growing need to react in a timely manner and organize GARPA
accordingly. Currently, interested members administer the various activities in a
somewhat haphazard fashion. Response is therefore quite slow as members are
generally very busy people, undertaking these activities in their valuable spare time.
Similarly, a number of tasks that could be undertaken on a regular basis are carried
out infrequently, thus damaging the name of GARPA in terms of responsiveness and
reliability. Many of these tasks could be carried out and managed from a central
secretariat.
GARPA.s member groups and associations are variable in that some are quite large
and well organized and charge a membership fee, whilst others are smaller and 100%
voluntary in nature. It is not the will of GARPA to discourage any emerging RP
associations and so it has long been considered inappropriate for GARPA to charge a
fee for member associations.
One purpose of this proposal is to outline some of the duties for which a secretariat
would be responsible. These can include:
1) Updating the GARPA web site on a regular basis. This can include responding to
member associations for additions and corrections to the site, as well as monitoring
associated sites, like the rp-ml and member association web sites, for GARPA related
activities and information that may be of interest to other GARPA members.
2) From time to time, GARPA has created a newsletter. This takes time and effort to
compile and format. The secretariat could ease that compilation process and ensure
that members contribute through reminders, thus leaving it to the membership to
perform an editor function. Newsletters could therefore become a more regular
activity.
3) Similarly, the GARPA case studies could be more effectively compiled, ensuring
that members are aware of submission deadlines and reminded of their commitments
to supply material.
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Global Alliance of Rapid Prototyping Associations
4) A GARPA database could be compiled, maintained and administered through the
secretariat. Such a database could include details on different member associations,
their size, structure, membership lists (if appropriate), and any other related
information. Obviously, there are some issues regarding data protection here, and so
this should be considered a voluntary database and not part any compulsory
membership of GARPA. Similarly, release of information should be controlled
through the secretariat under advisement of its members. However, a centralized
database could be of great benefit to members in terms of links to the RP
communities in other countries.
5) The secretariat would be considered a reliable contact point, providing a channel
for communication with GARPA officials. This may be particularly important as the
number of requests for use of the GARPA name increases. Conferences, association
leaflets, websites and other activities that use the name can be considered as measures
of the value and relevance of GARPA.
Many of these tasks can be carried out in a proactive fashion. If members were
contacted by the secretariat in a request for information, most members would likely
respond. Currently, members are asked to supply information when it is available, so
the response is often weak. It is believed that a secretariat would greatly enhance the
content of GARPA-related material if we were to empower this individual with the
task of proactively seeking such information from its members.
This proposal is designed to outline the need for a secretariat. It does not, however,
provide a solution in terms of where a suitable secretary would come from. GARPA
is not in a position to employ staff at present and there are sufficient reasons already
for not requiring membership fees among its members. The list of duties above are
not overly substantial and it is estimated that they can be carried out on a part-time
basis by a suitably empowered, and qualified secretary, taking half a day per week at
the outset. It is suggested that if a suitable secretary were identified as willing and
able to accept the above duties, then it is suggested that a trial period be determined to
establish the worth of this proposal. Following that, a decision can be made as to
whether to continue or change the specified duties.
In summary, it is suggested that a secretariat be established for GARPA. Members
can be contacted to determine whether an appropriate person can be found to carry
out these duties.
www.garpa.org

Global Alliance of Rapid Prototyping Associations
Attachment 2
Guidelines for Forming an Association
14 November 2002
Companies, institutes, and government agencies around the world are encouraged to
form a membership society or association that concentrates on rapid prototyping (RP)
and related technologies and applications. If interest in RP is strong in your region,
the time may be right to consider forming such a group. This document provides some
suggestions that may help you begin to organize one. If you have experience and
advice beyond what is included here, please pass it along and it will be considered for
inclusion in this document.
1) First, contact others in your region with similar interests. If they are close by,
consider a lunch meeting to discuss ideas.
2) Among the best individuals to organize a new association are university professors
and staff, employees of research institutes, government employees, independent
consultants, analysts, and editors. Seek out these people to help you organize the
group. RP system vendors and distributors can assist in generating interest and
support. It is important to maintain a balance of representation from all companies
involved.
3) It may be worth creating the association as a part of or affiliated with an establish
organization. For example, the USA.s Rapid Prototyping Association (RPA) is a part
of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME). And in the UK, the Rapid
Prototyping and Manufacturing Association (RPMA) is affiliated with the Institute of
Mechanical Engineers (ImechE). An established organization may be able to provide
support and give instant credibility to the new association.
4) Discuss and draft a list of objectives and proposed activities for the group. The
group can refine and expand the document as more people become involved.
5) Appoint or elect a core group of individuals (usually 3-5) to serve as the
association.s leaders. Many associations have a president or chairman, vice president,
treasurer, and secretary. However, it.s important that you define roles and
responsibilities and then invite people to step in. It is advisable to first identify the
tasks and responsibilities before appointing or electing a board. The reverse often
results in a .solution. looking for a .problem..
6) Develop a list of people that might find the group of interest. Send a mailing to
these people. The mailing should outline the objectives of the group and invite them
to become members. Also, ask for their input and consider a meeting date where
everyone can discuss the formation of the group. Consider having a mini-conference
(2-3 speakers) for the presentation of technical content. This will motivate people to
attend the meeting.
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Global Alliance of Rapid Prototyping Associations
7) Eventually, you may have expenses, so a membership fee may become necessary.
Hopefully, someone will cover the initial expenses such as a mailing, meeting room,
etc. If possible, avoid discussing membership fees at the first couple meetings. During
the first weeks and months, focus on the association.s objectives and activities and
how it can contribute to the growth of the industry. Discussing expenses and
determining how to cover them can come later.
8) Plan for expansion. There may be other local interest groups (e.g. company
consortiums, university research groups, hobby groups) that would find RP of interest.
Consider how you might involve them in organization.
9) Once you have an organized structure that represents the national RP community,
consider joining GARPA.
www.garpa.org

Global Alliance of Rapid Prototyping Associations
Attachment 3
GARPA Membership Guideline
17 February 2004
This document provides guidelines for GARPA membership. Candidates for GARPA
membership are national membership societies or associations with a focus on rapid
prototyping (RP) and related technologies and applications.
A national RP-related membership society or association is an independent group that accepts
individual, corporate, academic, or government members. The members of the group appoint
or elect a governing body (e.g., a board or committee) to set policy and establish the direction
and activities of the group. The group’s focus is on RP, rapid tooling, rapid manufacturing,
and/or topics closely related to one or more of these subjects. The group represents the
country in which it resides and has national reach and prominence.
New Membership
An RP-related society or association in any given country may express interest in GARPA
membership. The existing members of GARPA will determine whether the group qualifies. If
the group is consistent with the above definition of an RP-related membership society or
association, and if a GARPA member does not currently exist in that particular country, the
group is welcomed into GARPA. If the group’s intent is to have a local or regional focus, or if
a GARPA member already exists in that country, GARPA membership is unlikely.
Existing Members
Membership for each GARPA member will be reviewed every two years. At that time, each
GARPA member will provide a concise report that states its current status. Current members
of GARPA (as of February 2004) must submit reports by the end of 2004. The second review
will occur at the end of 2006.
Meeting attendance. If a GARPA member representative is unable to attend a Global Summit
meeting or other important GARPA function, the representative should attempt to find a
substitute. If no one from the association can attend, the member should contact the meeting
organizer to explain why attendance is impossible. If a GARPA member misses two
consecutive meetings without any contact with the meeting organizer, the GARPA member
will be removed from the membership list.
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