What if more accessibility leads to mass customization?
Each year, one edition of 3D ADEPT Mag goes beyond the usual news on product launches and new applications of additive manufacturing (AM) in healthcare. This edition examines important yet often overlooked issues, pushing past what has become the norm.
This time, we’re talking about costs.
In most industries, cost discussions tend to stay behind closed doors. In healthcare, however, they take on a whole new dimension. A significant portion of the costs for AM-powered patient care would fall on the patients themselves—raising essential questions about fairness and accessibility.
This edition of 3D ADEPT Mag puts the spotlight on reimbursement policies and their crucial role in making 3D printing more accessible in hospitals.
But we didn’t stop there. We took things one step further: if patient care powered by AM becomes more accessible, what technologies and advancements will help us scale this progress—and potentially lead to mass customization?
We explore these questions across several sections of this issue.
Exclusive features.
Business | Current state of public policies that help patients benefit from 3D printed implants
This dossier aims to discuss initiatives and financial support already available for patients across Europe – when applicable. The goal remains to encourage healthcare providers to further rely on 3D printed medical devices and patients to be more confident when benefiting from advanced healthcare solutions.
To gain deeper insights, we spoke with María Gloria Álvarez Caballero, Head of the Equipment Department & Quality Manager at SIMIM3D in Spain, and Dr. Neha Sharma, Deputy Director of the 3D Print Lab at University Hospital Basel and Chief Medical Officer of POC APP AG in Switzerland.
Dossier | Digital manufacturing for mass customization: For which healthcare applications?
In the latest healthcare edition of 3D ADEPT Mag, we identified three main digital manufacturing stages (3D scanning and digital model creation, print and process, and patient fitting) to deliver 3D-printed patient-specific devices. In mass customization of healthcare applications, these steps are still the same, but their execution varies depending on scale, regulations, and clinical requirements. With a key focus on software, the article below aims to discuss the key drivers of mass personalization with AM and the current state of the market. With key insights from Rajeev Kulkarni, Chief Strategy Officer, axtra3D.
FOCUS | Empowering medical device manufacturers with competitive advantages to deliver the new generation of PEEK spinal implants
Additive Manufacturing unlocks PEEK’s full potential for spinal cages, but overcoming the limitations of traditionally machined implants is key. This article explores how 3D Systems’ 3D printing enables OEMs to develop patient-specific designs, cut material waste, reduce production costs, and drive innovation in hybrid and advanced implant solutions.
SOFTWARE | Medical 3D-printed devices: What is the impact of powder reuse?
While powder reuse is a legitimate strategy embraced by various industries aiming to optimize sustainability and reduce costs, the healthcare sector must go far beyond these considerations. For medical 3D printed devices, patient safety and clinical performance are paramount. To what extent can powder reuse be compatible with the stringent requirements of medical applications? And are the criteria for this approach fundamentally different from those in other verticals?
With contributions from amsight GmbH (Tim Wischeropp), Rosswag Engineering (Dr.-Ing. Gregor Graf), and Continuum Powders (Sunil Badwe).
Interview of the month | The road to producing 100,000 medical 3D printed parts per year at Lincotek Medical
Despite the capabilities of Additive Manufacturing, the road to full-scale production has often been a hurdle that slows its broader adoption, especially in the healthcare sector. Medical device manufacturers have largely explored AM through customized and on-demand parts, rather than serial production. But Lincotek Medical is changing that narrative. With over 100,000 medical parts 3D printed annually, the company is no longer experimenting with AM; it’s scaling it. In the article below, we caught up with Mukesh Kumar, Technology and R&D Director at Lincotek Medical, to better understand their journey toward industrializing AM for medical applications.
Post-processing | Surface finish in medical 3D printing applications: Impact on device efficacy
Surface finish is one of those final steps in the Additive Manufacturing workflow that affects part performance—especially in critical fields like medicine. The layer-by-layer nature of additive manufacturing often leads to staircase effects and surface irregularities that can compromise functionality, aesthetics, or even patient safety. Yet, the challenges tied to surface integrity are far from universal—they shift depending on the part’s end use. In our efforts to demonstrate the importance of each post-processing task in an AM process, this article will explore the unique demands of surface finishing in medical 3D printing and how they influence device performance and sometimes safety. With insights from Justin Michaud, Chief Executive Officer of REM Surface Engineering.
AM Processes | The secret to mass producing 200M pharmaceutical tablets and 50M medical parts yearly
In a recent discussion on technical ceramics, high-performance variants emerged as promising candidates for 3D screen printing. Given its niche appeal, this manufacturing process is still the domain of a few specialized companies. We recently caught up with Exentis Group AG to explore its potential in healthcare and pharmaceutical applications—and to understand just how close we are to commercializing viable solutions.
Proud moments alert | Evidence in action: Clinical trials and medical 3D printing applications you should know
Manufacturers are often criticized for not providing clear evidence of their technology’s success in medical applications. However, in a sector like healthcare, evaluation processes can span several years, making it difficult to track the progress of additive manufacturing (AM) adoption. While the ultimate goal is to enable real-world applications that improve patient care, the milestones highlighted below —covering the period from January to April 2025— show that AM in healthcare is steadily moving forward; slowly but surely.
Events
EHFAM 2025: Advancing Healthcare with Additive Manufacturing through Research, Practice, and Implementation… once again!
Rapid.Tech 3D 2025: Experience approved AM solutions firsthand
3D PRINT 2025: The leading additive manufacturing trade show will take place from 3rd to 5th June in Lyon – Eurexpo – France
