As discussed in this article, this 2024 edition of Formnext featured a new component in the event’s program: the Formnext Awards. As a reminder, this competition goes beyond supporting start-ups and new companies to include well-established AM companies, individuals and initiatives through 6 categories.
On November 21st during the show, Axolotl Biosciences (Start-up Award), Oryx Medicals (Rookie Award), Fraunhofer IGCV ((R)Evolution Award), Siemens / 3D-PROCESS research consortium (Design Award), Ceratizit (Sustainability Award), and AM of Bones, University of Stuttgart (AMbassador Award) have been awarded in front of a savvy public.
The trophies were designed by SUTOSUTO and produced by Voxeljet, which also sponsored the awards alongside 3D Printing Industry, AM Ventures, cirp, Renishaw, and TRUMPF.
What does each winner do?
Axolotl Biosciences is a Canadian company that has developed TissuePrint, a research-grade, xeno-free bioink for 3D-printing human tissue models. It claims that its ink can be used with an array of sensitive cells and can retain more than 90 percent of its cellular viability after being printed.
Oryx Medicals has come up with a 3D-printed aortic valve that is designed to revolutionize the treatment of aortic valve stenosis. Their product is a patient-specific mechanical valve that combines the durability of conventional mechanical valves with the advantages of minimally invasive transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI).
Ceratizit specializes in cutting tools and solutions for resistant materials, which has developed a unique procedure for additively manufacturing hard metals based on bonding agents and sintering. Ceratizit has calculated that this technique makes it possible to save 91 percent of the raw material typically required for conventional production – while also reducing the corresponding carbon footprint by 95 percent.
Siemens / 3D-PROCESS research consortium was able to win over the jury and secure the Design Award. The German giant presented an innovative reactor design for greater sustainability in the chemical industry. According to Siemens, the system – which is designed to synthesize chemicals for active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) – consumes up to 50 percent less energy. It also requires around 50 percent less solvent than the conventional process.
The Fraunhofer IGCV convinced the jury with its project entitled “Three Material Powder Bed Fusion of Battery Cell Cap Housing”. It involves a three-material processing technology (patent pending) that uses powder bed fusion to manufacture battery cell housings from aluminum, copper, and ceramic in a single production step. This innovative approach makes it possible to create enclosures with complex geometries and offers unparalleled flexibility in both design and production. It’s particularly suitable for small-series manufacturing, as cell developers can adjust their designs early on in the development process without having to invest in new tools. This flexibility is key to the rapid development of next-generation battery cells, where the ability to create prototypes and adapt designs quickly is essential.
This university of Stuttgart has developed innovative dental bone grafts together with dentists from the Freiburg University Hospital. The project involves the formulation of novel ceramic-filled resins and the design of highly accurate bone implants that are optimized for DLP stereolithography. It also includes the post-processing and cleaning of complex trabecular pores, which are necessary in producing flawless, sterile ceramic implants.
The call for submissions for the 2025 Formnext Awards is scheduled to begin in spring 2025.
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