Created in collaboration with Formnext. This finalist preview was published on October 31, 2024. The entries, dates and voting arrangements below belong to that completed edition.
Since 2015, Mesago, the organizer of Formnext, has allowed us to discover young companies that are shaping the industry through its famous Start-up Challenge. For participating up-and-coming companies, this was an opportunity to expand their network, exchange ideas with experts from the AM industry, and find potential partners or investors. For the rest of us in the community, it was an opportunity to understand future directions the sector was taking.
After 9 editions of the Formnext Start-up Challenge, Mesago is going one step further with a new concept that highlights this industry’s talents and ideas: the Formnext Awards. Officially launched in July 2024, the Formnext Awards are an evolution of the Start-up challenge as it goes beyond supporting start-ups and new companies to include well-established AM companies, individuals and initiatives through new categories.
A competition expanded to new categories
Sascha F. Wenzler, Vice President for Formnext at Mesago Messe Frankfurt GmbH explains:
“From this year, we will continue to support entrepreneurs, who have just started a business and are on their way to becoming members of the fAMily, but also incorporated 5 additional categories to highlight:
- Entrepreneurs, who are one step before founding their business or entering the market (Rookie Award)
- Individuals and initiatives that help the widespread adoption of AM (AMbassador Award)
- Designs that leverage the full potential of Additive Manufacturing (Design Award)
- Exceptional products, technologies and services from the Formnext exhibitors ((R)Evolution Award) and
- Sustainable approaches based on a complete life cycle assessment of the product (Sustainability Award).”
However, one major difference with the Formnext Start-up Challenge is “the involvement of visitors at Formnext as well as on-site visitors and other communities who cannot attend Formnext in Frankfurt. Everyone who wishes to support their favourite finalist can give them their vote to help them take home the 3D-printed trophy as well as cash and non-cash prizes,” Wenzler adds.
The range of entries
The organizer reported entries from Europe, Israel, India and North America. The finalists below illustrate the variety of projects submitted; this selection alone is not a measure of AM development in each region.
Moreover, given the reputation of the Formnext Start-up Challenge, it is not surprising to see a great number of entries for the Start-up category.
For the Vice President for Formnext at Mesago Messe Frankfurt GmbH, it is “a strong indicator that there is still a lot of development going on and ideas being generated by great young minds.” “We are very happy to be able to give them a platform to enter the market by providing a booth to each of the 5 finalists and with the help of our sponsors hand over a cash prize to one happy winner live at Formnext 2024,” Wenzler continues.
The finalists in six categories in 2024
The organizer highlighted production, post-processing, quality and application projects. The descriptions below reflect the candidates’ announcements: claimed benefits and intended outcomes are not independent validations, including for medical uses.
Furthermore, “the range of technologies and use cases is very impressive comprising new production processes, complementing the AM process chain with postprocessing solutions and quality management as well as applications from the energy sector and automotive, but also the medical and dental sectors,” Wenzler notes.
“The beauty of competitions like the Formnext Awards is that well-seasoned industry players compete side by side with new members of this industry,” Wenzler comments.
Start-up Award supported by AM Ventures: New technologies and applications
The Start-up Award supported by AM Ventures recognizes inspiring young companies with viable business models. The finalists of this category are:
- AM Craft Group designs and manufactures 3D-printed, small-batch aircraft interior components.
- Amsight promises to reduce the costs of AM quality management by 70 percent with its software.
- Axolotl Biosciences presents TissuePrint, a research-grade, xeno-free bioink for 3D printing human tissue models. Xeno-free refers here to the absence of non-human animal-derived biological components. The TissuePrint-HV specification sheet restricts it to research and excludes administration to humans or animals.
- Micro Factory 3DSolutions specializes in the development of resin-based SLA 3D printers.
- Supernova Additive has developed the Viscous Lithography Manufacturing (VLM) technology, which can handle highly viscous materials up to 1 million cP.
Rookie Award: Medical and dental take center stage
The Rookie Award honors individuals with promising business ideas who have either not yet founded a company or who launched less than a year ago. The finalists of this category are:
- Enki Interdentalis has developed a 3D-printed, customized dental splint designed to remove food debris and plaque from between the teeth using a water-air mixture.
- Fidentis is a start-up that has developed a multi-material Additive Manufacturing solution with an integrated robotic arm that produces prostheses based on a digital model.
- Oryx Medicals is developing an additively manufactured aortic valve intended for the treatment of aortic valve stenosis.
Sustainability Award supported by Renishaw
The Sustainability Award supported by Renishaw recognizes AM applications and products beyond the pure production process based on their product life cycle. The finalists of this category are:
- Baker Hughes presents additively manufactured gas-turbine components with an aim of reducing environmental impact.
- Ceratizit has developed a unique process for the binder and sinter-based Additive Manufacturing of hard metals.
- Stratasys presents luxury footwear production using its J850 TechStyle 3D printer, highlighting a more sustainable manufacturing approach.
Design Award supported by cirp
The following finalists in the category Design Award supported by cirp impressed the judges with their exceptional AM designs and AM products:
- Siemens presents an innovative reactor design for greater sustainability in the chemical industry.
- Quorum Orthopedics presents a customizable, ergonomic solution produced by MJF (Multi Jet Fusion) printing.
- The ILEK and ISW institutes (University of Stuttgart) are contributing to the implementation of low-carbon technologies in the construction industry with advanced and sustainable design solutions.
(R)Evolution Award supported by 3D Printing Industry
The (R)Evolution Award supported by 3D Printing Industry is presented to pioneering products, technologies or services that demonstrate special added value for the user. The finalists of this category are:
- AMSystems presents its MLP (multi-laser patterning) modules, which combine multiple tightly focused laser beams with the aim of high resolution and productivity.
- Fraunhofer Institute for Casting, Composite and Processing Technology IGCV: The new three-material processing technology using powder bed fusion makes it possible to manufacture battery cell housings from aluminum, copper, and ceramic in a single production step.
- Toolcraft has developed a method for the efficient removal of support structures in metallic 3D-printed components using dry ice blasting.
AMbassador Award: Entertainment, teaching and science
The AMbassador Award recognizes outstanding individuals or organizations who have had a unique impact on the industry and users through innovative training and education approaches or personal advocacy. The finalists of this category are:
- Stanley Tong has developed a corporate tailored additive curriculum, built a network of cross company subject matter experts, and made additive technology accessible to thousands in his lab for one of the world’s biggest automakers.
- 3D Printing Nerd: He informs a broad global audience about AM and shows how everyone can get involved in the next industrial revolution with his entertaining YouTube show.
- The University of Stuttgart has developed innovative dental bone grafts together with dentists from the Medical Center – University of Freiburg.
Voting and award ceremony: the 2024 schedule
Public voting ran until November 21, 2024 at 12:00 CET. Under the 2024 rules, its result counted as one jury vote; the public vote alone therefore did not determine the winners.
The finalists’ showcase was announced for November 19–22, 2024, Hall 11.0, Booth F61. The ceremony was scheduled for November 21 at 16:20 CET on the Industry Stage, Hall 11.0, D72. A LinkedIn livestream was also announced. These arrangements refer to the 2024 edition.
Wenzler concluded at the time:
“The Start-up finalists have their booths. Some are conveniently located in the start-up area right next to the showcase (hall 11.0 booth D62), while others have already outgrown the area. If you would like to congratulate the winners in person, we would also like to invite everyone to the award ceremony on Thursday, 21 November 2024, 16:20 hrs (CET),” Wenzler concludes.
The finalist names and schedule appear in Formnext’s announcement of October 24, 2024.
Featured image: Mesago Messe Frankfurt / Mathias Kutt.
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