Formnext
The 3D printed trophy awarded to the winners.
The winners of the ninth international Formnext Start-up Challenge have been announced, recognizing innovative ideas from the world of 3D printing. The innovations from the winners range from medical applications to material recycling of titanium, analysis software, and new 3D printing technologies targeting the automotive, electronics, dental, and engineering industries.
This year’s winners, who will exhibit their products at Formnext 2023 in Frankfurt in November, are: Endless Industries, Helio Additive, Odapt, Progresja New Materials, and Vitro3D.
At the show, the winners will have a stage to present their companies and the innovations to those in attendance. Formnext says that all five start-ups demonstrate ‘highly advanced technological solutions’ and impress with the breadth of technologies and potential applications.
The companies will have the opportunity to expand networks, exchange ideas with experts, and find potential partners or investors according to the organisers.
Endless Industries has a ‘new approach’ to the 3D printing of continuous carbon fibre. The Berlin-based start-up says it does not intend to launch its own machine, but is focusing on the material it has developed, its software, and a patented nozzle that processes carbon fibres and plastic simultaneously. As Endless Industries is not producing its own printers, it says it wants to collaborate with established manufacturers.
Vitro3D has developed a volumetric additive manufacturing technology that allows for high-speed 3D printing. The company says that it processes a wide range of materials, including highly viscous resins, and can combine different material properties in one part. Its cartridge-based printing technology also eliminates the need for support structures.
Helio Additive, a start-up founded in China in 2020 and now based in the US, uses slicing software to improve the 3D printing of plastics and composite materials. The company’s Dragon software is a thermal simulation of the 3D printing process, slicing 3D models into individual voxels and recording thermal progression. The software is designed to use physical calculations to prevent printing errors and enable faster, more reliable 3D printing.
Spanish start-up Odapt has developed a 3D printed solution that can improve usage of stoma bags while reducing waste. The company says that stool or urine leakage occurs frequently because current pouches are not adapted to different stoma shapes. The company has developed a 3D printed silicone baseplate, which helps to prevent leaks.
Polish start-up Progresja New Materials specialises in the Europe-wide recycling of titanium. The company says that this is because, while the EU is home to a large proportion of additive titanium powder processors, the raw material often comes from China or Russia. According to the company, there is an ‘extremely low’ end-of-life titanium recycling rate in the EU, which is something it wants to change.
Progresja says it is on the brink of launching large-scale production and will establish a network of titanium recycling centres in the EU. Scrap titanium will be collected by Progresja from across the EU and undergoes processes such as cleaning, thermochemical treatment, mechanical processing, and atomization, resulting in a powder suitable for 3D printing.
“The winners’ wide-ranging solutions demonstrate the AM industry’s huge potential for innovation and the versatility of the current and future applications of AM. They also show that this exciting technology can enable a wide range of innovative products and give us a powerful, practical tool for tackling current challenges such as climate change,” said Sascha F. Wenzler, Vice President Formnext at Mesago.
The winners will each receive a 3D printed award, as well as the chance to participate in a pitch event on the Industry Stage at Formnext.
