March 2024 3D Printing Industry Review: Key Updates and Breakthroughs

What were the biggest 3D printing stories of 2024? The 3D Printing Industry Review of the Year continues.\xa0

There was an update to Arevo’s January 3D printing hardware auction, with a major industry player acquiring the firm’s entire technology and intellectual property portfolio. Binder jet 3D printer manufacturer voxeljet pursued cost-cutting measures, while a new metal 3D printing startup launched from stealth mode.\xa0

The 2024 AMUG conference also dominated this month’s news. The annual event returned to Chicago to connect 3D printing users, spotlight expert insights, and introduce new additive manufacturing technologies. Keynote presentations ranged from 3D printing for the film industry, to additive manufacturing-enabled hydrogen combustion. A talk from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (AFT) discussed 3D printed guns and issues around them. This appearance began a more direct approach to industry engagement on this issue.

Elsewhere, efforts to optimize US-based supply chains ramped up in the defense, aerospace, and aviation sectors. Microscale 3D printing was also in the news. One research breakthrough could help scale resin additive manufacturing to mass production.\xa0

Read on for more of the key stories from March, including updates from Stratasys, Siemens, Meltio, Materialise, GE Aerospace, Velo3D, and more.\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0

Asset acquisitions, cost-cutting initiatives and a new 3D printing company\xa0\xa0\xa0

Earlier in the year, an auction of Arevo assets marked the end of the once-promising venture. Despite raising $70 million, including $7 million in crowdfunding for its 3D printed Superstrata bikes, the company ceased operations in January.\xa0\xa0

Three months into 2024, it was announced that leading 3D printer manufacturer Stratasys acquired Arevo’s entire technology and IP portfolio. The purchased patents cover Arevo’s carbon fiber 3D printing, localized laser melting process, AI-powered build monitoring, and hardware designs. These added to Stratasys’ existing 2,600 granted and pending patents.\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0

Stratasys said that the acquisition expanded its ‘addressable manufacturing applications,’ helping to increase the adoption of its FDM 3D printing technology. “The technology we’ve acquired allows for increasingly improved isotropy of physical properties in FDM parts, which opens up additional use for customers,” commented Rich Garrity, Stratasys’ Chief Industrial Business Officer.

Following similar initiatives by Desktop Metal and Velo3D earlier this year, March also saw binder jet 3D printer manufacturer voxeljet pursue cost-cutting measures. The company revealed plans to withdraw from the NASDAQ Stock Exchange and terminate its registration with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). This decision ended the firm’s financial reporting obligations with the SEC and saw it begin trading on the over-the-counter (OTC) markets under the ticker “VJTTY.” According to voxeljet CEO Rudolf Franz on LinkedIn, these steps were made to “reduce expenses associated with being a public company” and “further strengthen our financial position.”\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0

Voxeljet also agreed to amend and restate an existing loan note issued to Anzu Partners‘ industrial technology investment fund. The net loan proceedings were used to facilitate the delisting processes and fund the firm’s operating activities. This decision followed the news in 2023 that the company initiated a formal review process to evaluate “strategic alternatives.” Concerns were raised regarding voxeljet’s finances in Q3 2023 when the firm announced -€2.8 million operating loss, up 12% YoY.\xa0\xa0\xa0

On a more positive note, March witnessed the introduction of a new metal 3D printing company. Fluent Metal launched from stealth after raising $5.5 million in venture capital funding. The company was founded to develop and commercialize its drop-on-demand technology. This production-scale, wire-based, liquid metal printing (LMP) process reportedly facilitates waste-free 3D printing, making it cheaper and more sustainable than existing powder-based approaches.\xa0

AMUG 2024: expert insights and 3D printing awards\xa0

In March, the 2024 Additive Manufacturing Users Group (AMUG) conference welcomed 1,479 members of the 3D printing community to the Hilton Chicago. The event boasted a packed keynote presentation schedule, featuring insights from a range of industry experts.\xa0

One notable talk came from Jason Lopes, Chief Technical Officer at Gentle Giant Studios. He provided insights into the role of 3D printing in the film industry. Lopes touched on several of Gentle Giant’s projects, including the production of Disney collectables and 3D printed art installations in Miami. To Emphasize the studio’s ability to handle high-volume production, he pointed to a project involving 110,000 units.\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0

The company’s adaptability has allowed it to explore metal 3D printing and the additive manufacturing of translucent or clear objects. One project saw the studio 3D print 200 masks for influencers, meeting a tight two-and-a-half-week deadline. It has also conducted efforts to integrate traditional color techniques into advanced 3D printing. Lopes noted that the company has completed substantial R&D work in this area. “It was clearly evident that we were going to win the market with the use of color,” he added.\xa0

Tad Steinberg also took to the stage to highlight how Siemens Energy is advancing hydrogen combustion and gas turbines with additive manufacturing. He pointed to the company’s vision that, by 2030, every new gas turbine Siemens sells will be able to run on 100% hydrogen. This would represent a significant shift from the firm’s traditional focus on natural gas and methane.\xa0

Additive manufacturing is set to play a crucial role in this transition. “Additive has really helped us accelerate getting into that (hydrogen) space because of the challenges that hydrogen brings to the table,” explained Steinberg. He identified how 3D printing can overcome key barriers limiting the adoption of hydrogen energy. For instance, additive manuring has facilitated rapid prototyping, allowing Siemens to quickly iterate and test new designs to meet the unique demands of hydrogen combustion.\xa0\xa0\xa0

Steinberg also emphasized the cost advantages of additive manufacturing. Despite the higher initial costs of 3D printed parts, he pointed to the long-term savings and efficiency gains. A reduced need for physical inventories also translates to lower inventory management and taxation costs.\xa0\xa0\xa0

The conference also saw industry figures receive sought-after AMUG awards. The recipients of five Distinguished INnovator Operator (DINO) awards and the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award were announced.\xa0

The highly coveted DINO awards are granted to those with the highest levels of additive manufacturing expertise. All holders must have demonstrated a willingness to share their knowledge through at least 10 years of industry involvement. The 2024 recipients were Jamie Cone, Steve Grundahl, Thomas Murphy, Vadim Pikhovich, and Bob Renella.\xa0

The AMUG Lifetime Achievement Award is a prestigious title recognizing those who exemplify leadership and excellence within Additive Manufacturing. Gary Rabinovitz, AM/3D Printing Lab Manager at Boston-based shoe manufacturer Reebok, received this award. He became only the second recipient in the AMUG’s 36-year history, after Thomas Sorovetz in 2018.\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0

New technology at AMUG 2024

AMUG 2024 also saw several companies introduce new 3D printing technologies. On the hardware side, Meltio introduced the M600, a laser metal deposition (LMD) 3D printer. Featuring a Blue Laser deposition head, the metal 3D printer is targeted to machine shops and 24/7 production environments requiring industrial-scale manufacturing capabilities.\xa0

Meltio stated that the M600 overcomes challenges associated with long lead times, high-cost stock-keeping, and supply chain insecurities. Its autonomous production capabilities minimize manual user input and facilitate 24-hour light-out operation. In addition to fabricating metal parts, the M600 can add features to existing components and repair damaged surfaces.\xa0

Several software companies also showcased new offerings at AMUG 2024. Chicago-based 3D printing quality assurance specialist Phase3D released its True Layer Thickness toolkit. This monitoring and inspection software measures, in microns, the quantity of metal powder distributed across a 3D printer’s build platform. This guarantees an even distribution of material for each layer during powder bed fusion 3D printing.\xa0

Phase3D’s product seeks to address the needs of regulated industries like aerospace, medical, and energy to guarantee high-quality and certifiable parts. The company claims it worked with an unnamed ‘prominent aerospace company’ to develop the toolkit.\xa0\xa0

Belgian 3D printing company Materialise introduced its e-Stage for Metal+ software. This platform uses physics-based modeling to streamline data and build preparation for laser powder bed fusion 3D printing. By automating the generation of support structures, the tool seeks to make metal additive manufacturing accessible to more customers.\xa0

Notably, the software can predict areas prone to deformation and generate needle-thin and cone supports to counteract this. As such, the company claims e-Stage for Metal+ eliminates the trade-off between part quality and production expenses, increasing the affordability of metal 3D printing.\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0

Away from AMUG, another software launch came from French start-up Spare Parts 3D which initiated the beta program of Théia. This digital tool can automatically create 3D models from 2D technical drawings. The platform leverages AI technology to reduce conversion times from days to minutes.\xa0

According to Spare Parts 3D, this will allow more companies to leverage additive manufacturing for spare parts production, cutting inventory costs. The company claims Théia can collectively save companies $34 billion a year through inventory digitization.\xa0\xa0

Strengthening global supply chains\xa0

In March, GE Aerospace announced plans to invest $650 million into its global manufacturing plants and supply chains. The Ohio-based company hopes this investment will increase its production capacity of 3D printed aircraft engines to meet demand from commercial and defense customers.\xa0

Specifically, GE Aerospace’s investment seeks to scale the production of its 3D printing-enabled LEAP engines. These engines, developed in collaboration with French aerospace manufacturer Safran, power the Airbus A320neo, Boeing 737 MAX, and COMAC C919 aircraft. Additionally, the new capital will facilitate full-scale production of the firm’s GE9X engines which feature over 300 3D printed parts and power Boeing 777X jets.\xa0\xa0\xa0

In defense news, Bechtel Plant Machinery Inc. selected metal 3D printing technology from Velo3D to support the US Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program. This partnership continues the US Department of Defense’s efforts to re-shore supply chains and reduce lead times for critical components. With 300 vessels currently in operation, many of which have been in service for decades, the US Navy faces challenges in maintaining ageing equipment.\xa0\xa0

The technology, which includes Velo3D’s Sapphire XC large format 3D printer, is being operated by materials company ATI in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Additive manufacturing will facilitate the production of parts previously made through more time-consuming casting techniques.\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0

Development in microscale 3D printing\xa0

March’s research news saw a prominent focus on microscale 3D printing. One team from Stanford University developed a high-speed 3D printing process that can produce up to one million complex microscale particles per day. The researchers leveraged the resin-based continuous liquid interface production, or CLIP, process co-developed by Carbon founder Joseph DeSimone. This was integrated into a production-line workflow to create a new technique, dubbed roll-to-roll CLIP (r2rCLIP). This allowed batches of micro-scale models to be 3D printed, washed, cured and removed automatically without manual input, accelerating production speeds.\xa0

The team claimed that this approach unlocks high-volume 3D printing of intricate microscopic designs. They identified potential for biomedical, analytical and advanced materials applications. In particular, r2rCLIP could be used for the mass production of components ranging from microrobots to drug delivery vessels.\xa0

In another study, Stanford researchers successfully 3D printed shapeshifting nanoparticles. Archimedean truncated tetrahedrons have long been recognized for their ability to form new materials that can change form, but are difficult to fabricate with conventional manufactring techniques. 3D nanoprinting was used to produce the microscale particles, which successfully self-assembled into different crystal structures.\xa0

The team noted that these materials can shift between phases by applying external stimuli, similar to the atomic arrangement that creates tempered steel from iron. This capability reportedly offers value for engineering and materials science applications. For example, the 3D printed nanoparticles could create solar panel coatings that change throughout the day to increase energy efficiency.\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0

3D Printing News Highlights from 2024: Innovations, Trends, and Analysis\xa0

All the news from Formnext 2024.\xa0

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Featured image shows DINOs from the past 26 years gathering to celebrate the 2024 AMUG Conference. Photo via AMUG.