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For the eighth time, the international Formnext Start-up Challenge has recognised young companies from the world of additive manufacturing for their innovative business ideas and technical developments.
From on-demand production of AM powders to degradable implants and efficient robot-based post-processing: the award-winning innovations demonstrate the high innovative power of 3D printing and the AM market. The international winners, who will present themselves to the AM world at Formnext 2022, are Photosynthetic (Netherlands), Lattice Medical (France), Rivelin Robotics (UK), Spherecube (Italy) and Alpha Powders (Poland). The AM Ventures Impact Award also went to Lattice Medical.
The innovations of the young companies are convincing not only because of the high level of creativity in the development of the products, but also in the viability of the business models. For example, the start-ups were able to present patents that have already been granted or are still pending and already show promising applications.
The Warsaw-based start-up Alpha Powders has developed and patented a technology for modifying polymer powders according to demand. Also working with very small dimensions is the Dutch start-up Photosynthetic, which specialises in fast and cost-effective micro 3D printing. The British start-up Rivelin Robotics wants to create more efficiency in the additive process chain. Its NetShape robots are to reduce operating costs and errors by a factor of 10 in the post-processing area. More stability, on the other hand, is the big issue for SphereCube. The Italian start-up has developed a 3D printer that processes composite materials with continuous fibre reinforcement. This should make it possible to automatically manufacture products from high-performance composites without geometric restrictions. The biomedical start-up Lattice Medical has set its sights on significantly better healing for patients with breast implants and has developed a patented 3D technology that enables the natural accumulation of fatty tissue and thus long-term regeneration without foreign bodies remaining in the patient.
With its submission, Lattice Medical was also able to secure the AM Ventures Impact Award, which honours particularly sustainable approaches. In addition to the innovative design and production methods, AM Ventures was particularly impressed by the minimisation of risks that can occur with traditional implants, the technical expertise of the team and the sound research results that support the application.
"Every year, the AM start-ups show a new development step towards innovative technologies and applications and convince with an increasing quality of their developments and business planning. This proves once again the high innovation potential in this industry and that crucial developments are being made here that will influence our industry, medicine and other areas of our lives in the future," says Sascha F. Wenzler, Vice President Formnext at trade fair organiser Mesago Messe Frankfurt GmbH.
The Formnext Start-up Challenge 2022 honours companies that are no older than five years. The competition awards prizes for novel, viable business ideas. The top-class jury consists of well-known representatives from the industry, science, the media and the investment sector. The winners will present themselves at their exhibition stands as well as at the Pitchnext event on Tuesday, 15.11.2022 at Formnext.
THE WINNERS OF THE FORMNEXT START-UP CHALLENGE
Individually modifying SLS powder
Warsaw-based start-up Alpha Powders (stand 12.0-B81G)has developed and patented a technology for rounding, spheroidising and customising polymer powders. The company is currently focusing on developing a compact device tailored for R&D labs working on new SLS powders. The prototype has been tested with a variety of materials, including polyamides, TPU or polyolefin powders, and has proven to reliably produce spherical SLS powders in a dry process. The company continues to develop this technology and aims to offer pilot and production scale solutions in the coming years.
Better healing through 3D-printed degradable implants
Lattice Medical (stand 12.0-B81B) is a biomedical start-up founded in October 2017. The French company, together with CHU Lille-France, has developed a patented 3D technology that enables the natural regeneration of fatty tissue, leading to huge improvements in breast implant procedures, for example. The Mat(t)isse bioprosthesis consists of 3D-printed biomaterials, is completely degradable and is adapted to the individual morphology of the patients. This is to ensure that the breasts are completely reconstructed from the patient's tissue after a certain period of time and that no foreign bodies remain in the patient.
Fast micro 3D printing
Photosynthetic (stand 12.0-B81H) specialises in fast and cost-effective micro-3D printing. Typically, 3D microstructures are produced using conventional methods such as two-photon lithography (TPL), stereolithography (SLA) and optical greyscale lithography (OGL). The Dutch start-up's patented technology is based on an optical hardware system, single-photon polymerisation-based resins and computer algorithms to control the printing process. Photosynthetic's new micro 3D printer enables fast microfabrication (50 mm3/hour) in high-resolution mode (<1 micron).
Significantly reduce post-processing costs
With the development of NetShape robots, UK start-up Rivelin Robotics (stand 12.0-B41) aims to create a solution for the rapid post-processing of additively manufactured metal parts and components. This is because in many metal AM applications, post-processing accounts for more than 30 % of the unit cost per part. With its NetShape robot, the company offers an automated solution for the removal of metal support structures and targeted post-processing. The NetShape robot features the company's proprietary NetShape control software, which uses both machine learning and traditional deterministic control theory. With the robot, Rivelin promises a 90 per cent reduction in errors and a 10-fold reduction in operating costs.
Bonding in AM composites improved
SphereCube (stand 12.0-B81A) has developed a 3D printer that processes polymer-based composites or a thermoset matrix with continuous-fibre reinforcement. This should make it possible to automatically manufacture products from high-performance composites without geometric restrictions. The Italian start-up says its technology differs from currently available processes by curing the plastic with a heat source, which improves the wetting and bonding of fibre reinforcements and matrix as well as the various 3D-printed layers.
