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3D Printing and COVID-19, June 8, 2020 Update: Canon, Creatz3D, Carima, 3D Bioprinting Solutions

Companies, organizations and individuals continue to attempt to lend support to the COVID-19 pandemic supply effort. We will be providing regular updates about these initiatives where necessary in an attempt to ensure that the 3D printing community is aware of what is being done, what can be done and what shouldn’t be done to provide coronavirus aid.

Canon has been in the additive space for some time, dating at least as far back as 2014, when Canon Marketing began reselling 3D Systems technology in Japan. Now, Canon Marketing Japan (Canon MJ) has announced that it will offer contract manufacturing as well, spurred by the medical supply crisis associated with COVID-19. The company is utilizing its 3D printing network to provide on-demand production of medical items, beginning with resin parts. Testing the market further, Canon MJ will expand to offer further materials and printing methods.

3D Bioprinting Solutions (3DBio) is working to address the pandemic by enabling the testing of anti-COVID-19 drugs. The company has developed scalable production of 3D lung tissue spheroids modeled on human lung adenocarcinomas, human colorectal adenocarcinoma and African green monkey kidney cells. The 3D spheroids have been given to virologists to infect with the SARS-CoV-2 virus for testing pharmacological molecules.

U.K. startup Fractory is using sheet metal manufacturing to produce a universal tool made from CZ108, antimicrobial grade brass with 64 percent copper content, that enables the hands-free operation of doors, cabinets, fridges, cash machines, elevators and other objects in public life. Dubbed the SafeKey, it even acts as a bottle opener and wrench.

Alongside such companies as EnvisionTEC, HP, Origin, Carbon and Formlabs, South Korea’s Carima is also 3D printing nasopharyngeal swabs for SARS-CoV-2 testing. Via its partner company ‘T’ in the U.S., the company is making an average of 15,000 swabs daily with a goal of ramping up production to 25,000 per day. Additionally, the company is 3D printing face shields for healthcare professionals.

Nasal swabs being 3D printed with Carima’s continuous DLP technology. Image courtesy of Carima.

While some companies are 3D printing nasal swabs for SARS-CoV-2 testing, Singapore’s Creatz3D is 3D printing models for training personnel in the application of nasal and throat swabs. As many may now well know, this testing procedure involves inserting a very long swab into the nasal cavity, reaching it into the back of the throat, where the swab is gently rotated to collect specimens. A front-line training organization reached out to Creatz3D to 3D print life-sized medical mannequins to simulate swab collection.

A mannequin 3D printed by Creatz3D for nasal swab testing of SARS-CoV-2. Image courtesy of Creatz3D.

Its sister company, AuMed, a bespoke medical simulator company, found models in its CT and MRI library and fused them into a single mannequin using Materialise’s Mimics Innovation Suite (MIS) Medical. The models were refined with feedback from doctors in the field before the final products were realized. Compared to opaque counterparts made with traditional techniques, the resulting, 3D-printed mannequins are partially transparent for improved training. Two varieties can be 3D printed at a lower cost than the $3,000 conventional variety in just five to seven days. Other improvements include a bounceable tongue for simulating the use of a tongue depressor.

As the pandemic continues to grip the world, we will continue to provide regular updates about what the 3D printing community is doing in response. As always, it is important to keep safety in mind, remain critical about the potential marketing and financial interests behind seemingly good humanitarian efforts from businesses, and to do no harm.

The post 3D Printing and COVID-19, June 8, 2020 Update: Canon, Creatz3D, Carima, 3D Bioprinting Solutions appeared first on 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing.

80 additive manufacturing experts predict the 3D printing trends to watch in 2020

Predicting the future is impossible. But that doesn’t stop us at 3D Printing Industry from inviting CEOs, CTOs and other AM experts to give us 3D printing predictions for 2020. If you want to stay up to date with the latest 3D printing news, subscribe to our free 3D Printing Industry newsletter. You’ll be among […]

Interview with 3DGuru’s Inbo Song on 3D Printing in Korea

We’re all familiar with Terry Wohlers and his eponymous report. What you may not know is that there is also a Korean Terry, Inbo Song. He provides companies with research, analysis, training and consulting in 3D Printing. With deep experience in the Korean market he is guiding companies there towards 3D printing through the highest quality information that he can provide. He’s also the perfect person to guide us into 3D printing trends in Korea and beyond.

What does 3DGURU do?

3DGURU provides 3D printing manufacturers, resellers and end users in South Korea with not only up-to-date information and news of, but also deep insights into, the industry including technology, trends and exhibitions through the website. It also sells select 3D printers and related services including lectures, consulting and training. 3DGURU plans to find and add various contents and profit models to meet the domestic needs. 3D printer industry stakeholders and users in Korea appreciate the insights and expertise of 3DGURU.

Why should I choose to work with your company?

3DGURU is known for a useful source where numerous Korean professionals turn to seeking the latest information on the 3D printing industry. Mainly targeting Korean market, it has been trying to reach to the representatives from various domestic and international businesses or organizations, including manufacturers, resellers, consultants, investors, government institutions and end users. Despite its aiming at the national users, 3DGURU is open to information exchange and collaboration with any 3D printing company abroad which is interested in the Korean market.

What is the 3D printing market in Korea like?

According to the 2018 3D Printing Industry Survey conducted by the Korean National IT Industry Promotion Agency(NIPA), the Korean 3D printing market of the year was about $340M, 16.3% increase from the previous year. It is expected to grow to aboout $870M by 2023, with annual CAGR of 21.5%.

As software coding education became mandatory in 2018, the demand for entry-level 3D printer has increased by 37.2%. Unlike the global trend, products (hardware, material, software) account for 80% of revenue and services for 20%. In 2018, there were 351 3D printing companies, up by 16.2% from the previous year. The fact that 235 (67%) amongst them were start-ups that had been established within last 9 years shows the rapid growth of the industry in Korea.

The education industry used 3D printers most by comparison with other industries, followed by 17.1% of government and institution, 14.5% of automobile, 13% of medical / dental. It is worthy of notice that education and government & institutional sectors accounted for 37.6% of the market, which was significantly higher than the global average, 10 to 15%.

Meanwhile, along with the Korean major manufacturers such as Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, and Hyundai Motors, many medium and small-sized manufacturers are using 3D printers for prototyping to shorten product production cycles. Still, given the general use of 3D printers and high interest in it, large manufacturing companies tend to be rather conservative in adopting them for production.

As for the bio 3D printing, research institutes and large hospitals are carrying out a variety of experiments and the National Health Insurance Corporation is putting an effort to improve its system so that the market could be expanded.

The 3D printing market in Korea is expected to grow continuously with all the inputs from the business sector as well as government.

Are Korean companies going to expand outside of Korea?

Yes. There are some Korean manufacturers playing the role. Examples include Insstek, a manufacturer of DED process metal 3D printer, which has exported the products to the EU countries and Russia; and Sindoh, another manufacturer, which has sold their goods in U.S. in partnership with Mimaki USA and Stanley Black & Decker. Carima, Hebsiba, and several other companies also have exported 3D printers, mainly to European countries, which account for 22.3%, 4.4% to Southeast Asia, 2.6% to US and 1.8% to Japan.

What is holding back the adoption of 3D printing?

The companies which already have adopted 3D printers say that slow output speed (50%), output size limit (42.7%), low output quality (41.8%), lack of proper post maintenance (33%), lack of diversity of material (31.8%) and insufficient labor supply (22.7%) are the biggest difficulties. Unreliability of 3D printers is also considered as an obstacle. Examples include printing failures and printed objects that are not exactly same as the original designs.

Besides these technical issues, conservative corporate culture of Korean companies might be said to get in the way of expansive adoption of 3D printing.

What kind of companies buy 3D printers in Korea?

Mainly manufacturers, schools, universities and research institutes purchase 3D printers.

What kind of parts are they printing?

It depends on companes and industries. A survey conducted in 2018 reported that 28.1% were for prototype production, 21% for educational research, 20.7% for demonstration models or designs, 8.4% for customized products, 8.1% for tools and accessories. Personally, I see many cases in which prototypes, custom products, and educational applications are printed.

Are companies doing production with 3D printing?

Surveys show that only 4.1% of the entire 3D printer usage is for mass production of finished products. Not all industries are same, but generally speaking, many companies are afraid of jumping in and using 3D printing for production. The representatives of several large Korean manufacturers I’ve talked to in person seem to think that it would be premature to make final products with 3D printers. Still, their continuous interest in 3D printing technology is undeniable.

Although I have seen some small companies making final custom products using 3D printing, large manufacturers tend to be cautious about it.

Some giant manufacturers have been using 3D printers for prototypes, while, unlike the practices of the counterparts in Europe and North America, there seems to be few publized attempts to adopt 3D printers for production.

How is the 3D scanning market evolving?

In 2018, the sales of 3D scanners accounted for 7.7% of total sales of 3D printing related products—3D printers, 3D software, 3D printer materials, and 3D scanners. Meanwhile, most of them, as high as 94.7%, were foreign-made.

In fact, Korean companies are using 3D scanners more and more.

While fixed type 3D scanners with high accuracy and high resolution have been popular, now consumers start to seek for the best options to their own needs. This trend of diversification and segmentation of 3D scanners can be also said to be of the world.

However, as more companies start to use 3D scanners to shorten measurement processes and product production cycles, and accordingly, the demand for affordable goods with proper specifications increases, various types and forms of products are being developed. These are used in various industrial fields, especially in the automobile industry.

Furthermore, 3D scanners are getting to be used as input tools for producing videos, such as movies, games, and VRs beyond the conventional usage for reverse engineering and quality inspection.

All in all, 3D scanning market in Korea is in early stage where analog information is being digitized.

The post Interview with 3DGuru’s Inbo Song on 3D Printing in Korea appeared first on 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing.

Custom 3D Printed Ocular Prosthetics: Through A Semi Automated Fabrication Process

In a previous post we mentioned the work of a team from the Severance Hospital South Korea on ocular prostheses. Led by Professor Yoon Jin-sook and working together with artificial eye maker Baik Seung-woon, the team was able to create an artificial eye using 3D printing technology. Recently the study of the project has been published and it explains in detail how they did it, that is the reason for this post.

The loss of an eye can have several physical and psychological consequences for people. It reduces by half the ability to see and also alters considerably the appearance of the person. Nowadays restoring the sight from a lost eye is not possible, but a prosthetic eye can improve the aspect of the person. Cosmetic rehabilitation using custom-made prosthetic devices in the form of ocular prostheses helps upgrade an individuals quality of life.

Professor Yoon said,

“Our team plans provide top-notch public health services through high-quality artificial eyes and a network that can increase patient access.”

Picture of the process from getting the mold to 3D printed eye

3D model of impression mould of patient’s anophthalmic socket and 3D printed output

The first step to create a 3D printed custom eyeball to obtain an impression of the target patient’s eye socket to determine the shape and size of the prosthesis. Once the mold is taken, it is necessary to create a high-resolution image of the model and digitally correct the file.

Directly from the abstract:

“In this study, we used a light intensity 3D scanner (Cara Scan 3.2, Kulzer Inc., Germany) that reflects the laser beam from the surface of an object to obtain 3D model data.

“The resultant image can include noise and artifacts, which inevitably had to be removed to produce the 3D model. This was achieved using the graphic editing software ZBrush 4R7 (Pixologic Inc., Los Angeles, CA, USA) to remove the internal and external noise of twisted meshes and to correct artifacts using the healing wizard function. Moreover, the software was used to smoothen the surface of the impression model.”

Carima DS131

Once the STL file is ready, it is possible to 3D print it.The polymer used for the Severance team is a biocompatible photopolymer resin (FotoTec DLP.A, Dreve Inc.) as the base material.

After evaluating the cytotoxicity of the material, the cytotoxicity of the final product was assessed in accordance with the ISO 10993-5 recommendations.

The 3D printer used by the Korean team is a Carima DS131. It is a digital light processing (DLP) 3D printer with 50-μm resolution in the X–Y plane. The Z-axis, that is, the layer thickness, can be set in 25-μm increments. It is a high-resolution 3D printer usually used for dental solutions.

To create a sense of realness, the sublimation transfer technique was used to print the image of the iris and blood vessels on the 3D-printed ocular prosthesis. For this technique, the desired pattern was printed with biocompatible ink on transfer paper. Once ready, the output of the ocular prosthesis is printed with a dye-sublimation transfer system.

Picture of the process of printing iris and blood vessels

Printing iris and blood vessels onto printed ocular prosthesis (a) The contralateral normal eye was photographed using a slit lamp. (b) Image of contralateral normal eye modified for printing. (c) Image of iris and blood vessels transferred to 3D printed ocular prosthesis.

Finally, the ocularist applied a transparent to the 3D printed ocular prosthesis to complete the fabrication process.

The amount of time that traditional processes need to make an eyeball is around 10 hours compared to the 8 hours that the 3D printing manufacturing process takes. It is not a large difference if we look at the numbers. However, it has to be considered that with 3D printing the amount of manual labor is reduced to 3 hours from ten.

The proposed method reduces the time and skill required to fabricate a customized ocular prosthesis, and is expected to provide patients with easier access to quality custom-made ocular prostheses. Now, the craft of making eyeballs is considered an artistic work that consumes a large amount of time in manual labor and needs highly skilled professionals. Semi-automated fabrication of prosthetic eyes reduces considerably the amount of manual labor and the need for technical expertise. Although, this technique requires skills as well in software for 3D graphics and modeling, which were not previously required. Taking all into consideration, 3D printing should make ocular protheses much more affordable and available.

Final output of the customized ocular prosthesis fabricated using 3D printing and surface printing.

Also, the use of 3D printing for this purpose can be considered an improvement when it is necessary for the replacement of the eyeball when the piece has been lost or damage. Because it is possible to store the data of the patient, it is not necessary to repeat the whole process, it can just be printed. Although it is important to mention, that the space of the eye socket may change through life due to age or weight changes. And one of the great features of existing eyeballs prosthetics, whether are made of glass or synthetic materials, is the capability of being reshaped if necessary to fit the patient’s evolving needs.

So, all together, the advantage of using 3D printing manufacturing methods for this purpose is the shortening of time and skills necessary to make a custom eyeball prosthesis. It would reduce the waiting periods to get a prosthetic eye and will make it cheaper by reducing the time of skilled professionals. It is exciting to think what it could bring for developing countries where there are not many artisans specialized in eye making.

So far the study has been focused on the development of the 3D printed prototype and manufacturing processes. It didn’t include human trials, therefore, the cosmetic outcome and the patient’s comfort when wearing the fabricated ocular prosthesis has not been measured. The next step to prove the worth of the findings would be to conduct clinical trials for the proposed method. Hopefully, in the near future, we can bring you positive outcomes of such trials.

[Source: “Semi-automated fabrication of customized ocular prosthesis with three–dimensional printing and sublimation transfer printing technology“]