At Lab Day 2020 in Chicago, Prodways has announced the development of its Clear Aligners Manufacturing Ecosystem, meant to cover all aspects of the design and production of clear aligners. Developed in partnership with prevalent companies in the digital dentistry space—3Shape, Full Contour, Imes-Icore and Dreve—the product ecosystem can deliver up to 1200 aligners daily, according to Prodways.
As SmarTech Analysis has reported, the market for additive manufacturing in dentistry was on track to surpass $2.7 billion in 2019, with an anticipated 500 million dental devices and restorations projected to be produced annually by 2022. If you’ve seen an TV ads lately, you’ve likely caught one 3D-printed dental item that is already in high demand.
Clear dental aligners were among the first consumer products to be mass manufactured with the use of 3D printing. These devices are typically made by the following workflow: an intraoral scan of a patient’s mouth captures the 3D data used to design a model of their teeth; this model is 3D printed before the aligner thermoformed on top of the mold.
Given the success of clear aligners, not only are there now numerous competing aligner brands, but also 3D printing companies vying for their business. Prodways aims to stake out its own territory in the segment with what it considers the first end-to-end digital manufacturing solution. This includes 3D scanning, data preparation, treatment design, 3D printing, thermoforming, laser marking and trimming, with hardware and software integration and automation along each step. Part of this automation comes in the form of the automatic platform loader and unloader (seen in the video below), a semi-automatic thermoforming module and an automatic laser marking and trimming module.
With Prodways linking together 3Shape, Full Contour, Imes-Icore and Dreve, each companies’ hardware and software are interoperable. This results in the ability to manufacture up to 1200 aligners per day at what Prodways suggests is a low cost-per-part and a short time to market.
This ecosystem is a significant one for Prodways, which has been building its spot in the dental market for some time. The company’s MOVINGLight DLP technology is known for its high throughput, making it ideal for batch production of products like dental molds for aligners. The release of the LD3 system marked the company’s entry into smaller systems that can be used in dentistry, as well as jewelry and other fields. The acquisition of Solidscape also added to its footprint in the dental market.
As Prodways works to fully automate the process of making clear dental aligners, they may have some stiff competition, particularly from the likes of HP, which is already claiming to make 50,000 molds for aligners per day via its customer, the Smile Direct Club.
Attendees were able to learn about a range of important and useful 3D printing topics, such as surgical planning and modeling, regulatory issues, implants, dental materials like ceramics, bioprinting, the use of AM in veterinary medicine, and international 3D printing developments in the medical and dental fields.
After Tuesday’s keynote and a quick break for some coffee, I started off on the dental track with a presentation on SmarTech’s dental 3D printing forecast. The talk was given by the company’s VP of Research Scott Dunham, whom Lawrence Gasman, the President of SmarTech, called “one of the top analysts in the country in our area.”
Dunham explained that during the “strategy maturation period” for many 3D printing companies, dentistry has now become a very important “focal area,” as it’s managed to “infiltrate the clinical segment in an increasingly meaningful way.” Mainly due to a significant leveraging of dental labs, one of the largest opportunities in the 3D printing industry today is in the dental field.
According to Dunham, there will be three main drivers for dental 3D printing applications over the next five years:
clear dental aligners
full dentures
temporary and permanent restorations in dental ceramics and composites
Dunham noted that SmarTech had correctly predicted the timing when it came to aligners, which will likely see its major challenges in terms of materials development. However, some companies, such as EnvisionTEC, have already created materials for making clear dental aligners, with the assistance of 3D printing.
FDA-approved 3D printable denture base materials, which have proper aesthetic properties, have actually been around for several years, but there was a major uptick in interest from the industry over the last year or so to bring denture-related applications to the AM market through material partnerships. In terms of permanent restorations in dental ceramics and composites, the use of micro-filled hybrid materials to make temporary dentures has been a sort of “jumping-off point” for making permanent restorations, like bridges, crowns, and implants.
According to Dunham, we’re likely to see much more “diversity in what’s driving dental hardware & materials in the future,” and the ratio of materials to hardware in dental 3D printing is an indicator that the industry is transforming. Dental 3D printing materials are mostly high value, especially the ones that can retain margins and cost on average per kilogram more than many other segments, and the value of the materials exceeds the value of hardware in the dental field more so than in other applications, which makes it unique.
Once his presentation ended, I followed Dunham over to the next room, which was on the medical track, to hear his next presentation; this time he would be discussing SmarTech’s medical 3D printing forecast. One of the main reasons SmarTech co-hosts the AMS summit with us is because innovation in healthcare is part of the DNA of the 3D printing industry, and Dunham stated that the three main pillars of adopting 3D printing in the industry are prototyping, healthcare, and industrial manufacturing.
Dunham said that SmarTech believes there are “a number of reasons that healthcare applications will shift to become the backbone of the industry,” such as:
low barrier to entry, though he did note the existing FDA regulatory hurdles
high volume applications – device types, procedures, and treatments currently being commercially explored with 3D printing
industry disruption through design – treatments tend to be more successful with with individualized, patient-specific devices
the major societal impact it could have, moving beyond just 3D printing devices and models but expanding the universe of treating patients
Dunham provided a brief history of healthcare innovation in 3D printing, starting with SLA first being used for medical modeling in 1988, noting the first patented process for 3D printing hearing aid shells in 1999, the first recorded Ti-64 patient-specific 3D printed implant in 2007, the mainstreaming of patient-specific 3D printed knee instrumentation in 2010, and the launching of Materialise HeartPrint in 2013.
The outlook for medical 3D printing opportunities, including materials, services, software, and hardware, is currently estimated to be $1.25 billion, but the total is estimated to be $6.08 billion by the year 2027. If these totals are split into segments, Dunham said that the global revenue will likely be tied to three main areas: orthopedics, personalized surgery, and medical devices. Then he moved onto the recent strategic updates that influenced these estimates.
Spinal cage production build [Image: Betatype]
Dunham explained that there are many opportunities in the additive orthopedics sector, due to the fact that many of the large market players are stepping up their adoption of metal 3D printing in order to enhance traditional implant design for improved performance. He referenced a case study by Betatype centered around developing software solutions for orthopedic companies already involved in 3D printing, noting that “they achieved some really amazing results” in the study. When working to determine if 3D printing would become the main process in the future for making orthopedic implant devices, Dunham said that SmarTech figured the technology would most likely “at least tip the 50% penetration point.”
In terms of medical device manufacturing, Dunham said SmarTech definitely believes there are production opportunities for 3D printing, especially since the estimated value of medical 3D printing services in 2027 is $1.5 billion. He noted that there are an increasing number of opportunities to use 3D printing when fabricating medical devices with customized elements that are matched to specific procedures or treatments; on the flip side, use is also increasing of a range of production-oriented 3D printing methods in order to produce parts for medical devices and equipment that already exist.
Some of the major takeaways Dunham noted at the end of his presentation were that societal impact, and improving patient outcomes, are both “perfectly valid” ways of measuring how 3D printing is disrupting the industry, rather than just relying on money alone.
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We’re bringing you the latest 3D printing business news in today’s 3D Printing News Briefs, plus a little 3D printed art to round things out. FATHOM is partnering with SOLIDWORKS software reseller GoEngineer, while L’Oréal is working with INITIAL, a Prodways Group company. Kickstarter and Autodesk are releasing a new open source 3D printing test, and 3D LifePrints has renewed its collaboration with the Alder Hey Children’s Hospital. Fargo 3D Printing has formed a new spin-off business, a metal 3D printed parts bureau has purchased an EBAM system from Sciaky, and 3D Systems’ SLA technology is being used to deliver customized dental solutions. Finally, we take a look at some fun and creative 3D printed artwork.
FATHOM and GoEngineer Announce Strategic Partnership
SOLIDWORKS 3D CAD software and Stratasys 3D printer reseller GoEngineer has announced a new strategic agreement with 3D printing company FATHOM. GoEngineer has purchased FATHOM’s 3D printing equipment reseller business, so that FATHOM can focus solely on its digital manufacturing services. Thanks to the agreement, the two partners will be able to scale their respective businesses in different, but significant ways, leveraging their strengths in order to create a large product development ecosystem of hardware, software, engineering, design, manufacturing, and training solutions that customers can use to drive innovation.
Michelle Mihevc, the Co-founder and Principal at FATHOM, said, “It’s exciting for our industry because both FATHOM and GoEngineer are uniquely positioned to meet the ever-increasing demand for advanced tools and services that enhance and accelerate a company’s product development and production processes.”
L’Oréal and INITIAL Increasing Development of 3D Printed Thermoplastic Parts
The cosmetics industry has a constant challenge in quickly marketing new products to meet the many specific demands of customers. That’s why L’Oréal is teaming up with INITIAL, a Prodways Group subsidiary – the two are ramping up development of 3D printed thermoplastic parts. More specifically, INITIAL’s new solution, 3D Molding, uses 3D printing to make plastic injection molds for “final material” parts at less cost and in record time. Recently, L’Oréal needed 14 resin test molds, along with 20 injection molding test runs and several hundred molded parts. By using Prodways’ patented MOVINGLight 3D printing technology and PLASTCure Rigid 10500 resin, the company was able to achieve accurate 3D prints in just two weeks.
“We produce the 3D Printing mould and the final material parts are then directly injection-moulded,” said Yvon Gallet, INITIAL’s Chairman. “With our 3D printing and injection expertise, we were best placed to develop this unique solution. It is aimed at designers in the development phase and complements our traditional machining and injection solutions. It is an innovative alternative that meets the needs of manufacturers, like L’Oréal, that could benefit from this technological advance to reduce their time to market.”
Kickstarter and Autodesk Releasing Open Source 3D Printing Calibration Test
Prints of the test file from Cubibot and Robo printers.
The evidence speaks for itself – Kickstarter is a great place for 3D printing. The popular crowdfunding site requires that 3D printer creators demonstrate the functionality of their systems through various means, but it can be hard to compare the performance of different machines, because not everyone shows off the same test prints, like the 3D Benchy. So Kickstarter is working at Autodesk to address this lack of a common standard for assessing FDM 3D printer performance, and will soon be releasing a new open source 3D printer test for Kickstarter creators, developed by Autodesk research scientist Andreas Bastian.
“We believe this test procedure will support greater transparency in our community,” Zach Dunham wrote in a Kickstarter blog post. “We started with FDM printers because they’re the most common model on Kickstarter. Our goal over time is to expand this calibration test to other printing technologies like stereolithography. Though this test is optional for creators to share on their project pages, electing to do so opens a frank conversation about quality. And backers of any 3D printer project can share images of their own tests by posting them with the hashtag #FDMtest.”
Creators can download the single, consolidated STL file and instructions to test their 3D printers’ alignment, dimensional accuracy, and resolution on Github.
3D LifePrints and Alder Hey Children’s Hospital Renew Collaboration
The Alder Hey Children’s Hospital has signed a long-term collaboration agreement with 3D LifePrints, a UK-based medical 3D printing company and a founding member of the hospital’s Innovation Hub. The company has had an embedded 3D printing facility at the 1,000 square meter underground co-creation space since 2015, and was supported by the hospital for its first two years there, showcasing the impact of its work and establishing its unique 3D printed offerings. Under the agreement, the company will continue supplying the hospital with its specialized 3D printing services.
“I am really proud of this milestone in our ongoing partnership. Incubating a start-up company in a hospital, to the point where they have series A funding, a multi-year contract with the NHS and diffusion to other medical centres around the country is an enormous vindication of what the Innovation hub was set up for,” said Iain Hennessey, Clinical Director and a paediatric surgeon at Alder Hey. “I couldn’t be more pleased to see 3DLP help integrate this emerging technology into clinical practice.”
Fargo 3D Printing Forms 3D Printer Repair Business
North Dakota-based Fargo 3D Printing has formed a new business out of its 3D printer repair segment, called Fargo 3D Printer Repair. While its parent company continues to focus on multiple aspects of the industry, the five-person repair team at the new Fargo 3D Printer Repair can devote 100% of its time to providing 3D printer repair and service to individuals, schools, OEMs, and businesses. The new spin-off company currently provides production-scale warranty servicing, maintenance, and repair services for multiple OEM 3D printing companies across North America; service and repair requests can be made through an intuitive form on its website.
“We don’t sell any 3D printers ourselves, so we are able to remain brand impartial when recommending and performing 3D printer repairs,” said John Olhoft, the CEO of Fargo 3D Printer Repair, who started working in the original shop as a repair technician. “Original Equipment Manufacturers like that they can trust us to provide high quality repairs with a quick turnaround, and not push a competing brand on their customers.”
Sciaky Providing EBAM System to Metal 3D Printing Bureau
Metal 3D printing solutions provider Sciaky will provide one of its Electron Beam Additive Manufacturing (EBAM) systems to Michigan-based FAMAero (Future Additive Manufacturing in Aerospace), a privately-owned metal 3D printed parts bureau. According to Sciaky, this custom EBAM system will be the largest production metal 3D printer in the world, with a 146″ x 62″ 62″ nominal part envelope that will be able to produce metal parts over 12 feet in length. FAMAero will use the massive new EBAM system to provide metal 3D printing services to customers in the aerospace, defense, oil & gas, and sea exploration industries.
Don Doyle, President of FAMAero, said, “FAMAero is entering the market as the first private, dedicated parts bureau in North America for large-scale 3D printed metal parts. Our Factory as a Service concept, combined with Sciaky’s industry-leading EBAM® technology, will provide manufacturers a new avenue to significantly slash time and cost on the production of critical parts, while offering the largest build platform and selection of exotic metals to choose from in the 3D parts service market.”
Creating Customized Dental Solutions with 3D Systems’ SLA 3D Printing
In order to make over 320,000 invisible dental aligners in a single day, Align Technology uses SLA 3D printing from 3D Systems. The company’s technology allows Align to create the unique aligner forms so that they are customized to each individual patient’s dental data. So far, Align has treated nearly 6 million patients, but using 3D printing technology is helping the growth of its business accelerate.
“What makes Align’s mass customization so unique is not only are we producing millions of parts every month, but each one of these parts that we produce is unique,” said Srini Kaza, the Vice President of Advanced Technology for Align Technology. “And this is really, as far as I know, the only true example of mass production using 3D printing.”
Ben Fearnley Uses SLA 3D Printing to Bring Artwork to Life
Sculptmojis
SLA 3D printing isn’t just good for use in dental applications, however. Ben Fearnley, a designer, illustrator, and 3D artist based out of New York City, uses the technology to, as he told 3DPrint.com, “bring my work to life from the 3D world to the real world.”
One interesting piece of 3D printed art Fearnley creates is Good Vibes Only Typography – script style typography lettering sculptures modeled in Cinema 4D and 3D printed on his Form 2. But my personal favorite are his Sculptmojis, which look pretty much exactly how they sound. These pieces, which are a combination of traditional sculpture art forms and modern emojis, originally began as a digital art project, and have now been brought to amusing, quirky life through 3D printing. You can purchase Fearnley’s unique 3D printed artwork here.
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Henry Schein is one of the world’s largest distributors of healthcare products and services. In 2017 alone, the healthcare giant made $12.5 billion in revenue. As of July 2018, Henry Schein has partnered with KKR & Co.’s Internet Brands to create Henry Schein ONE, a management system that ties practice management, marketing, and patient communications into one neat package. Specifically, Henry Schein Practice Solutions products–such as Dentrix and Easy Dental–are being combined with Internet Brands’ solutions–such as DemandForce, Officite, and DentalPlans.com. Its creators believe that Henry Schein ONE will have a tremendous impact on dental practices’ patient care quality, experience, organization, and efficiency.
There are hundreds of dental technology platforms that have allowed practices to transition from paper to digital devices. These platforms have digitized dental practice aspects such as patient charting, appointment scheduling, examinations, and more. Consequently, dental offices have become more efficient and more sustainable. One dental office may have as many as five different platforms in use including a scheduling system, an examination system, and a billing system. However, many of these platforms are highly individualized, and as a result it is difficult to have them communicate with one another. When the number of systems in one office becomes too much, it may even slow down the workflow. We believe that this new joint venture will help accelerate the already predicted increase in dental 3D printing. Moreover, this dental 3D printing technology growth will be augmented by R&D tax credits.
The Research & Development Tax Credit
Enacted in 1981, the now permanent Federal Research and Development (R&D) Tax Credit allows a credit that typically ranges from 4%-7% of eligible spending for new and improved products and processes. Qualified research must meet the following four criteria:
Must be technological in nature
Must be a component of the taxpayer’s business
Must represent R&D in the experimental sense and generally includes all such costs related to the development or improvement of a product or process
Must eliminate uncertainty through a process of experimentation that considers one or more alternatives
Eligible costs include US employee wages, cost of supplies consumed in the R&D process, cost of pre-production testing, US contract research expenses, and certain costs associated with developing a patent.
On December 18, 2015, President Obama signed the PATH Act, making the R&D Tax Credit permanent. Beginning in 2016, the R&D credit can be used to offset Alternative Minimum tax for companies with revenue below $50MM and for the first time, startup businesses can obtain up to $250,000 per year in payroll taxes and cash rebates.
The Joint Venture Dental Components
James Harding, Chief Executive Officer of Henry Schein ONE and former Chief Technology Officer of Henry Schein, stated that the company’s goal was to deliver technology innovation to automate more tasks and simplify the digital workflow under one integrated system. By having one system in which the various platforms can effectively communicate with one another, the administrative work is lessened and dental practitioners can lend more time to patient care and dental technology.
Potential 3D Printing Impact
We believe that this powerhouse joint venture could help accelerate 3D printing integration in dental offices by eliminating time consuming administration tasks. Dentists and dental lab technicians will be able to focus more on dental technology. The technology for 3D printing in the dental industry has already proven to be ground-breaking and is continuously improving. Being partnered with leading Internet dental brands is going to really enable companies to get the message out about new dental technologies.
In SmarTech Publishing’s analysis report on 3D printing in the dental industry, it is predicted that by 2027 dental 3D printing revenue will reach $9.5 billion. The majority of that revenue was credited to 3D printing services in the dental industry. With the rise of 3D printed clear aligners, SmarTech Publishing also predicted that an estimated $22.8 million in market value would be credited to clear aligner forming tools alone. Clear aligners are especially benefiting from 3D printing as one of the first highly customized products to be made en masse. What used to be a very slow and gradual process of straightening teeth is drastically improving with 3D printing and better technology.
Conclusion
With the joint venture of two major companies and contributors to the dental industry, practices nationwide are sure to be transformed. Dental offices will have better administration and overall workflow. Consequently, dental offices and labs can dedicate more time and money to advancing their technology such as dental 3D printing.
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Charles Goulding and Rafaella July discuss the Henry Schein and KKR & Co. joint venture.
