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3D Printing Webinar and Virtual Event Roundup, June 28, 2020

This week is packed full with 3D printing webinars and virtual events, with four taking place Tuesday, and two each on Wednesday and Thursday. We’ll tell you all about them below!

Digital Manufacturing Investor Day

First up, software provider Dyndrite will be hosting its first ever Digital Manufacturing Investor Day on Tuesday, June 30th, featuring both pre-recorded and live content. Investors and venture capital companies have been invited to hear lightning presentations by hardware and software startups from all around the world, and several industry investment firms will also give panel presentations. The advisors for the inaugural Digital Manufacturing Investor Day are Gradient Ventures, HP Tech Ventures, and The House Fund.

“This virtual event is an initiative to help link startups in the digital manufacturing space to investors in the industry. As supply chains have been recently disrupted and workforces have to remain distanced, so new digital manufacturing technology becomes even more critical as manufacturers figure out how to tackle these challenges.”

Additive Manufacturing for Aircraft Interiors

Also on June 30th, a webinar about 3D printed aerospace applications will take place from 9-10 am EDT. “Additive Manufacturing for Aircraft Interiors – doing the trick for the In-Service Market” will discuss the use of polymer 3D printed parts for future aircraft cabins, how the technology can save money and time, possible new business opportunities for Maintenance Repair and Overhaul Providers (MROs), and what issues still remain, such as certification, investments, and availability of the right raw materials. Stephan Keil, Director Industrialisation for AM Global, will moderate the discussion between panelists Markus Glasser, Senior Vice President EMEA, EOS; Vinu Vijayan, Global Business Development Manager – Aerospace, EOS; Frederic Becel, Design Manager, CVE, Innovation Leader Aircraft Modification Division, Air France; and Karl Bock, Principal Design Engineer, Aircraft Modification Team, P21J Design Organisation, Lufthansa Technik.

“A wide spreading of AM manufacturing also has the potential to significantly change the supply chain setup of the Aero industry, impacting small and large suppliers, as distributed manufacturing moves closer to becoming a reality. Furthermore, new business models for spare parts and part design data may emerge, along with new services, which brings a need to tackle challenges around IP and regulation.”

nScrypt’s Cutting Edge of Digital Manufacturing Webinar

nScrypt is also holding a webinar on the 30th, titled “Pushing the Envelope of Digital Manufacturing.” The first part of the Cutting Edge Digital Manufacturing webinar series will take place at 1 pm ET on the 30th, and the second part will occur at the same time on July 7th. Panelists Mark Mirotznik, PhD, University of Delaware; Jing Wang, PhD, University of South Florida and Oregon State University; Devin MacKenzie, PhD, University of Washington, and Raymond C. Rumpf, PhD, University of Texas at El Paso, will discuss the future of direct digital manufacturing, covering topics like metamaterial use, permeating electronics in structures for control, sensing, and smart features, and going from a CAD file to a final, multimaterial electronic product in one build.

“JOIN YET ANOTHER DISTINGUISHED PANEL for part ONE of an in-depth discussion on the future of direct digital manufacturing by some of the premiere additive manufacturing universities in the country. The projects these universities are working on are solving problems with traditional antennas and printed circuit boards (PCBs).

ACCIONA’s Concrete 3D Printing Webinar

The last June 30th webinar will be held by ACCIONA, called “Let’s Talk Concrete 3D Printing.” It will take a multidisciplinary approach when discussing the technology’s use in the value chain, “where Innovation, Academia, Design, Manufacturing and Industry join together for a broad analysis of the technology.

Speakers will be Alaa K. Ashmawy, PhD, P.E. Dean and Professor for the School of Engineering at the American University in Dubai; Sualp Ozel, Senior Product Manager at Autodesk; Fahmi Al Shawwa, the CEO of Immensa Additive Manufacturing; Carlos Egea, Manager 3D Printing, Skill Center at ACCIONA; and Luis Clemente, COO 3D Printing at ACCIONA. The webinar will take place at 8:30 am EST, and attendees can join here.

3D Systems Webinar Featuring VAULT

On Wednesday, July 1st, at 10:30 am EST, 3D Systems will be holding a live webinar, “Advanced Your Engineering and Equip Sales to Win Business with SLA,” featuring VAULT, which manufactures enclosures for tablets in the point-of-sale industry. The company integrated 3D Systems’ SLA technology into its process, and the 45-minute webinar will explain how SLA can be used at every stage of business. VAULT will share customer reactions to quality and service, in addition to the training and on-boarding process, and explain how companies can win new business by providing access to high-quality 3D printed parts.

“Gaining a new client is all about gaining their confidence. No matter how refined your sales pitch, nothing wins trust or business faster than immediately following through on your promises.

“Join our live web event featuring VAULT’s VP of Engineering, Quentin Forbes, to find out how in-house 3D printing with 3D Systems’ stereolithography is helping the company build its reputation and client base.”

Webinar for New Metal 3D Printing Material

Also on July 1st, metallurgist expert Aubert & Duval will join Alloyed, formerly known as OxMet Technologies, in hosting a free webinar about ABD-900AM, a new nickel superalloy for metal additive manufacturing. When tested with laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) technology, the high-strength material offered improved manufacturability, as well as high creep and oxidation resistance, compared to common AM alloys. It also features ~99.9% density and is highly crack resistant. Adeline Riou, Global Sales Manager at Aubert & Duval, and Will Dick-Cleland, Additive Manufacturing Engineer at Alloyed, will give an overview of the material’s properties, along with several interesting case studies, during the 30-minute webinar.

“Designed for use at high temperatures up to 900°C / 1650°F, ABD®-900AM has been tailored for AM by Alloyed not just for high mechanical properties, but also for excellent printability. Compared with Ni718, ABD®‑900AM provides a minimum of 30% improvement in yield stress at temperatures >800°C and a creep temperature capability improvement by up to 150 o C – similar to alloy 939 and alloy 738.”

The webinar will begin at 11 am EST, and you can register here.

Stratasys Aerospace Webinar Series Continued

Stratasys will continue its new aerospace webinar series this Thursday, July 2nd, with “Value Proposition of AM to Airlines.” During this hour-long webinar, Chuan Ching Tan, General Manager, Additive Flight Solutions (AFS), will speak about several related topics, including when and where additive manufacturing can make its business case to airlines, use cases – especially regarding aircraft interiors – by AFS to airlines, and other issues to get past in order to speed adoption of the technology.

You’ll have to wake up early if you’re in my time zone – the webinar will take place at 4 am EDT. Register here.

VO Webinar: Coming of Age for Additive Manufacturing

Recently, Viaccess-Orca (VO), a global provider of advanced data solutions and digital content protection, joined the collaborative 3MF Consortium as a Founding Member. Now, it’s presenting a free 45-minute webinar with HP and Autodesk, also active members of the 3MF Consortium, about “Additive Manufacturing’s coming of age: the essential role of data security and standards.” The webinar, also held on July 2nd, will focus on the importance of data security and standards as the closed AM ecosystem moves to a more open future. Dr. Phil Reeves, Managing Director of Reeves Insight Ltd, will facilitate the discussion between speakers Scott White, Distinguished Technologist, 3D Software and Data, HP, Inc.; Martin Weismann, Principal Software Engineer for Autodesk; and Alain Nochimowski, Executive Vice President of Innovation at VO.

Learning objectives of the webinar will include why data standards are so important for the growth and deployment of the technology in the Industry 4.0 supply chain, how 3D CAD and AM hardware vendors can embrace both interoperability and data standards to benefit customers, what the 3D printing industry can learn about analytics, traceability, and data security from more mature industries, and the consortium’s newly released Secure Content specification. At the end, there will be a Question and Answer session, facilitated by Laura Griffiths, Deputy Group Editor at TCT. The webinar will take place at 10 am EST; register here.

Will you attend any of these events and webinars, or have news to share about future ones? Let us know! Discuss this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts in the comments below.

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3DHEALS2020: A Not So Lonely Planet

Only a few weeks away from 3DHEALS2020, and I just got off the phone with one of our speakers, Dr. Ho, from NAMIC Singapore. Our brief interview reminded me just how much I enjoyed Singapore—its start-up like government, incredible universities, and its beautiful modern architecture, chili crabs, and unpredictable rainstorms. Now, I’m on my way to some of the best meals in my life with another 3DHEALS community event in a foreign city. Looking back, there are many stories like that: in Detroit, Vigo, Paris, Shanghai, or Boston, my work with 3DHEALS communities has been a journey of adventures and friendships. 3DHEALS2020 is really a way to summarize my travels from the last two years. It is my version of Lonely Planet—the healthcare 3D printing version.

I really felt more alive when people have welcomed me into their cities; when they have showed off their latest innovations; when they have bantered enthusiastically with one another in a local pub till midnight after 3DHEALS events. And they felt the same way.

Sadly, however, this pandemic is putting old methods of human connection into question. Perhaps, a virtual summit is a stopgap solution for conferences, but, more likely, it is time for us to explore alternative and better ways to stay connected and informed.

The virtual 3DHEALS2020 summit will be a good start.

While we can’t serve you delicious San Francisco Blue Bottle coffee, there are three things we aim to do right with this conference:

1. Awesome live content

One upside about the virtual summit is that people who could not be available due to logistic barriers are now more available. We added 20+ speakers since the pandemic began and are still adding more parallel workshops to the existing program. Some of highlights include:

A. Biofabrication/Bioprinting Panels and Workshops:

Welcome to the holy grail of healthcare 3D printing applications!

These panels and workshops collect some of the brightest minds in the world of tissue engineering, biofabrication, and bioprinting. It includes the newest generation of startup founders. Names such as Stephanie Willerth, Adam Feinberg, Jordan Miller are already well-established and loved in the scientific communities and just founded their own startups within the last 12 months. More established startup founders whose companies are also critical to the eventual success of biofabrication, tissue engineering, and cell therapy at large will also join us live, including Melanie Mathieu from Prellis Biologics, Jon Rawley from Roosterbio, John O’Reily from Xylyx, Taciana Pereira from Allevi, and Kevin Caldwell from Ossium Health. Qrquidea Garcia (“Orchid”) from JNJ Innovation will also join us on this panel, discussing how an industry leader can work with innovators and startups in this exciting, burgeoning field.

B. Regulatory and Legal Landscape of Healthcare 3D Printing

For those who put their skin in the game, this is probably one of the most must-attend sessions. 3D printing in healthcare is a super new field, and legal experts in this field who have established track records and legitimacy are only a handful. This session will include the most comprehensive list of legal and regulatory concerns specifically for healthcare 3D printing, including intellectual property/patent issues, product liability, FDA pathways, manufacturing standards, and more. Steven Bauer, from FDA CBER, just joined the panel to directly address concerns related to cell therapy from the biofabrication and stem cell communities. The speakers are not just well-versed on how to interpret the law and policies, but also how to interact with scientists, policy makers, organizations, and standards bodies at this early stage of the industry, with practical, real-life examples.

C. Global Perspectives

One lesson from this pandemic is that globalization has consequences. Having a well-rounded worldview of the global healthcare 3D printing ecosystem is a requirement for future success. Our early morning sessions are reserved for international speakers all over the world to meet the audience and share their unique perspectives, needs, and hopes. Both America Makes director John Wilczynski and NAMIC director Dr. Chaw Sing Ho, along with experts from Turkey, India, and Taiwan, will share how healthcare innovations can thrive in both local and global environments. On day two (June 6^th), the audience will learn about how different countries are implementing the concept of 3D printing for Point of Care, which cannot be taken out of context of different healthcare systems and cultures. The audience will meet and learn from the leaders at UCSF, Stanford, Germany (Kumovis), India (Anatomiz3D), and developing countries.

2. Pre- and post-event networking opportunities

The attendees will have the opportunity to meet other attendees, speakers, and conference organizers as soon as they sign up the event using a dedicated conference app. They can send direct messages, post threads, share photos, host their own virtual events days before the conference. The app will be available to registered attendees for six months after the conference ends.

3. Entrepreneurship

One of the most exciting aspects of 3DHEALS2020 is its focus on entrepreneurship. Pitch3D has been a quarterly free and online pitch platform to selected early-stage startups in healthcare 3D printing and bioprinting spaces for the last two years, introducing 30+ startups from all over the world to institutional investors. 3DHEALS2020 also gathered some of the most experienced VCs and entrepreneurs in the space to share their stories, perspectives, and directly engage with the startups and the 3DHEALS2020 attendees directly during both pitch sessions and investor panels. There will be ten startups pitching each day at 5-6 PM PST. Interested startups can apply here.

This is the time of uncertainty and change.

Join us at 3DHEALS2020, connect with the world, and take control of your future. This is a Not So Lonely Planet.

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3D Printing Unicorns, Part 1: Formlabs

When a privately held startup hits $1 billion in value, it magically transforms from an ugly mare into a beautiful unicorn (or so the legend goes). In the 3D printing space, there are three such creatures and we’ll be profiling each one, beginning with the oldest: Formlabs.

The Boston-based company was born out of MIT Media Lab, where its co-founders, Maxim Lobovsky, Natan Linder and David Cranor met as students learning about the newly hyped technology of 3D printing. The trio went on to establish Formlabs in September 2011 with the Form 1.

What made the Form 1 so remarkable was that it was the first desktop SLA 3D printer, bringing quality associated with much more expensive systems to under $5,000 (the original base package was just $2299 for early birds). And it did so via Kickstarter, raising nearly $3 million and becoming one of the most successful crowdfunding campaigns for 3D printing.

The original Form 1 3D printer.

The firm continued to sell and develop, which is a lot more than can be said for some other crowdfunded companies (looking at you, Pirate3D). This resulted in the release of the Form 1+, Form 2, Form 3 and Form 3L, all representing improvements in the hardware architecture and/or size of the printer. Most recently, the company added the Form 3B, dedicated to biocompatible materials, including resins for 3D printing surgical guides.

With the Form 3 and 3L (released in 2019), Formlabs introduced “low force stereolithography (LFS),” a re-engineering of its previous SLA process, wherein the forces of suction of the part on the optical window were too strong for certain geometries and materials. In LFS, a redesigned optics system made up of lenses, mirrors and a galvanometer directs a laser beam directly perpendicular to the build plane, resulting in the ability to print in finer details and lighter support structures. The optical window, and indeed the frame holding it, flex which reduces the forces acting on the part.

The Form 3 and Form 3L.

But Formlabs didn’t limit itself to just SLA or even LFS. In 2017, the firm confirmed it was working on the Fuse 1, one of a very low number of desktop SLS 3D printers. By this point, it was more clear than ever that Formlabs wasn’t just a startup, but was evolving into something more… majestic? Well, at least something much more significant because it was no longer just selling printers on Kickstarter, but had established a global presence mainly selling direct but also an extensive reseller and distribution network.

The Fuse 1 SLS system.

That isn’t to say that it didn’t face its share of obstacles. Along the way, in 2012, it was sued by the original inventor of SLA, 3D Systems, for patent infringement before the two reached a licensing settlement netting the larger of the two companies 8% of every sale. Formlabs was sued once again in 2016 by DLP inventor EnvisionTEC. The startup had officially made the big leagues.

In fact, the company is so substantial at this point that it’s not just being sued by the big dogs, but it’s becoming a big dog itself. Formlabs announced its first acquisition, that of Spectra Group Photopolymers, who has supplied its parent company with resins since the Form 1 days. With the purchase, Formlabs will be investing over $1 million into renovating Spectra’s facilities to become an FDA registered, ISO Class 8 certified cleanroom in an ISO 13485 certified facility for dental and medical materials development.

After early seed funding from investors that included Eric Schmidt’s Innovation Endeavors, the startup concluded Series A Funding of $19 million in 2013. Series A led to Series B ($35 million in 2016), which led to Series C ($30 million in 2018). With a $15 million infusion (also in 2018), Formlabs added former GE CEO Jeff Immelt to its board of directors. At this point, the startup was valued at over $1 billion, officially transforming Formlabs from a beast of burden into a mythical unicorn.

The post 3D Printing Unicorns, Part 1: Formlabs appeared first on 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing.

Royal DSM Will Choose Ten Startups to Participate in the I AM Tomorrow Challenge

Royal DSM, headquartered in The Netherlands, is a global company based on science and sustainable living—with serious dedication to 3D printing also, as they realize the incredible potential such technology offers so many industries around the world. Now, they are offering an acceleration program in large-scale 3D printing and additive manufacturing for startups and scaleups, with a focus on data analytics, artificial intelligence, and related software. The teams will also participate master classes, be exposed to ‘exclusive’ networking opportunities, and receive expert coaching sessions.

The I AM Tomorrow Challenge, in collaboration with HighTechXL, Hexagon, and Ultimaker, chooses a limited number of companies to participate in the unique ten-week acceleration program meant to help launch new businesses or help existing ones evolve further. DSM offers funding or partnerships to some startups who complete the acceleration program, with applications accepted through August 8. Only ten companies will be chosen to attend, either at HighTechXL’s campus in Eindhoven or Boston, MA.

While many industrial companies are just beginning to embrace the benefits of 3D printing, a rare few others have been in on the secret for decades—and DSM is one of those pioneers, at the forefront of AM processes for over 25 years with their Somos® products. With an eye to the future and the realization of how important new startups are to the ‘digital ecosystem,’ DSM is helping to mold the continued expansion of 3D printing in the next decades.

The DSM team lists their reasons for creating the program:

Recognition of the power of 3D printing
World-class materials expertise
Global reach
Expansive industry network
Financial resources

DSM has already invested in over 50 companies spanning Europe, the US, and Israel since 2001. This is their ninth challenge for startups, and all part of their mission to build sustainability throughout the world.

Hugo da Silva

“Digitalization will transform the world of manufacturing. By building an ecosystem of partners, we can work together to create tools that support 3D printing design and production, helping our affiliates and customers create innovative new products in a more sustainable way. The I AM Tomorrow Challenge is a step toward a brighter future,” said Hugo da Silva, VP Additive Manufacturing DSM.

Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division is also working toward an end-to-end digital solution for AM processes, and they will be connecting with both DSM and partners in assessing and companies participating in the acceleration program that might be able to participate in development.

Royal DSM continues to be a force in 3D printing, from collaborations with companies like Briggs Automotive Company to partnerships with FormFutura and development of materials for new 3D printing systems. What do you think of this news? Let us know your thoughts! Join the discussion of this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com.

[Source / Images: DSM press release]

The post Royal DSM Will Choose Ten Startups to Participate in the I AM Tomorrow Challenge appeared first on 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing.

Techstars and Stanley Black & Decker remain laser-focused on finding game-changers in advanced manufacturing

Why industry leader, Stanley Black & Decker, & global investment firm, Techstars, are honing in on additive manufacturing and sustainable solutions in 2019:

In 2018, Techstars and Stanley Black & Decker announced the launch of a multi-year program focused on finding the most disruptive startups in the world working on advanced manufacturing solutions. In the first year of the program, they focused solely on companies working on solutions related to additive manufacturing. The ten companies selected are well on their way to changing fundamental aspects of the manufacturing and consumer industries. Each of the ten companies that were accepted received $120,000.00 in initial funding from Techstars and are now part of #techstarsforlife with continuous access to world-class mentors and hundreds of resources. During the program founders gained access to many leaders from within Stanley Black & Decker including CEO, Jim Loree, and connected with mentors from the across the Techstars network including Ilan Levin, the former CEO Stratasys, Max Lobovsky, the CEO of Formlabs, and Bre Pettis, the founder of Makerbot. The full list of 2018 mentors is available here.

Since the first Demo Day on October 11th 2018, many of the companies have already secured additional funding to continue to expand their businesses, and four received additional follow-on investment directly from Stanley Ventures, the venture capital arm of Stanley Black & Decker.

Max Lobovsk the,CEO of Formlabs meeting with founders during the 2018 Stanley+Techstars Accelerator

Applications for the second year of the program recently opened on January 7, 2019. In this second year of the program, Stanley Black & Decker will continue to double down on their efforts to find innovative companies working on additive manufacturing.

Additive manufacturing has the potential to disrupt supply chains and distribution centers over time, and could even lead to the decentralization of manufacturing. But they have also recognized the potential to leverage the accelerator to positively impact the environment and made the decision to expand their view to also consider companies working on innovative solutions around sustainability. While they are keen on finding companies that can help solve problems around sustainable packaging, they are taking a wide lens at what that might look like.

“We’re trying to find companies that are thinking differently about how to make an impact and drive the manufacturing industry forward. That might mean that we find disrupters working in hardware, material science, or software.” – said Claudia Reuter, Managing Director of the STANLEY+Techstars Accelerator.

If you are interested in learning more about the STANLEY+Techstars Accelerator, you can register now to join a live AMA (Ask me Anything) webinar scheduled for February 27th.

If you’re ready to apply, you can start the process here.

OsseoPrint 3D Wins AMS Startup Competition with Patient-Specific, 3D Printed Bone Scaffold Platform

Tyler Benster, Asimov Ventures

The second annual Additive Manufacturing Strategies summit, co-hosted by 3DPrint.com and SmarTech Markets Publishing, took place this week in Boston. In addition to more speakers, this year’s event branched out into separate tracks for medical and dental 3D printing, and also featured a workshop day, an exhibition hall, and a startup competition, which offered a $15,000 cash investment from early stage venture fund Asimov Ventures as the prize.

Tyler Benster from Asimov, whom I had the pleasure of sitting next to during lunch, informed the room that the first finalist, Les Kalman from Western University’s Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, would unfortunately not be competing in the competition, as the weather in Toronto kept his plane from taking off, and then explained the rules of the Startup Showdown. Each finalist had seven minutes to give their pitch, and the panel of judges – Benster, GE Additive’s Stephan Zeidler, and Tuan TranPham from Desktop Metal – would then have about five minutes to ask questions.

The first finalist to present was OsseoPrint 3D, which is marketing a platform technology for implantable, patient-specific bone scaffolds that can be 3D printed on-site at the practitioner’s office.

According to CEO and founder Dr. Arthur Greyf, a dental implantologist who’s spent a lot of time and money grafting bones in his office, there is definitely a need for OsseoPrint 3D’s platform, as nearly two million bone implants were manufactured in the US over the last six years.

The startup has a working 3D printer prototype with several good features, like a particle counter, optimize algorithm for 3D printing infill patterns, a HEPA filter, and a software-controlled door lock. Dr. Greyf said that OsseoPrint 3D had a positive pre-submission meeting with the FDA last August, and that the 3D printer should be designed and ready for final approval in the next 3-6 months.

The startup has a simple business model, which will require about $5 million to get to the market in the near future, and offers “significant time savings” in surgery, as scaffolds can be designed and 3D printed chair-side in dental offices in less than 15 minutes. According to Dr. Greyf, the startup’s 3D printer, which has never “seen the light of day outside of my office” until now, will cost about $25,000 and will pay for itself in about 10-20 uses.

Next to present in the competition was Belgium-based startup Twikit, which makes mass customization software and just launched its Twikbot platform for the orthotics and prosthetics market. CTO Olivier De Deken explained that the O&P industry has long supply chains, which can be fraught with errors, and that using both additive manufacturing and automation can result in a “scalable flow” and better end products.

Twikbot’s flexible, cloud-based platform allows the user to set their own preferences, such as patterns, before the global startup makes the production-ready file and the end brace is 3D printed. According to De Deken, the market potential for this platform in the global orthopaedic market is $52 billion.

Twikit has a fast-growing, global team of 33 employees, and is currently closing a Series A funding round. The startup generates revenue through an SaaS fee charged for use of the platform, along with revenue sharing, and future plans include looking at more complex medical products, such as scoliosis braces.

De Deken explained that its proprietary, scalable software platform is independent of external CAD software, and that because the solution is generic, it can be applied to any vertical, medical or otherwise, that’s ready for digitization.

The final startup to pitch in the competition was EXIOM, which provides 3D printed, upper extremity orthopedic casts. It was founded by husband and wife team Erik and Amy Paul, both of whom are US Air Force veterans. After he passed out examples of the startup’s casts to the judges, Erik explained that when one of their seven kids broke his arm, they wanted to find a better way to fix it without relying on a heavy, uncomfortable plaster cast that you have to wrap in plastic when you bathe.

“Our casts alleviate all those issues,” Erik stated.

EXIOM, which already has FDA certification and is beginning the commercialization process, uses the software of its European partner Xkelet and Ultimaker 3D printers to make its casts, and is working to introduce foot, ankle, and knee cast models in the future, along with a 3D printable emergency splint that should be ready next month.

The startup’s casts are very lightweight, and the quick, easy 3D scanning procedure equals more throughput. EXIOM provides support and onsite equipment training to its core customers, which include hospitals, clinics, and VA care networks.

In the middle of this year, EXIOM plans to integrate several new high speed, medical-grade 3D printers into its contract provider network for “on-site production at unprecedented speed,” which makes it stand out from the competition…which is namely ActivArmor.

Once EXIOM finished its presentation, the judges stepped into the hallway to confer, and returned very shortly after what Benster called a “lively, exciting, and brief discussion” to declare OsseoPrint 3D the winner of the AMS Startup Showdown.

In the presentation, Dr. Greyf stated that OsseoPrint 3D would need $2 million in order to completely finish its 3D printer prototype. The $15,000 cash investment it just received from Asimov for winning the competition will definitely help the startup reach its goal.

OsseoPrint 3D: Dr. Arthur Greyf, CEO, and Leonid Fayn, CTO

We’ll have more to share with you from AMS 2019, so stay tuned!

Discuss this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts below.

[Images: Sarah Saunders]

ParaForma Helps Entrepreneurs Design and Craft 3D Printed Rings for Custom Jewelry Lines

Two years ago, architect and designer Joel Kahn founded jewelry design firm ParaForma in Melbourne, Australia, with a vision of enabling creativity and uniqueness in a fast-paced world that is mostly automated and has been crowded with mass-produced, short-lived fashion trends.

“Fashion trends come and go with every season, but at ParaForma, we don’t want to chase after what’s in right now. We believe that every woman has her very own, personal style, and in order to express that, she needs accessories that are as unique and special as she is. This is why we offer a high level of customization for all of our jewelry pieces,” the website reads.

“We support equality for all no matter who you are, where you are from, what your belief is or your sexual orientation or gender. ParaForma is the first jewelry company that has made it possible for clients to easily become their own designers and engrave or emboss a personal message seamlessly into their own rings.”

While ParaForma has been around since 2016, the firm officially launched this month with a mission to help people craft and sell their own custom jewelry lines, while also helping to take their brand to the next level.

It’s not easy for the average person to break into the jewelry industry, as it takes time and experience to build up any sort of expertise in areas like design, production, quality control, and metallurgy.

But jewelry tech, like smart watches and 3D printed jewelry, has been increasing. ParaForma is working to use 3D printing and other technology to remove the barriers and open the jewelry world up to entrepreneurs with custom-made jewelry lines.

In addition to helping people unlock their personal creativity and turn it into a viable business, the firm’s smart technology and unique solution could help democratize the entire industry.

Kahn said that it’s not easy to turn a profit from creativity, which is one of the reasons he wanted to make the process easier by helping his clients use technology like 3D printing to set up their own streamlined jewelry startups.

“There is nothing harder than starting your own business or to expand your brand successfully,” Kahn said.

“Let us take care of these tasks for you, so that you can focus on the more important things in your life.”

ParaForma makes it possible for entrepreneurs to create their own affordable 3D printed jewelry lines, which have the same high quality that’s expected of statement pieces. For added personalization, branding or messages, like icons and logos, can also be embossed or engraved onto selected rings.

“While most jewelry brands use 3D printing to produce ever changing trends of jewelry in high quantities, ParaForma uses this technology to create timeless individual pieces of high quality,” the website states. “Each one of our rings is custom-crafted on order and designed by you. This is a more sustainable and environmentally friendly approach, as there are no wasted materials, no overproduction, and no long storage time.”

There are three simple customization steps to follow on the ParaForma website in order to custom craft your own jewelry designs. First, choose the shape you want for your ring, then the texture, and finally the precious metal. For shape, there are eight collections to choose from, ranging from Classic and Ripple to Surge and Morph, each offering five unique shapes; the Wave collection is the only one that doesn’t offer the Poly shape.

Once you’ve created the ring and finished the checkout process, the order will be sent to the firm’s New York City 3D printing facility to be 3D printed in wax. Then, a traditional casting process burns away the wax and replaces it with your selected metal; options include, among others, silver, 18K gold, and 14K rose gold plated. Depending on the metal you choose, prices range from less than $150 (bronze) to upwards of $3,800 (platinum).

Finally, your completed ring will be polished by highly experienced jewelers and shipped to the address you provided on the website.

The ParaForma team oversees the entire process from the beginning, including crafting of the ring designs, online store development, professional photography, and processing orders. The resulting jewelry lines of 3D printed rings that designers build in collaboration with ParaForma will then become a part of their personal business, brand, and product.

ParaForma is here to help, whether entrepreneurs want to sell a unique piece of jewelry without having to start a full-fledged business, or just increase their branding with a beautiful, one-of-a-kind 3D printed ring.

Discuss this story and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts in the comments below.

[Images provided by ParaForma]