Rounding off one other tumultuous 12 months, December was actually not in need of information. Along with a number of medical advances, the month noticed court docket injunctions handed out, and the legalization of a controversial suicide capsule.

Learn on for the standout developments in December, which concerned the likes of Desktop Steel, Essentium, Redefine Meat, Prodways, CELLINK, and others. 

Click on to see all articles in our 2021 3D Printing Business Assessment of the 12 months collection.

Remembering E3D Founder Sanjay Mortimer

First, although, December started with the devastating information that E3D Founder Sanjay Mortimer had sadly handed away. A well-loved and inspirational chief, Mortimer spent the previous decade tirelessly dedicated to his imaginative and prescient of fixing the best way humanity manufactures items, having helped to create a neighborhood that strives to advance 3D printing and knowledge-sharing.

As soon as once more, the 3D Printing Business workforce sends our heartfelt sympathy to Mortimer’s household, mates and colleagues. E3D has since arrange a discord channel the place you’ll be able to share your reminiscences and tributes.

EOS installs one thousandth printer

Powder mattress fusion 3D printer supplier EOS delivered and put in its one thousandth 3D printer in North America in December. The AMCM M 4K machine was bought by Florida-based 3D printing service supplier Sintavia, bringing its whole variety of EOS 3D printers to 17. 

“Fixed innovation, consistency between machines, and industrial-scale manufacturing dependability are why aerospace producers of tomorrow depend on EOS,” mentioned Brian Neff, CEO of Sintavia.

“Their machines type the inspiration of our firm’s manufacturing expertise, and we’re thrilled to be a part of this milestone achievement in EOS’ historical past.”

One other month, one other SPAC

December additionally noticed industrial 3D printer producer Essentium change into the newest to affix within the SPAC (Particular Goal Acquisition Firm) growth that has taken maintain of the 3D printing trade this 12 months. Essentium plans to go public on the Nasdaq below the ticker ‘ADTV’ by merging with SPAC Atlantic Coastal Acquisition.

Anticipated to be accomplished by the top of Q1 2022, the deal will see the companies mix right into a three way partnership value an estimated $974 million, and can elevate a projected $346 million to fund the enterprise’s natural progress. 

“We consider that following this transaction, Essentium will likely be extraordinarily well-positioned for speedy progress because it additional expands its ecosystem choices, capitalizes on its line-of-sight gross sales pipeline, and executes on its M&A method because it continues to advance AM as a public firm,” mentioned Tony Eisenberg, CSO of Atlantic Coastal Acquisition. 

Desktop Steel vs SprintRay

In the meantime, industrial 3D printer producer Desktop Steel was granted a preliminary injunction by a court docket in Germany that forestalls SprintRay from promoting its dental methods there. Desktop Steel alleges that the expertise leveraged by SprintRay’s Professional 95 and Professional 55 machines infringes upon patents protecting the ‘layer separation course of’ of its subsidiary EnvisionTEC.

On account of the ruling, SprintRay is now prohibited from promoting, importing, utilizing, or storing any product in Germany that’s discovered to violate these patents. SprintRay is but to remark publicly on the ruling. 

3D printed ‘meat’ wins Marco Pierre White’s seal of approval

Redefine Meat, a meals 3D printing agency creating animal-free meat, revealed it had obtained glowing reward from prime European cooks for its New-Meat vary of plant-based 3D printed meat merchandise, made commercially out there to high-end eating places in December. 

The roll-out reportedly marks the primary time high-end eating places will provide plant-based complete cuts as a part of their menus, backed by main cooks together with British chef and restaurateur Marco Pierre White and Michelin-starred Dutch chef Ron Blaauw.

Pierre White mentioned he was “mind-blown” by the corporate’s New-Meat providing, including: “Redefine Meat’s New-Meat merchandise are pure genius, supplying you with all of the sustainability and well being advantages of plant-based, with out the compromise on style and texture.”

Controversial suicide capsule legalized

December additionally noticed a 3D printed pod that enables customers to climb inside and take their very own lives given authorized clearance in Switzerland. Named Sarcophagus, or ‘Sarco’ for brief, the controversial euthanasia system is made up of a coffin-like 3D printed capsule mounted onto a stand that releases nitrogen and permits for suicide through inert fuel asphyxiation.

Having been round since 2018, the system’s creator Dr. Philip Nitschke, nicknamed “Dr Demise” by a few of his critics, now says there are “no authorized points in any respect” with placing it into apply from as quickly as subsequent 12 months.

3D printed battery manufacturing begins

Elsewhere, Blackstone Sources, a Swiss funding agency targeted on battery expertise, introduced collection manufacturing of its 3D printed battery cells had commenced at its manufacturing plant in Döbeln, Germany. Having spent the final two years creating and refining its lithium-ion battery 3D printing expertise, the corporate has now launched its first large-scale manufacturing facility and expects to achieve its 500MWh annual manufacturing capability goal by the top of subsequent 12 months.

Going forwards, the agency’s long-term objective is to provide battery cells each second, beginning with the enlargement of its workforce from 14 to 38 workers within the subsequent 12 months. 

“The imaginative and prescient – with a single machine park, we print cells in numerous shapes, completely different electrodes, and electrolyte supplies rapidly and cost-effectively on a big scale,” mentioned Holger Gritzka, Managing Director of Blackstone Know-how, the agency’s analysis, and improvement subsidiary.

Advances in medical 3D printing

December 2021 noticed a large number of 3D printing-related medical bulletins and developments make the headlines. 

First up, pharmaceutical 3D printing specialist FabRx, College School London, and Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (USC) developed a novel 3D printed system able to eradicating medicine from water. The system may assist to deal with the worldwide situation of infiltration of pharmaceutical medicine into environmental water provides, which might have big impacts on each ecological equilibrium and human well being.

In the meantime, Prodways was awarded a contract that might see its machines produce as much as 1,000,000 dental aligners per 12 months. The ‘main industrial mission’ is a part of an initiative by a ‘world-leading medical and dental distributor’, for which Prodways will ship eight of its MOVINGLight 3D printers and associated supplies to a number of websites throughout the US. 

Over the following 18 months, the set up base may develop to as many as 20 machines, offering Prodways with its largest mission thus far and a recurring income for years to return. 

Elsewhere, December noticed Well being Canada approve its first Canadian-made 3D printed medical implant, a customizable mandibular plate to be used in facial reconstruction surgical procedure. The implant was developed by the 3D Anatomical Development Laboratory (LARA 3D), which obtained ISO 13485 certification in April, and known as the Specifit 3D mandibular plate. The approval allows surgeons to make use of the implant, along with two surgical reducing and drilling guides, to deal with sufferers with better customization. 

Shifting onto {hardware}, 3D printer producers CELLINK and Nanoscribe, that are each sister corporations below the BICO banner, introduced their new jointly-developed Quantum X Bio 3D printing system in December. The machine combines CELLINK’s bioprinting capabilities with Nanoscribe’s Two-Photon Polymerization (2PP) expertise to ship the “world’s most correct 3D bioprinter”, in keeping with the companies. 

Designed to miniaturize bioprinting, the Quantum X Bio is aimed toward analysis establishments and R&D groups all for superior biomedical purposes like tissue engineering, mechanobiology, and regenerative medication.

One other “world-first” declare got here from South Korean-based photopolymer resin producer Graphy, who unveiled what it says is the first direct 3D printed aligner that encompasses a form reminiscence perform. The aligner is reportedly the one one presently in the marketplace that has this function, which is slated to speed up the therapy course of for sufferers and take away the necessity for alternative aligners.

The aligner is 3D printed with Graphy’s Tera Harz photocurable resin, which is engineered with two carbon backbones to permit the fabric’s molecular formulation to be intently managed and customised to particular buyer necessities. If deformed or stretched, the aligner’s form could be restored when it comes into contact with sizzling water.

Lastly, December noticed the US Meals and Drug Adminstration (FDA) situation a public name for remark on a future-proof regulatory framework it’s devising to make sure the standard of 3D printed medical units. The FDA doc outlines how point-of-care 3D printing is ruled, recognized challenges to its end-use, and gives a revised potential ruleset. With the discharge of the paper, the FDA can be requesting suggestions from the medical 3D printing trade that can assist to tell future regulation. 

“The 3D printing of medical units is on the forefront of innovation and well being care,” mentioned William Maisel and Ed Margerrison of the FDA’s OSEL and CDRH divisions. 

“The dialogue paper we’re sharing right this moment offers perception into our perspective of the advantages and challenges of 3D printing at hospitals and different factors of care, and presents a possible method for regulatory oversight.”

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Featured picture exhibits Sanjay Mortimer. Photograph through E3D.