In this series, we’ve seen how only a few clusters of 3D printed application implementations have been very successful. We’ve seen how often people in many business development projects stop early as soon as they’ve found a part with one or very few advantages when 3D printed. And we’ve looked in depth at the business case for orthopedics where we discover that there are numerous very important advantages in that application. Orthopedics is the most public application in which we can see evidence of stacking, a 3D printing implementation where very many advantages are stacked atop one another, reinforcing the business case.

Acetabular hip cups

The stacked advantages for 3D printed orthopedic implants include the fact that they:

1. Are cheaper than traditionally made counterparts
2. Are quicker to iterate and evaluate
3. May offer a better product/market fit
4. Play well with new software to achieve digital advantages
5. Can lead to faster development of new suites of products
6. Could result in less expensive group-specific/niche implants
7. Provide better osseointegration
8. Can approximate the modulus of bone better
9. Can reduce mass
10. Can be made to expand
11. Can demonstrate wicking and other positive features
12. Can feature internal structures adapted to better fit
13. Can lead to geometry-specific IP
14. Could be used to make patient-specific implants
15. Make optimal use of expensive materials
16. Can be industrialized (expensively)
17. Can be upgraded
18. Can simplify production
19. Fewer parts

Niche Implants

The first five advantages, covered in our previous article on the subject, mean that a company deploying 3D printing at scale could make an implant for a specific group or niche more quickly and easily. So, if a new acetabular cup had to be made for people who were very tall, 3D printed versions could fill this niche. If, for some reason, acetabular cups for small children were a kind of unique application, than it could be profitable for a firm to fill this application. Also, if a supremely specific implant needed to be developed, then a firm could pass the competition, potentially at lower cost, as well.

Osseointegration

Specifically for some implants, osseointegration (bone in-growth( is crucial. We can design and make this an osseointegrating geometry relatively inexpensively through 3D printing. Whats more, we could adapt this geometry quickly if need be. We could even change it for a patient, group of patients, condition, or stage of a disease if need be. This would be much faster because we integrate well with other digital solutions and we require no tooling. Furthermore, our process is uniquely suited to making all manner of geometries very cost effectively. Smooth sucks for us, but porosity we love.

Mimicking Bone

Implants need to be stiff and strong, but not too stiff. Ideally, implants would be made of bone itself, or at least have the same modulus of bone. In that way, there is no stress shearing where the implant wrecks tissue around it. By more closely approximating the modulus of bone, titanium implants can perform as need be and be better for you. Changing the modulus of something is easy with 3D printing and nearly impossible with other technologies. We can make lattices, porous structures, cellular structures or geometry to change properties the necessary properties.

Mass Reduction

Mass reduction or a high strength-to-weight ratio with relatively little material allows you develop small implants that can be easier to implant with less blood loss. This can be an advantage in trauma, unique surgeries and many more cases.

Expanding Parts

3D printing could be used to make structures that can be collapsed for implantation into the body that can then do service as much larger or more functional, expanded structures. I don’t know of a case for this in orthopedics, but in stents and other medical devices, this is something that is seeing a lot of thought. Generally I think that this will really matter in stents and other devices that for example can be done with laparoscopic surgery when collapsed. I’m not sure if this will play a mayor roll in orthopedics.

The Trinity PLUS 2 is a highly porous acetabular cup made with Arcam EBM by the Corin Group.

Wicking Effects

In some cases wicking effects, or structures meant to enhance blood flow to an implant, have been shown to have positive impacts. For 3D printing, such a structure or texture that promotes healthy results can be rather easy to do. Especially when cellular structures, lattices, textures or closed cells are what is needed, this is a great advantage.

Optimized Internal Geometries

In addition to external structures, 3D printing can also adapt a lot of internal geometries, as well as features like crystallinity and internal pathways for example. This kind of modification means that we can also optimize the relevant geometry on the inside of an implant for a specific task.

Geometry as IP

All of this specific geometry, whether it is on the inside or outside of an object, can be protected as IP. You may discover the optimal structure for a Ti-64 implant, which could be patented. Someone else might discover the optimal texture to promote osseointegration. This can be patented also.

Patient-Specific Implants

3D printing can also produce patient specific implants. Even though we think this is a good idea, this may needlessly add complexity or risk. Maybe going from five implant sizes to 20 would be sufficient for 98% of people, and also promote greater safety. On the whole, many believe that this is an advantage and will bring about shorter operations and better patient outcomes. The skeptics, however, are orthopedic surgeons.

Reduced Material Costs

With orthopedics, and in implants in general, the buy-to-fly ratio is important. Materials are very expensive. Also processes, process steps and time in a highly regulated environment is very expensive. Scrap is more of a sin here than elsewhere. So, using less of a material can be a real cost advantage.

EBM-fabricated Ti-6Al-4 V porous mesh pelvic girdle custom manufactured for patient specific polymer T-CAD model (a). (b) Shows the inverted Ti-alloy pelvic insert with arrow indicating attachment for acetabular prostheses for connecting the right leg. From Murr [42]. Courtesy of S.J. Li, Institute of Metal Research, Shenyang, China.

Industrializing for a Lasting Advantage

The industrialization of 3D printing is difficult and expensive. If we all use CNC, we’re all equal in that respect. With 3D printing you could out-maneuver me. What’s more, you can generate higher profitability, innovate faster, develop more process-specific IP, and generally become more competitive if you start earlier and industrialize 3D printing better or more thoroughly than me.

Quick Upgrading

Even though the idea of re-qualifying a material or going through an approval process with a new printer can make people nervous in this business, we do expect significant speed and quality improvements from 3D printing in the coming years. No one is really expecting CNC to become a step-change better.

Simplifying Production

We would also be looking at fewer production steps. Fewer tools. Less integration and different steps. We’ve concentrated our risk on 3D printing as a technology and removed other interdependencies. We would expect fewer steps to lead to an advantage in quality and in making fewer errors.

Fewer Parts

We also have fewer parts and fewer tools, which will lead to us having to keep, make, and preserve these tools less. We’d be faster and have less costs and time when developing new products.

All in all, I think you can see just how powerful stacking advantages can be. In orthopedics, it’s clear that this will bring lasting and decisive advantage to the players that adopt 3D printing. Likewise, your next 3D printing implementation should not look for a likely part but for an application where many AM advantages stack one upon the other to radically change your industry.

Siemens Digital Industries Software has partnered with Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Corporation to introduce Siemens’ Teamcenter and NX Xcelerator products as their authoring, design and management software. NX is the German tech giant’s CAD/CAM/CAE package, while Teamcenter is its product lifecycle management (PLM) platform. This is a big win for Siemens, as companies rarely if ever switch between CAD, PLM, and other core design software packages.

“Selecting NX software and the Teamcenter portfolio from Siemens’ Xcelerator portfolio for our core design and data management platforms will introduce a new working environment for our teams that will pave the way for a leap forward in future car development. This is the beginning of a huge transformation and an important point of change for Hyundai Motor Company and with Siemens as our trusted partner we will work together to achieve our goals through mutual cooperation and teamwork,” said Albert Bierman, Head of R&D Division, Hyundai Motor Company.

“Like so many of our customers, Hyundai and Kia is undergoing major transformations in its business and Siemens is honored to have been selected as a strategic partner to provide support and state of the art technologies that will help revolutionize how it develops its next generation products. The Xcelerator portfolio is delivering the tools and technologies for digital transformation that the future demands and our customers need today, so we look forward to collaborating with Hyundai and Kia on next generation Engineering and Product Data Management Systems that will speed digital transformation as we explore the future of mobility, together,” said Tony Hemmelgarn, President and Chief Executive Officer, Siemens Digital Industries Software.

The company stated that the two will work together to establish methods for considering the complete lifecycle of all vehicles, as well as the associated processes and activities. This includes production, purchase, and partner R&D. To pull it off, Siemens will be training Hyundai and Kia to effectively use Siemens software across its suppliers. Perhaps the switch to electrification would give car companies the opportunity for such a mid-stream shift to new core CAD and files management solutions.

Such switching is usually very painful for companies, employees, thousands of partners, and IT staff. Workflows, shortcuts, and processes don’t work and migration, training and implementation are very painful. So, for better or for worse, companies tend to stick with the CAD solution they chose once and then add on a smorgasbord of other mitigating solutions to that. So, when companies standardize or when they start developing products early on is usually the only time to really get involved. Here, a large twinned car company is switching to Siemens’ Digital Twin solution mid-stream. This is rare and a huge accomplishment for the company.

Siemens’ Xcelerator portfolio uses software to help companies innovate faster. (Image courtesy of Siemens)

Given the complexity and many actors in the automotive supply chain the training element alone could be gargantuan. Overall, the total support of this implementation will take a very long time. If Siemens pulls it off, however, they will have implemented its CAD solutions with a significant new client and be able to make the case for others to do so as well.

Siemens is keen to push its Digital Twin offering and the complete solution in managing files from inception to use across industrial firms. The Digital Twin is a key development that could grow out to become a completely new series of offerings, services, and functionalities that Siemens could build atop its existing offering, as well. Through the digital duplication of every part or perhaps even every input, they could track, analyze and optimize many manufacturing processes across the board. This would give manufacturing leaders more control over parts, processes and costs.

Digital Twins could, in theory, save companies considerably and may be the next frontier where the digital meets the actual world. But, even in the present world of CAD files, permissions, and collaboration being harnessed by PLM solutions like Teamcenter, there is a lot of opportunity to streamline collaboration and exchange. The task before Siemens and Hyundai and Kia is a difficult one but the rewards could be a more fluid collaboration for many decades.

Essentium is the latest firm in the 3D printing industry to announce a merger with a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) to achieve a public listing. The Austin-based startup has entered into a definitive business combination agreement with Atlantic Coastal Acquisition Corporation (NASDAQ: ACAH), with the deal expected to be completed toward the end of Q1 2022. Once the two merge, the resulting entity will still be called Essentium and will trade on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol “ADTV”.

“Essentium is transforming the future landscape of supply chains by delivering truly distributed, sustainable manufacturing and operating solutions within all contexts including the ability to operate successfully in contested logistics environments,” Blake Teipel, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Essentium, said. “Fundamental deficits in our existing global supply chain models are being exacerbated by escalating obstacles such as trade imbalances and the global pandemic – all leading to protracted distribution bottlenecks. Today’s announcement represents a major milestone in our efforts to provide long-term, sustainable solutions for a new manufacturing paradigm that can meet these global challenges head-on. Essentium’s solution deploys regional, distributed production capabilities to enable supply chain transparency, and flexible inventory management at a highly competitive TCO, all while reducing waste and supporting a limited carbon footprint through on-site printing.”

Essentium was founded in 2013, beginning with a focus on materials and improving z-axis adhesion in material extrusion technology. To overcome Z-axis weakness, Essentium’s FlashFuse process relies on electromagnetic elements to Joule heat the interfaces between layers, activating nanoparticles within the polymer filament and joining the layers together with a strong bond.

Essentium’s HSE 280i HT 3D printer. Image courtesy of Essentium.

Wishing to get onto the market sooner than was possible with this technique, the company released its high-temperature, high-speed extrusion (HSE) machines, the HSE 180 HT and HSE 280i HT, making it a fully-fledged machine manufacturer, in addition to providing software, services, and materials. Its HSE systems are described by Essentium as being five to 15 times faster than other extrusion machines, with real-time data capture. With the purchase of Collider, it has brought in-house a unique digital light processing (DLP) method for the production of injection molding-style parts, as well.

This is the just the beginning of the firm’s materials and process capabilities. In the news of its merger with Atlantic Coastal, Essentium noted that it is creating a “suite of metal-additive systems designed to offer unique metallurgies and advanced microstructures for applications with demanding structural integrity.” The firm suggests that this will allow it to gradually tackle a total address market of $318 billion.

“We launched Atlantic Coastal with an ESG-centric focus and a mandate to partner with a company that will transform the nature of international commerce, and we believe that Essentium, with its potential to change the global supply chain, is exactly that partner,” said Shahraab Ahmad, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Atlantic Coastal. “Blake and his experienced team have developed a deep technology moat, a product ecosystem validated by the DoD, and a razor/razor-blade model that delivers significant recurring revenue, supporting gross margin expansion and highly attractive unit economics.”

“We believe that following this transaction, Essentium will be extremely well-positioned for rapid growth as it further expands its ecosystem offerings, capitalizes on its line-of-sight sales pipeline, and executes on its M&A strategy as it continues to advance additive manufacturing as a public company,” said Tony Eisenberg, Chief Strategy Officer of Atlantic Coastal Acquisition Corp.

Essentium co-founder and CEO Blake Teipel. Image courtesy of Essentium.

It would be difficult to believe that Essentium could achieve such a market, if it weren’t the faith that important actors have placed in the firm. It previously received a $22 million investment from BASF, the world’s largest chemical company, and Materialise, the leading additive manufacturing (AM) service bureau and software provider. It has also worked closely with the U.S. Department of Defense, Lockheed Martin and Ford. It also has over 150 patents across polymer and metal 3D printers, processes and materials.

The complete details of the transaction can be found here. For our purposes, it’s worth quoting the information provided in Essenitum’s press release, which includes the fact that BASF is participating in the SPAC process:

“The proposed business combination values the combined company at a $974 million pro forma enterprise value, at a price of $10.00 per share and assuming no redemptions by Atlantic Coastal shareholders, offering an attractive valuation of 4.6x Essentium’s projected 2023E Revenue of $212 million. The proposed transaction is expected to deliver up to $346 million of net proceeds to the Company, assuming no redemptions and net of transaction expenses, including a fully committed common stock PIPE of over $40 million at $10.00 per share led by institutional and strategic investors including BASF, Atalaya and Apeiron. Atlantic Coastal’s management team is also contributing $20 million to the PIPE.

Existing Essentium shareholders will roll over 100% of their equity into the combined company. Following the closing of the transaction, these shareholders are expected to hold approximately 64% of the issued and outstanding shares of common stock.”

Upon merging, Essentium will maintain its current management and a Board of Directors that includes Burt Jordan, President of Atlantic Coastal Acquisition Corp. and a former executive at Ford. Slides discussing the proposed merger are available here.

In today’s 3D Printing News Briefs, BASF has made two of its Ultrafuse filaments available for the Zortrax M300 Dual 3D printer. Moving to business, a consortium led by Authentise received a grant, the US Army awarded Florida International University with $22.9 million, and Immensa finished a Series A round with $7 million. Finally, PrintLab and Autodesk have launched their second Assistive Technology Design Challenge. Read on for the details!

BASF Engineering Filaments for Zortrax M300 Dual

Apoller cover, Ultrafuse PP GF30

First up, chemical giant BASF has made two of its Ultrafuse engineering filaments available for the Zortrax M300 Dual printer. The first, Ultrafuse PP GF30, is a polypropylene material reinforced with 30% glass fiber, while the second, a 15% carbon fiber reinforced filament, is Ultrafuse PAHT CF15; both have strong abrasive properties, so a hardened steel nozzle is necessary. These filaments are both often used to make automotive components like mirror brackets, tailgates, door module assemblies, engine covers, and more, as a replacement for aluminum, so they can offer cost and weight savings. Plus, the PAHT CF15 is strong and high temperature-resistant, so it also works for aerospace and advanced robotics applications.

“Using plastic instead of metal alloys in all those applications grants more design freedom to engineers who can achieve optimal shapes and geometries. Weight savings are also crucial, especially with the recent rise of electric vehicles where relatively heavy batteries need to be compensated for by making other components lighter to increase range. All these considerations contribute to growing popularity of polymeric materials in automotive industry,” explained Michał Siemaszko, Head of Research and Development at Zortrax S.A. “In response to this growing demand, we have partnered with BASF to make their renowned Ultrafuse PP GF30 and PAHT CF15 filaments available on our Zortrax M300 Dual 3D printer.”

UKRI Grant Awarded to Consortium Led by Authentise

SAMRCD Process Flow

The UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)’s Transforming Foundation Industries’ Challenge has awarded a £1.7 million competitive grant, delivered by Innovate UK, to a consortium led by Authentise. The purpose is to develop validate new scalable digital tools that will help identify, create, and enforce rules that decrease both direct and indirect energy consumption in an effort to improve material efficiency in ceramic and metal AM. The other consortium partners in the SAMRCD (Scalable AM Rule Creation & Dissemination) project are Photocentric, which manufacturers photopolymers and LCD-based 3D printers; metal powder provider ICD Applied Technologies; the Materials Processing Institute, which provides research and innovation services to the Foundation Industries; and membership-based research and technology organization TWI. With these tools, the hope is to extend in-process control from material production to delivery by enabling users to use literature, experiments, standards, and deep learning to identify operating rules.

“Collaboration is the lynchpin for innovation across these industries, as the opportunities for mutual benefits, re-use of by-products and the exchange of knowledge and skills will be essential for ensuring their journey towards improving their efficiency and productivity to meet new market challenges,” said Bruce Adderley, director of UKRI’s Transforming Foundation Industries Challenge.

“We have seen from the quality of applications just how new technology and a commitment to combined thinking can work together to address some of the key issues affecting the sector. The development of the tools proposed within the SAMCRD project would make a profound impact in energy reduction and accelerate additive manufacturing as a viable sustainable production process as part of the UK’s manufacturing capabilities.”

US Army Awards Florida International University Five-Year Grant 

Florida International University (FIU) has received a $22.9 million, five-year grant from the US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Army Research Laboratory in order to accelerate research on AM technologies that help repair and design high-performance materials, like high deposition structural alloys, used to fabricate next-generation munitions and vehicles. This particular research is looking to advance scientific understanding of Rapid Advanced Deposition (RAD) techniques, which are useful in military field operations. By collaborating with other institutions, FIU can set up the necessary research to enable manufacturing processes and materials that will support the Army’s modernization strategy. The Florida Congressional delegation is all for defense research funding that will allow the researchers to help advance defense readiness.

“There is much potential for advancing this highly innovative technique. The research at FIU will primarily focus on the development of high-performance metallic materials, which are lightweight and of ultra-great strength, using Rapid Advanced Deposition (RAD) techniques including wire arc, solid-state cold spray and friction-stir additive manufacturing,” explained Arvind Agarwal, chair of FIU’s Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering and director of the Advanced Materials Engineering Research Institute.

Immensa Receives $7 Million in Series A Funding

In other financial news, technology startup Immensa, the first private 3D printing facility in the UAE, raised $7 million in a Series A funding round, which was structured by Gate Capital and led by Energy Capital Group (ECG) and Al Turki Ventures, with recorded participation from investors like Shoroog Partners, Venture Souq, and Green Coast Investments. Founded in 2016, the company’s Digital Inventory Service is based on a proprietary platform that offers an end-to-end solution for organizations looking to transition to virtual warehousing. Immensa is a leader in offering turnkey digital inventory solutions for the energy and utility sectors, inaugurating its third and largest regional facility in Saudi Arabia earlier this year, working to advance 3D printing across the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region, and continuing to grow its footprint and capabilities. The Kingdom is working to become a global leader in advanced technologies and smart manufacturing, and as 3D printing is expected to add at least $4.95 billion to the KSA economy within three years, this investment funding—which will be used to expand Immensa’s capabilities and turn it into a launchpad for targeting international markets—is a good sign.

“We are thrilled to have secured series A funding and plan to use the investment to realize our ambitious growth strategy,” said Fahmi Al Shawwa, Founder and CEO of Immensa. “Digitizing supply chains and adopting advanced and digital manufacturing is a key pillar for the realization of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Additive manufacturing is crucial to industrial growth, helping to boost productivity, increase efficiency, enhance product quality, and improve business continuity. Over $65 billion of spare parts in the energy and utility sectors will be sourced annually via the digital supply chain by 2030. That is an opportunity we are grasping early on, and investors are seeing the value of partnering with a leader in this underserved market.”

PrintLab & Autodesk: 2nd Assistive Technology Design Challenge

Finally, UK-based 3D printing curriculum developer PrintLab and Autodesk have launched their second annual make:able challenge for assistive technology design, which had more than 17,000 student registrations from 72 countries in the first iteration. This time, the challenge brief asks students to design and 3D print devices that improve the lives of the elderly or people with any disability, instead of just focusing on hand mobility devices. Additionally, an over-18 age category has been added for not only university students but also graduates, hobbyists, and the general public. Participants will work in teams and use the online challenge toolkit to learn about disabilities, 3D printing, and assistive technology; build technical 3D design skills in free Autodesk software; use design-thinking methods to identify opportunities and develop ideas; make, test, and refine a 3D printed product; and more.

“The quality of last year’s submissions is evidence that young people have the empathy, creativity and technical skills to expand outside of the classroom and solve real-world challenges,” stated Jason Yeung, Co-Founder of PrintLab. “This year, with the support of new resources and collaborations, we’re focusing on scale. Our aim is to scale up the number of participants, the number of open-source solutions created, and the number of end users impacted. We are extremely excited to once again facilitate and showcase the power of 3D printing for customised assistive technology.”

An expert panel will judge the entries, which must be submitted by May 1st, 2022. You can learn more about the make:able challenge here.