I’ve said it before and I’ll likely say it again: 2020 has been the WORST. Life as we know it has been completely upended since early in the year due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and while things won’t be solved the instant it becomes 2021, I think we’ll all feel a little better kicking this year to the curb. Obviously, holidays have looked a lot different for most people this year, and New Year’s Eve will be no exception. But, just like at Easter, you can use 3D printing to help ring in the new year in a fun and safe way! Here are a few suggestions:

You probably aren’t having a big party this year, because of social distancing and everything, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still decorate. I found this cute New Year Polar Bears 2021 decoration by Thingiverse user takman29, who wrote that no supports are needed for this piece, which prints in two parts.

I found some other neat decorations, such as this Happy New Year 2021 Monstera Leaf by MyMiniFactory user ksdj55, a 2021 Happy New Year decoration by Cults3D user alexlpr that lights up, and this 2021 Voronoi print by Thingiverse user Mr_3D_Printer

“The dimensions are approximately 115 x 75 x 15 mm. This is a great piece of decoration to have around the house! Scale bigger to make an even greater display or as you choose,” he wrote.

“I recommend printing this in the laying down position as in the STL file so there is no need for supports but you are able to print in the upright position as well with supports.”

Tradition says it’s bad luck to take down your Christmas decorations before January 6th, so there are plenty of fun 3D printable ornaments to make if you want to decorate your tree for New Year’s Eve. This one, by MyMiniFactory user FacFox3d, says Cheer Up 2021, and prints without supports. Thingiverse user shura2000 also shared this set of 2021 ornaments, which don’t need a raft but do require supports, and were printed with 25% infill, at 0.16 resolution, out of black TPU material.

These Star Wars Hope ornaments by Thingiverse user KS13 make me laugh, which is likely the intention. It’s even written in the notes for how to print these: “A little optimism for 2021.” Tinkercad and Selva 3D were used to design Princess Leia and R2D2, and the ornaments were printed with no rafts or supports, with 100% infill, at 0.15 resolution, out of PLA filament.

This Happy New Year! model by Cults3D user gzumwalt is really cool: designed using Sketchup 8 and printed out of PLA using Makerware 2.3.3.42 “Standard” settings, you can have fun hand cranking this model all night. It’s noted in the description that some sanding, scraping, filing, gluing, and other various post-processing steps will likely be required.

“All parts slide together except the letters, which were attached using cyanoacrylate in a somewhat haphazard fashion. In any case, make sure the word “Year!” clears the bottom of the cam stroke!”

If you’re looking for a generic decoration that you can use next year too, Cults3D user BUGMAN_140 has you covered with this simple Happy New Year Sign. MyMiniFactory user CheesmondN shared this beautiful New Year Silhouette Art, which she says is an easy print with no supports needed. However, this next one looks difficult, as Cults3D user MR_PRINTER_BOT says his Text Flip – Happy New Year 2021 print is really a job for the experts. If you look at it one way, the model says Happy New Year in script, but if you flip it over, it turns into 2021, which is pretty cool.

In the Chinese Zodiac calendar, 2021 is the Year of the Ox, though technically the Chinese New Year won’t occur until February 12th. But you can get ready in advance with some fun 3D printed ox models, like this New year symbol 4 by Thingiverse user shura2000. Keeping in line with the theme of 2020, the same user also shared Masked new year symbol 5, which features an ox wearing a mask that AMAZINGLY covers both its nose and its mouth!

Finally, everyone loves a good 3D printed gimbal decoration, and I found a few choices. There’s the more traditional version, like this 2021 Gimball (remix) newyear print by Thingiverse user mmroos1983, which was printed with 25% infill, at 0.2 resolution, out of PLA with no rafts or supports. But my favorite is 2021 GIMBAL (VACCINE YEAR) by another Thingiverse user, ali55. Printed out of PLA with 25% infill, at 0.3 resolution, and again no supports or rafts, this gimbal decoration has changed the ‘1’ in 2021 to a vaccine-filled syringe; a very fitting image for the new year.

You don’t want to celebrate New Year’s Eve without some tasty snacks, so if you have some food-safe filament, you can 3D print some festive cookie cutters, like these Season’s cookie cutters by Thingiverse user CostasBissas, or this CHAMPAGNE GLASS COOKIE CUTTER FOR NEW YEAR by Cults3D user RAGKOV, which even includes a tasty-sounding recipe for butter cookies. Wash down your sweets with a holiday beverage, topped off with 2021 Party by yourself Picks and Swizzle Sticks by Thingiverse user barb_3dprintny…an easy PETG print, with 25% infill, at 0.2-0.4 resolution.

“The swizzle sticks come in 2 different sizes for tall and short drinks. The toothpicks are also in two sizes. The longer ones you can use for cocktail garnishes (olives, fruit). PETG is theoretically food safe although some argue that bacteria could grow in the layers.”

To look the part, you’ll want a snazzy pair of 3D printed 2021 glasses, like these 2021 Shutter Shades from Thingiverse user grajohnt, GLASSES 2021 by Cults3D user CATF3D, or these 2021 New Year party glasses by Thingiverse user OmoshiRoy, printed out of PLA.

“Lets celebrate the end of this bad year! (while keeping social distance of course).

“Snap-on hinges. I make mine with 0,1mm layer height and 100% infill. At least 0,1mm LH those layers the hinge part if you use adaptive slicing. No raft, no support.”

For some extra style, you can rock a pair of 3D printed 2021 Earrings, by Thingiverse user alorimer, or a 3D printed Bow tie by MyMiniFactory user Ravn, which prints without supports using “polyalchemy elixir which gives it a silky look.”

“You need to print the front and back pieces, and afterwards glue the two parts together, at last you thread a strap throug the clip on the back. You can use an elastic strap, for a snug fit.”

Count down to the end of 2020, and the beginning of 2021, with this awesome New Years Eve Clock – 3D printed champagne hands by MyMiniFactory user v1bennett. It’s based on IKEA’s STOMMA clock, and prints quickly with no supports. Finally, ring in the new year with this Cults3D NYE BALL DROP, a working, scale replica of the Time Square Ball, illuminated with NeoPixel LEDs, by Adafruit. Be forewarned, this project will definitely take some time, but looks to be totally worth it.

From everyone here at 3DPrint.com, have a safe and happy New Year’s Eve, and good riddance to 2020!

In a year dominated by the coronavirus pandemic, it seems difficult to look beyond the outbreak, lockdown measures, and serious consequences to the global economy. Time Magazine even declared 2020 “The Worst Year Ever” on the cover of its December 5 weekly issue. If anything, the global outbreak of COVID-19 and the containment measures deployed by governments had serious consequences. However, amid a tumultuous year that left entire industries looking for disruptive ways to regain momentum and engage operations, one sector rebounded faster than expected. Space companies and startups not only survived the pandemic but saw some of the biggest space missions in years. Moreover, for the expanding space 3D printing market, this meant more additively manufactured parts, machines, and materials leveraging space technology.

Space industry stories published on 3DPrint.com during 2020 reveal one of the most innovative years in the last decade, in line with plans for upcoming space exploration missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. Coming to the end of 2020, we picked ten stories that highlight some of the most important advances in the industry going forward.

Made In Space’s First Ceramics 3D Printing In-Orbit

Space-based manufacturing company Made In Space (MIS), now a part of commercial space roll up Redwire, was the first company to successfully manufacture an object in an off-Earth environment. After launching two 3D printers, a commercial recycler, and an optical ZBLAN fiber payload to the International Space Station (ISS), MIS sent the first ceramic manufacturing facility to orbit on September 29, 2020. Just three months later, the first set of ceramic components was 3D printed.

The Ceramics Manufacturing Module (CMM) demonstrates the viability of manufacturing with pre-ceramic resins in a stereolithography (SLA) environment. It is also a significant milestone for manufacturing in an orbital microgravity environment that could enable temperature-resistant, reinforced ceramic parts with better performance due to a reduction in defects caused by gravity, such as sedimentation and composition gradients that occur in terrestrial manufacturing.

Internal projection of a bladed disk (“blisk”) to be printed by Made In Space’s Ceramic Manufacturing Module.
Image courtesy of Redwire

NASA Advances Novel AM Technique to 3D Print Rocket Engine Parts

On September 11, 2020, we learned that NASA engineers are pioneering methods to print the rocket parts that could power journeys to the Moon and, later on, to Mars, as part of NASA’s Artemis program. As part of the space agency’s Rapid Analysis and Manufacturing Propulsion Technology (RAMPT) project, AM experts are advancing the development of a technique to 3D print rocket engine parts using metal powder and lasers. The method, called blown powder directed energy deposition, could bring down costs and lead times for producing large, complex engine components like nozzles and combustion chambers, and provides large-scale capabilities that prior developments in AM lacked.

Furthermore, NASA’s Space Launch System program is investing in RAMPT’s blown powder directed energy deposition fabrication process with the goal of certifying it for spaceflight. Together with RAMPT, the team is using the technique to build and evaluate a channel-cooled nozzle that is up to five feet in diameter and almost seven feet tall.

Blown powder directed energy deposition can produce large structures, like these engine nozzles, cheaper and quicker than traditional fabrication techniques. Image courtesy of NASA

Blue Origin’s 3D Printed BE-7 Engine Can Land on Moon

After the successful completion of Blue Origin’s fourth BE-7 engine testing at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center on December 4, 2020, company founder Jeff Bezos was quick to announce on social media that his company’s 3D printed engine will not only power the Blue Origin-led National Team Human Landing System (HLS) lunar lander in support of NASA’s Artemis program, but it will be the one taking the first woman to the Moon.

The BE-7 is the latest high-performance engine in the Blue Origin family. A high-performance, additively manufactured liquid oxygen/liquid hydrogen lunar landing engine with 10,000 pound-force (lbf) of thrust – throttling down to 2,000 lbf of thrust for a precise landing on the Moon. As part of a series of validation tests, the latest thrust chamber test measured its ability to extract energy out of the hydrogen and oxygen cooled combustor segments that power the engine’s turbopumps – the key to achieving high engine performance.

Indian Space Startup Unveils Fully 3D Printed Cryogenic Rocket Engine

In October 2020, Indian space tech startup Skyroot Aerospace unveiled a fully 3D printed cryogenic engine that is meant to fuel the upper stage of the Vikram-II rockets, the startup’s heavier lift launch systems. Called Dhawan-1, the rocket engine is considered India’s first privately developed indigenous fully cryogenic rocket engine that runs on propellants, like liquid natural gas (LNG) and liquid oxygen (LoX).

The news came three months after the Union Cabinet led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi took the decision to open up the space sector and enable the participation of the Indian private sector in the entire gamut of space activities. Modi believes that India’s space sector will gain worldwide fame just like it’s IT industry did some 10 years ago. A fast-growing economy, like India, could quickly become one of the key players in the space commercialization race, slated to revolutionize the off-planet economy.

Skyroot Aerospace is building access to space for India. Image courtesy of Skyroot Aerospace.

Rocket Lab Successfully Recovers Booster for First Time

New Zealand–based launch service provider Rocket Lab successfully recovered the first stage of its Electron launch vehicle for the first time. Developing reusable rocket technology is among the priorities of space companies, making access to space easier, faster, and more cost-effective. The startup, which uses 3D printing for its rockets’ primary components, launched its 16th Electron mission on November 19, 2020, and its largest satellite payload to date on a single trip. Just a few hours later, it recovered the first of its two-stage rocket after a controlled splashdown on the Pacific Ocean. The stage not only survived the trip from space in very good shape, but the feat means the company is on track to reusable 3D printed rockets, so it’s onto the next one. In early 2021, Rocket Lab will launch another recovery mission, opening up a new era of possibility for satellites in orbit.

Rocket Lab recovered the first stage of its Electron booster for the first time ever during the “Return to Sender” mission. Image courtesy of Rocket Lab via Twitter

China Launches Rocket to Mars with 50 3D Printed Parts

Taking the first step in its planetary exploration of the solar system, China sent a Long March 5-rocket to Mars on July 23, 2020. Not only is this its first launch vehicle designed from the ground up to focus on non-hypergolic liquid rocket propellants, but it also incorporates additively manufactured parts. Local 3D printing system supplier Farsoon Technologies used a laser sintering platform and high-performance polymer powder material to produce 50 parts for the rocket’s static firing skirt, which provides a temporary structural medium between the stage and the aft support ring to protect the unlocking device. Continuous operation of the machine helped accelerate production and reduce manufacturing costs for the high-quality functional final static firing skirt, which was composed of 50 separate 3D printed pieces measuring 370 x 100 x 125 mm each, and produced in just 48 hours, as stated by Farsoon. Once assembled, the pieces made up a cylinder structure measuring 5,000 mm in diameter.

3D printed static firing skirt parts for China’s Long March-5 rocket. Image courtesy of Farsoon Technologies

First Rocket Launch from UK Soil Features 3D Printed Engine

Orbital launch service provider Orbex will be the first company to launch its rocket into orbit at the recently approved Space Hub on Scotland’s northern coast, as early as 2022. On June 26, 2020, the UK-based company announced that the go-ahead for Space Hub Sutherland coincided with a period of intensive work at Orbex, as design and development work continued throughout the pandemic. Orbex’s innovative space vehicle was conceived and developed as an environmentally sustainable launch system that will use the world’s largest 3D printed rocket engine. Uniquely manufactured in a single piece without joints, seams, or welds, the complex part is expected to withstand extreme temperature and pressure fluctuations while traveling to orbit.

Orbex’s 3D printed rocket engine. Image courtesy of Orbex

Aerojet Rocketdyne to Make More Rocket Engines with 3D Printed Parts for NASA

As part of a years-long working relationship with NASA, Aerojet Rocketdyne of Sacramento, California, will be building a total of 24 RS-25 rocket engines to support as many as six Space Launch System flights for a total contract value of almost $3.5 billion. Originally slated to produce six new RS-25 engines, the company was awarded in June 2020 a $1.79 billion contract modification to build 18 additional RS-25 rocket engines to support future deep space exploration missions. According to the company, these new engines are an upgrade from the Space Shuttle engines, which were considered among the most reliable ever made. The AM team at Aerojet is using GE Concept Laser and EOS machines for its selective laser melting requirements, and superalloys, mostly nickel-based for the engine parts being 3D printed. Aerojet Rocketdyne may be acquired by Lockheed Martin, making this a big program for the world’s largest defense contractor, as well.

Three RS-25 engines are inspected at Aerojet Rocketdyne’s facility located at NASA’s Stennis Space Center in Mississippi (Credit: Aerojet Rocketdyne)

New Material Will Be Tested for 3D Printing Moon Structures

To the Moon we go in 2024. At least that is the plan set by NASA as part of the Artemis program to send the first woman and next man to the lunar surface in what will be the first landing with humans since 1972. To develop an Artemis Base Camp for long term exploration, new capabilities will be needed to redefine building constructions on the surface of the Moon. In order to mature new planetary construction technologies, NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida has teamed up with architectural and construction technology company and winner of NASA’s 3D Printed Habitat Challenge, AI SpaceFactory.

The partnership will lead to the development of a new 3D printing material that uses simulated lunar regolith, which mimics the crushed rock and dust covering the Moon’s surface. AI SpaceFactory and NASA will then use the material to 3D print a test structure in a vacuum chamber simulating environmental conditions on the Moon. The research will help inform how to build structures on other worlds, using technology that relies on in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) to make space exploration more affordable.

Team AI SpaceFactory of New York in NASA’s 3D-Printed Habitat Challenge. Image courtesy of NASA

NASA’s 3D Printed Rocket Engine Parts Survive 23 Hot-Fire Tests

Through a series of hot-fire tests in November, NASA demonstrated that two additively manufactured engine components – a copper alloy combustion chamber and nozzle made of high-strength hydrogen resistant alloy – could withstand the same extreme combustion environments that traditionally manufactured metal structures experience in flight. The agency described that these hot-fire tests are a critical step in preparing the hardware for use in future Moon and Mars missions. The ten-day hot-fire tests for a total duration of 280 seconds were a part of NASA’s Long-Life Additive Manufacturing Assembly (LLAMA) project, which aims to enable these 3D printed parts – along with other additively manufactured hardware – for use on future lunar landers.

Hot-fire testing of an additively manufactured copper alloy combustion chamber and a nozzle made of a high-strength hydrogen resistant alloy. Image courtesy of NASA

WASHINGTON, DC — Postmaster General and CEO Louis DeJoy issued the following statement today:

“On behalf of the 644,000 men and women of the Postal Service, I want to thank Congress and the Administration for recognizing both the essential role we play in serving the nation and the impact of COVID-19 on our operations. We will continue to work with Secretary Mnuchin and the Treasury Department to execute on converting the $10 billion borrowing authority to funding that we need as a result of the pandemic for operating expenses.”

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WASHINGTON, DC — The U.S. Postal Service recognizes the unique needs and challenges of business customers. Every dollar counts. In appreciation, new changes will be implemented Jan. 1 in the USPS Loyalty Program to enable small businesses to grow faster.

The USPS Loyalty Program provides savings to businesses and enables ongoing growth. Registered business users of the Click-N-Ship feature on usps.com can earn credits from purchases of Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express products. The credits can then be used toward future purchases of these products.

Loyalty Tiers will be added based on a business customer’s qualifying shipping totals from the previous calendar year. A higher tier will equal a larger benefit. There is no limit to the amount of credit that can be earned.

Existing USPS business customers are automatically enrolled in the Loyalty Program at the Base Loyalty tier, earning $40 of credit for each $500 spent in qualifying Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express products.

Silver tier is reached when a business user reaches $10,000 worth of purchases of Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express labels in the prior calendar year. Silver tier businesses earn $50 of credit for each $500 spent.

Gold tier business users will have access to Commercial Base Pricing, with up to 20 percent savings on Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express shipments. Gold tier status is achieved with $20,000 purchased on Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express labels in the prior calendar year.

In addition, new USPS business customers using Click-N-Ship are eligible for a one-time $40 Welcome Bonus credit upon shipping at least $500 combined at Priority Mail Express Retail and Priority Mail Retail rates.

“Earlier this year we introduced the USPS Loyalty Program to support small-business customers at a time when they needed it most,” said Mary Anderson, small-business engagement director. “We are so pleased to be enhancing the benefits for our loyal small businesses. With the start of Loyalty Tiers, as their business volumes grow, so will their program benefits.”

Visit usps.com/loyalty for more information or to register for the USPS Loyalty Program.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

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There remains only one company with 3D printed medicine that is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Aprecia became famous in 2015 when its drug Spritam crossed that regulatory hurdle. Now, the company is partnering with Battelle, a leading research non-profit, to expand its pharmaceutical 3D printing.

Aprecia established itself with the development of what it calls its ZipDose technology, a form of binder jetting that makes it possible to 3D print large batches of tablets. Like other forms of binder jetting on the market from ExOne and voxeljet, Aprecia’s process is founded on the original Zcorp binder jetting method developed out of MIT and now owned by 3D Systems.

The pharmaceutical company’s first FDA-approved drug made with ZipDose is Spritam an anti-seizure medication targeted at people with swallowing issues. The 3D printed tablets dissolve very quickly and can easily be swallowed. Aprecia licenses its technology to pharmaceutical partners in order to extend its product lines.

Battelle is a private nonprofit company named for Ohio industrialist Gordon Battelle, which was established in 1929 to perform research and development dedicated to metals and material science. Now, it works in a wide range of fields to perform R&D, as well as commercialize technology and manage the laboratories of customers. It has played an important role in a number of historical developments, including the technology behind Xerox, as well as the first nuclear fuel rods for nuclear reactors, metals related to the U.S. space program and the first jet engines, fuel for nuclear submarines, armor plating for tanks, photovoltaic cells for solar panels, the first reusable insulin injection pen and more.

It would seem, then, that Aprecia is in good company as far as R&D goes. Together, the partners will advance 3D printing equipment from clinical supply to commercial scale. This will include increasing throughput and efficiency across the board.

“Aprecia’s internal equipment design team and its current technology partners have established its global leadership in 3DP commercial scale manufacturing. The Aprecia leadership team is highly optimistic about combining its years of 3DP experience with the innovation and engineering talents of Battelle,” said Aprecia CEO, Chris Gilmore. “We believe this partnership will have long-term impact on Aprecia’s ability to solve medication design challenges that will offer significant benefits to patients across multiple therapeutic categories.”

The 3D printed dissolvable version of levetiracetam called Spritam.

Though Aprecia is remarkable in creating the first and, so far, only FDA-approved drug made with 3D printing, the field of pharmaceutical 3D printing has barely scratched the surface of what is possible. Outside of the development of more medications for people suffering from swallowing difficulties, it is hoped that 3D printed medicine will be tailored to individual patients based on such variables as their weight and height, metabolism, diet and medical history, among other things. Some envision the possibility of local drug dispensers that 3D print medications on demand. Beyond this, researchers are even exploring new methods of drug delivery via nanobots and other technologies.

In other words, the days of 3D printing medications are just beginning and, with Aprecia and Battelle working in tandem, the pace may be about to pick up.

2020 has been a really tough year…I know this is a major understatement, but I can’t think of a more succinct way to put it. According to the World Health Organization today, there are now over 76 million confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, the cause of the COVID-19 illness, with more than 1 million confirmed deaths.

As offices, restaurants, schools, theaters, and more closed their doors, events around the world were postponed, cancelled, or switched to a new online format. Consumers snatched up face masks, hand sanitizer, and toilet paper. Millions of people switched to a work from home (WFH) environment for the first time, if they were lucky enough to keep their jobs At the same time, we all struggled to comply with a new idea called “social distancing” and many watched helplessly as supply chains fought to keep going. But through it all, 3D printing has been a shining beacon in the dark.

As Nexa3D CEO Avi Reichental put it in an interview, “The entire industry sprang into action in the early stages of the pandemic, manufacturing everything that the traditional supply chain was unable to provide because it was complex and broken.”

JCRMRG volunteers delivering face shields to hospitals. Image courtesy of JCRMRG.

We first began reporting on COVID-related 3D printing news shortly after the crisis was officially declared a pandemic in March, and have been working to bring you the latest all year. The 3D printing industry was built on the backs of innovative makers with a sharing, can-do attitude, and while there were some issues along the way, as many had to relearn the important phrase “first do no harm” and make sure what they were making was safe and by the books, I’d say that the overall response from the AM world has been a positive one. Read on to see what we thought were some of 2020’s most important COVID-related 3D printing stories!

PPE: FACE MASKS AND SHIELDS

A 3D printed face mask made by LMD Innovation using LUVOSINT TPU. Image courtesy of LEHVOSS Group.

We’ll start with the obvious: personal protective equipment, or PPE, which includes protective clothing, goggles, helmets, and other garments or equipment that are designed to protect the wearer’s body from injury or infection, such as face masks…so long as they’re made properly, of course. This summer, the United States Department of Commerce’s National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST), granted $1.4 million to America Makes to use for making 3D printed PPE. German firm LMD Innovation GmbH made 3D printed protective face masks using the LEHVOSS Group‘s LUVOSINT TPU material, which meets Europe’s FFP2 and FFP3 filtering standards; these masks can also be cleaned in the dishwasher! LEHVOSS Group also worked with Farsoon and the Huaxiang Group to develop optimize, and validate 3D printed weight-optimized goggles, which feature acrylic lenses coated with anti-fogging material and help protect the highly exposed mucous membrane of the eyes of medical staff. Many companies, including Essentium, BEGO, and Solvay, and Forecast 3D, Ricoh, and Fast Radius, are using 3D printing to make face masks and face shields.

The Pneumask project, developed by researchers from several universities, is an interesting one. The team figured out how to convert a full-face snorkel mask into a N95-style face mask, using a 3D printed adapter to attach a filter to the snorkel. Italian company ISINNOVA developed a new continuous positive airways pressure (CPAP) mask design, replacing the respiratory tube with a plastic support that works with medical oxygen supply pipes. It’s basically a snorkeling face mask that uses two 3D printed connectors to convert into a CPAP design. In an effort to cut down on the enormous amount of medical waste being generated, ExOne worked with the University of Pittsburgh to develop autoclavable, 3D printed reusable metal filters for filtration masks and other equipment, and Materialise created a bracket that shapes an ill-fitting N95 or FFP2 mask to a person’s facial contours so it can be used comfortably, instead of being discarded.

VENTILATORS, ADAPTERS, RESPIRATORS

A batch of 3D printed Venturi valves requested by the hospital in Italy. Image courtesy of Isinnova.

Another major 3D printing application for COVID-19 has been ventilators, respirators, and assorted adapters. Medtronic released the design specifications for its $8,000 PB560 ventilator system, and as of April, had increased ventilator production in Ireland by 40%.  The 3D Design and Innovation division at Northwell Health, New York State’s largest health care provider, developed a method for converting common BiPAP (bi-level positive airway pressure) machines into functional mechanical ventilators, using 3D printed adapters; this one was approved by the FDA for emergency use, while many others developed by non-medical professionals have not been, and could even be dangerous. Additionally, Materialise created a positive end expiratory pressure, or PEEP, mask, which provides emergency breathing assistance so true ventilators can be used by truly critical patients. One of the biggest stories of the year was certainly ISINNOVA’s reverse-engineered venturi valves in Italy, which are an important component in non-invasive oxygen therapy using venturi masks; Isinnova and Lonati SpA used 3D printing to replicate traditionally made valves.

Oregon Health and Science University trauma surgeon Albert Chi worked with 3D printed prosthetics company Limbitless Solutions to create a ventilator, featuring 3D printed parts, that does not require electricity, instead using airflow from an oxygen tank. The Leitat1 bag valve mask (BVM), an emergency respirator with 3D printed parts created by a consortium of Spanish companies, can be used as an auxiliary device for use when long-term respirator systems are unavailable. This spring, the BVM was successfully used in the field with ICU patients in Catalonia’s Hospital Parc Taulí. Additionally, the University of Michigan and Michigan Medicine designed a 3D printable, personalized splitting device, which can tailor air pressure to several patients from a single ventilator unit.

NASAL SWABS, TEST STICKS, ANTIBODY DETECTION

A batch of nasal swabs being 3D printed using Carbon equipment. Image courtesy of Carbon.

3D printed nasal swabs, or nasopharyngeal swabs, is a way to collect clinical test samples of nasal secretions from the back of a person’s nose and throat. These were once a fairly niche product, but thanks to COVID-19 testing, the application is exploding. Big companies like Formlabs, HP, EnvisionTEC, and Carbon have all been printing these swabs, and a research team from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) completed a clinical trial this spring and found four novel prototypes of 3D printed swabs that can be used for COVID testing. Three Dutch businesses banded together to make, package and sterilize 3D printed COVID-19 test strips in just two weeks, which were validated by RIVM, a member of the diagnostics task force. DEAM organized the supply chain, Almed packed the swabs, and Oceanz printed the sticks according to ISO 13485 guidelines. But what I found most interesting in this category was the work conducted by a multidisciplinary team of researchers from Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), the University of Pittsburgh, and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC). The team used Optomec’s Aerosol Jet technology to 3D print inexpensive sensors that can identify COVID-19 antibodies in about ten seconds.

MATERIALS RESEARCH

A door handle printed using SPEE3D’s ACTIVAT3D copper. Image courtesy of SPEE3D.

Plenty of COVID-related research was also aimed at 3D printing materials this year. Australian startup SPEE3D modified its kinetic 3D SP3D printing method so it could fabricate antimicrobial copper onto existing metal surfaces, as the material kills 96% of SARS-CoV-2 germs on contact in just two hours. According to studies by accredited medical lab 360Biolabs, SPEE3D’s ACTIVAT3D copper was able to kill 96% of the virus in two hours and 99.2% of the virus in 5 hours…much better than stainless steel, which had no effect. The company is looking into coating existing metal substrates, like door handles and rails, with copper, since it’s impossible to achieve continuous disinfection of these common surfaces, and Copper3D in Chile has been developing ventilator splitters and face masks from its copper filament.

Several European partners worked to use 3D printing, in a project called NESSIE, to develop less expensive vaccines using high resolution ceramic 3D printing by Lithoz to produce chromatographic columns purifying adenoviruses, which can be used as vectors to deliver vaccine antigens or genes. Additionally, two University of Nebraska at Omaha researchers investigated 3D printing with antimicrobial polymers, and determined that it was indeed a viable application with the next few years.

BIOPRINTING TO COMBAT COVID-19

Bioprinting is also useful in COVID-19 pandemic research. Life sciences company Cellink received an order for healthcare consumables this spring from the Swedish government, and adjusted parts of its production to help by making hand sanitizer and test equipment, like a quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) instrument that can quantify and genotype human viral pathogens, such as SARS-CoV-2. Viscient Biosciences began 3D printing lung tissue for viral infectivity research to help with the global effort of fighting the novel coronavirus. South Korean bioengineering startup CLECELL is working to change the framework behind vaccine testing with its 3D printed respiratory epithelium model: this model is expected to become a testbed for researching the mechanisms of several viruses, including SARS-Cov-2.

TissueLabs created MatriWell, a new platform for the in vitro study of SARS-CoV-2 in the lung epithelium, which has the important job of hosting defense against microbes that pass through and reach conducting airways and gas-exchange parenchyma. MatriWell was designed to fabricate 3D epithelial barriers in vitro. Finally, bioprinting firm Prellis Biologics has been researching the use of bioprinted lymph nodes to produce SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. The goal would be to procure a heat-killed virus, spend a month 3D printing human lymph nodes and inoculating it, screening for antibodies and sequencing them, before finding a research center that can “gest for viral neutralization and binding affinity of a given antibody” before a partner company can mass produce the antibodies.

NETWORKS, OUTREACH, AND PARTNERSHIPS

Image courtesy of HP

Of course, there’s been plenty of important work to do during the pandemic that doesn’t require bioprinting research or going into the trenches to make respirators. Right at the beginning, HP and its digital manufacturing community mobilized their collective 3D printing experience, capacity, technology, and teams to help find solutions in the fight against COVID-19, 3D printing and delivering many critical parts to help support the global health community. 3YOURMIND set up a dedicated order management platform to organize production and distribution of 3D printed supplies and parts to the hospitals and clinics where they were most needed to fight COVID-19, and DSM launched the UNITE4COVID platform to connect healthcare providers and medical professionals to manufacturers that can supply PPE.

Both Dassault Systèmes and MatterHackers set themselves up as places to share design and production solutions for necessary medical parts and devices, or connect those who need parts manufactured to those who can 3D print them. While we couldn’t be too sure about their motives, several large corporations did partner with smaller operations to offer much-needed help during the COVID crisis, and we even saw some government bodies incorporate 3D printing into their pandemic relief efforts.

NOVEL PRODUCTS

We even saw some novel 3D printed products that can help in smaller, but still important, ways during the seemingly endless pandemic. For example, Materialise created a 3D printed door opener so people don’t have to spread their germs all over the handle, and 3D LifePrints UK created several helpful items, like the “Distancer,” which makes it possible for healthcare professionals to open a door, or even swipe an ID card, without touching potentially contaminated surfaces. Swiss creative agency Atoll partnered with Pragma Engineering and Rapid Manufacturing, to design a nifty 3D printable device that can be used to more safely remove protective gloves.

While some mistakes were made in 2020, we as an industry learned a lot, and the performance of 3D printing during the COVID-19 pandemic has shown that the technology definitely has long-term value.

Looking back on 2020, it seems this unprecedented and tumultuous year has dealt a severe blow to businesses in every corner of the world. Even entire industries had to adapt to survive. Many were downright destroyed, like the travel and personal service sector. But, if there is a silver lining at this point, it could be that the pandemic forced companies to urgently leverage new technologies and adjust supply chains. The digital technology revolution is changing businesses by accelerating the shift toward advanced manufacturing technologies, like 3D printing. This year we have witnessed several 3D printing companies expand through mergers and acquisitions, big IPOs, and by engaging investors to raise funding. As we get ready for 2021, let’s review some of the biggest business deals in the 3D printing industry.

3D Printing Unicorn Desktop Metal Goes Public

3D printing company Desktop Metal resides in the elite world of unicorn startups, a rare class of 452 private businesses valued at more than $1 billion. Just three years after coming out of stealth mode, it managed to raise over $438 million in funding, becoming one of the fastest companies in U.S. history to achieve unicorn status. In 2020, the startup began publicly trading on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the stock ticker “DM”, following a reverse merger deal with blank check company Trine Acquisitions.

Desktop Metal offers one of the fastest metal 3D printing technologies in the market at up to 100 times the speed of legacy systems, according to the company. Following the merger, Desktop Metal has $580 million in capital at its disposal, a mixture of cash from Trine’s trust accounts and from private investment in public equity (PIPE). Desktop Metal is already expanding its production system lineup with a new printer designed to bridge process development and full-scale metal parts mass production.

Desktop Metal goes public at NYSE. Image courtesy of Co-founder of Construct Capital Dayna Grayson via LinkedIn

Arburg Owners Purchase German RepRap

The takeover of pioneering fused filament fabrication (FFF) startup German RepRap was officially confirmed on February 12, 2020, by the entrepreneurial families Hehl und Keinath, owners of Arburg. An almost century-old company, Arburg focuses mainly on injection molding equipment but also builds 3D printers that use a process called Arburg Plastic Freeforming (APF), which the company believes is technologically linked to the German RepRap x500pro 3D printer system. Since the acquisition, the two companies have continued their work independently, as German RepRap, with its 23 employees, maintains operations as a separate startup at its headquarters in Feldkirchen, near Munich, but have agreed to share technological resources. Furthermore, German RepRap founder Florian Bautz still remains in his role as CEO to this day.

The German RepRap family of 3D printers. Image courtesy of German RepRap

Covestro Takes Over Royal DSM 3D Printing Business

On more German acquisition news, materials company Covestro bought Royal DSM’s Resins and Functional Materials businesses, including DSM Niaga, DSM Additive Manufacturing, and the coatings activities of DSM Advanced Solar, for €1.6 billion. These businesses represented €1,012 million of the global science-based company’s 2019 total annual net sales and €133 million of DSM’s 2019 total EBITDA. The combination of DSM and Covestro is expected to create a business of enhanced scale and technological capability that will benefit existing and potential customers with a stronger growth platform. DSM Additive Manufacturing had only recently acquired Clariant’s 3D printing business, so this marks a surprising turn of events for the 3D printing industry, as DSM was one of the most active players in the industry. The company has an extensive portfolio of 3D printing materials for additive, including Powder Bed Fusion (PBF), Stereolithography (SLA), and FFF, and a host of new materials for AM.

3D Systems Sells Cimatron CAD/CAM Business for $65M

Global 3D solutions company 3D Systems has embarked on a plan to strengthen and reorganize its direction. Along with a new President and CEO came several announcements, like the layoff of about 20% of the workforce during the summer and a restructuring game plan. Newly appointed CEO Jeffrey Graves has suggested that companies that had acquired a great deal of businesses were undoubtedly set up for inefficiencies in their structure, and 3D Systems had over 50 companies under its umbrella when he took over.

In an attempt to “return to normalcy” – as Graves described it – 3D Systems announced in November 2020 the sale of its business Cimatron, and all its related subsidiaries, to global investment firm Battery Ventures. Cimatron is an Israeli software company that operates the Cimatron integrated CAD/CAM software for the manufacturing, toolmaking, and CNC programming applications, and the GibbsCAM CNC programming software businesses. Once the sale of its Cimatron and GibbsCAM businesses has been completed, 3D Systems will continue with its plan, next evaluating if it even needs an at-the-market equity offering program.

Local Motors Receives Investment for Autonomous 3D Printed Shuttle

Since Local Motors began series production for the latest iteration of Olli — the electric, self-driving shuttle successfully deployed in several cities around the world — Local Motors’ parent company LM Industries (LMI) says that there has been a “significant resurgence” in interest from people looking for safe, reliable transportation. In October 2020, the company announced it had received $15 million from the Mirai Creation Fund II, managed by Japanese asset management firm SPARX Group. The funds will be used to move product development along for the autonomous 3D printed Olli, as well as drive production and deployment for the shuttle, getting it to the consumers and customers looking to change up local mobility in a major way.

3D printed Olli shuttle by Local Motors. Image courtesy of Local Motors

Made In Space Acquired by New Space Company Redwire

Made In Space, a US-based company specializing in the engineering and manufacturing of 3D printers for use in microgravity was acquired by a newcomer to the space sector, Redwire. Made In Space was the first company to install a 3D printer in the International Space Station (ISS), and has since sent up four more facilities that allow customers to print objects off-Earth. Redwire’s goal fit in nicely with that of Made In Space, as the company seeks to be a leader in “mission-critical space solutions and high-reliability components for the next generation space economy.” Redwire came into the scene at just the right time, as Made In Space is exploring new projects, like Archinaut, a system meant for the additive construction of large-scale objects, such as satellites, in space, as well as in-space fiber optics pulling, material recycling, and metal 3D printing.

Nexa3D Partnered with Resellers in Five Countries

Nexa3D, which specializes in producing ultra-fast stereolithography 3D printers powered by its proprietary Lubricant Sublayer Photo-curing (LSPc) technology, is growing its reseller network. In May 2020, the company announced a reseller partnership with 3DZ Group in southern Europe, and in June it added several new global reseller partners that cover Belgium, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, North America, and South Africa. With its flagship NXE400 system, which is meant to break productivity and speed barriers at scale, Nexa3D hopes to provide recovering manufacturers a better and faster way to adapt, and remain resilient, should another worldwide crisis arise that disrupts supply chains like COVID-19 has.

After the highly anticipated 2020 Formnext Connect event, 3DPrint.com virtually caught up with Nexa3D CEO Avi Reichental, who announced the creation of a customer success center in partnership with leading German reseller Disc Direct, as well as an extended presence in Japan, the first reseller partner in Mexico and Nexa3D presence in the Chinese market coming soon.

Nexa3D NXE400. Image courtesy of Nexa3D

GoProto Buys 3D Systems’ Australian Site

Rapid manufacturing company GoProto announced the acquisition of 3D Systems’ Australian facility, which is the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region’s largest digital manufacturing service bureau, as well as the acquisition of 3D scanning and digitizing experts WYSIWYG 3D in the same region. Strategic decision-making led GoProto to acquire the 3D Systems facility, which was only commissioned two years ago and is home to an experienced operations and management team, as well as many 3D Systems production 3D printers. With these acquisitions, GoProto can now call itself the Australian market’s largest digital manufacturer. The WYSIWYG 3D acquisition, which took place in November 2020, is meant to help GoProto set up a cooperative 3D and laser scanning presence in order to grow the digital manufacturing space.

Simon Marriott, Director of GoProto (left) welcoming James Sanders, GM at 3D Systems Asia Pacific (right) and his team to the GoProto Group. Image courtesy of GoProto

Bioprinting Firm Cellink Acquired Scienion AG for €80M

Global 3D bioprinting leader Cellink acquired all the shares of German precision dispensing company Scienion AG in an €80 million deal. Through this strategic decision, Cellink hopes to expand its technology portfolio, particularly into the pharmaceutical industry and therapeutic field, as well as cater for processes from early R&D to standardized high throughput production and enhance its presence in the clinical field. The company is interested in providing the entire workflow universe that researchers demand, everything from single-cell printing solutions, all the way to printed tissue and the analysis of that tissue.

Stratasys to Acquire 3D printing Startup Origin in $100M Deal

One of the last business deals of the year came from Stratasys, the global American-Israeli 3D printing solutions provider. On December 9, 2020, the company announced it signed an agreement to acquire open SLA startup Origin, in a transaction for a total consideration of up to $100 million. The merger enables Stratasys to expand its leadership through innovation in the fast-growing mass production parts segment with a next-generation photopolymer platform.

In an interview with Origin co-founder Chris Prucha, 3DPrint.com found out that the startup-turned-subsidiary will benefit from being a part of a larger corporate entity, share corporate functions, and lean on Stratasys’s extensive reseller network. But at the same time, Origin will not be engulfed by Stratasys. The company gets to keep its headquarters in San Fransisco, instead of moving to Stratasys’ home state of Minnesota but will benefit from Stratasys’ existing channel partners to cross-sell Origin equipment.

A cut above desktop systems, the pro market was always aimed at the sophisticated designer or consumer and small businesses. Increasingly, these systems are used for production in casual, series and volume manufacturing. Through prototypes, they are continually used by businesses, as well. They are used to make molds, lost wax casts for jewelry, dental parts, and hearing aids.

Good at lots of tiny small smooth parts, these systems are finding their niche as a real productivity and manufacturing tool. At the same time, many are used by designers working from home or consumers that wish to explore more detailed, smoother prints. Custom jewelry shops and designers making small series of goods also use these systems a great deal.

Slicker in design and software than material extrusion (FFF/FDM) systems, they do appeal to a different market, but plenty of businesses run both FDM and SLA. Support removal is a chore and resin prices are elevated when compared to elevated materials, but these systems are not toys. They play a part of people’s businesses and  are judged as such. Whereas, OEMs often claim that these systems can print end-use parts, this is often not done.

On the whole, materials have improved significantly and we can get much higher HdTs and CSTs, but for real-life parts, FDM provides tougher, if uglier, components at much lower prices. Castable and dental resins have, however, really propelled this part of the market from a fun prototyping machine to an essential daily-use business tool.

Pro Systems

Market 

The market for pro systems was created by and is dominated by Formlabs. In terms of their overall user experience excellence, they lead the pack as well. An early focus on software and experience means that these systems work well and deliver on value. Other vendors may soon feel some pressure from competition from below. Meanwhile, Asiga and DWS work in their respective areas and niches. Formlabs and DWS have brought real materials innovation in this segment by releasing more functional resins.  

Sales 

There is an increasing move toward direct sales while other firms are starting to build global reseller networks. In this segment, dental offices, dental labs, jewelers and other small business users are the main customers. Systems are real business productivity tools and often used every day. Laboratory use of these systems is increasing in bioprinting applications, microfluidics, medical devices, and as a tool generally in university and research applications.

Some companies are using dozens of systems to make many tens of thousands of parts for particular niches. Often, these niches are little understood outside of the limited markets that they operate in. In other cases rather obvious for the technology, applications are being explored, such as positives for mouth guards, thermoforming inserts, dental parts, etc. Although clusterization shows great promise, production volumes are more likely achieved by a room full of standard machines. 

Systems

Reliability is very important here, as is usability. Typically a system will be used for small parts and to make them often. Software is better here and companies offer curing stations. Linear rail and ball screws are often good quality here, as are other components. Systems can work for years, but the little maintenance that there is has to be done well. 

Recommendations

Curing parts, sanding them down and removing supports is tedious and time consuming. Often the additional labor costs are not appreciated by companies using these systems for the first time. These will have to be reduced or businesses will migrate production once they grow to services who may use larger machines. Support collection and recycling systems will have to be set up at one point by someone who will be the environmental leader in an environmentally tricky market. Clusterization or how one could expand clusters of standard systems together with automation to make millions of parts cost-effectively is a possibility here. My own testing shows that you can get the accuracy of much larger systems with desktop systems. Real efforts must be made to enable clusterization in the market, however. 

Critical Issues

Safety is an issue here, as well, as stated in the desktop article. Long-term exposure to liquid resin and long-term repeated exposure to droplets hitting skin can lead to contact allergies. Liability may ensue if some resins are used in final parts or on the employee side if not enough safeguards are introduced and maintained. Some resins may be carcinogenic. Recycling is also a huge potential issue here. Maximum buildable part sizes are often very small here, as well. This is not communicated to customers and may lead to disappointment on their side. 

Recommendation for Competition

Formlabs looms large here and I would not recommend you ape them. It will be tough to beat them at their own game. An explicitly open copy of Formlabs may have success if marketed well. More fruitful will be in making printers that target specific verticals and markets. There are many markets that are criminally underexplored here and making a specific material and printer combination that, along with software, will benefit a particular vertical will be the more fruitful approach. In this segment, a kind of DIY Invisalign for orthodontists would be a much much more profitable and interesting startup to me than any OEM right now. With so many firms struggling with software, a relatively inexpensive but high-quality software package for this segment would be preferable than to being an OEM also.  

2021 Outlook

With many dental and orthodontists’ offices closed for much of last year, one would expect a certain degree of catchup in some markets. Industrial users and small-to-medium businesses will still be smarting in many cases. Generally, competitive pressures will rise as more companies join this segment and Formlabs continues to grow. This segment almost belongs to Formlabs and many expectations are that the company will continue to dominate it.

True, it is a formidable and well-capitalized competitor. Moreover, it spends its money well. I do think that competing with them is possible with well-positioned, perfect software/materials/printer combinations. On the whole at this point, however, application-specific, well-executed propositions, (in house Invisalign for your local orthodontist or custom headphones) will be a better path to an excellent business.