Interested in reading more about the biggest 3D printing news of the year? You can access our full 3D Printing Industry Review of the Year series here.
At the end of the year, the number of industry news began to decrease, but December 2022 still offers a glimpse of where the areas of opportunity for 3D printing are. Some of the developers of high-Mach speed-capable aircraft have revealed how technology has helped bring their designs to life, while medical 3D printing continues to push the boundaries of specific treatments. to the patient.
Despite the difficult macroeconomic conditions, which undermined demand and the stability of the supply chain, green branches of recovery also appeared for the most troubled companies in the sector, offering some optimism while we are heading into the new year.
For more on December’s notable developments, including MolyWorks, SLM Solutions, Autodesk, Desktop Metal, Fast Radius, Hermeus, Boom Supersonic, GE Additive, the Claudius Regaud Institute, Sculpteo, and Essentium, read on.
The 3D Printing Industry Awards are back
One of the highlights of December is the return of our annual awards ceremony. Held this year in digital format, the 2022 3D Printing Industry Awards saw AM leaders and businesses recognized for their work in pushing 3D printing forward. One of those recognized was Matt Stultz, Community Manager of Prusa 3D, who won Community Advocate of the Year.
Stultz responded, “I can’t thank the community enough for this award. I’m thankful that I just got nominated and with who the characters are in this field, I was shocked to win. I see this win as a statement of how strong our community is and that anyone who creates an environment that welcomes and supports everyone, will be welcomed.
Elsewhere, MolyWorks won the Sustainability in Additive Manufacturing Award, while SLM Solutions was awarded the Metal Enterprise 3D Printer of the Year gong. After Autodesk was named the Software Tool or Company of the Year Award winner, Sualp Ozel, a senior product manager at the company, said it was “honored and humbled.”
“We really appreciate that so many of you voted for us, which we take as evidence that you like what we do for 3D printing design, simulation, and manufacturing,” he added. “In the coming months and years, count on Fusion 360’s connected ecosystem to continue to push the boundaries of design for additive manufacturing workflows.”
Interested in finding out more about who won? You can access the full results of the 2022 3D Printing Industry Awards here.
High-speed aerospace AM accelerates
In terms of industry trends, one of those continuing through December is the growing popularity of 3D printing in high-Mach speed applications. During the month, it was revealed that Boom Supersonic was working with GE Additive on a new ‘Symphony’ engine for the upcoming Overture aircraft. Since then, GE Additive has been consulted on potential opportunities to use 3D printing in construction.
At Hermeus, the company’s partially 3D printed Chimera engine has passed a new hypersonic test milestone. During the test, the propulsion system proved to be able to repeatedly switch from the turbojet mode designed for launch to the high-Mach speed ramjet mode. Once ready, the engine will power the company’s Quarterhorse hypersonic aircraft.
In high-speed military applications, it was also revealed that 3D printing is widely used in the production of jet fighters in China. According to a report issued that month, China’s Shenyang Aircraft Company (SAC), known as the Shenyang FC-31 stealth fighter manufacturer, has begun deploying 3D printing in-house.
Biomedical 3D printing advances continue
Another area where 3D printing continues to advance is in the field of patient-specific medicine. In France, clinicians at the Claudius Regaud Institute and Toulouse University Hospital have developed a way to treat a patient with a 3D bioprinted nose transplant grown on his arm. At the time, the success of the method was seen as a 3D bioprinting breakthrough.
At five of Fraunhofer’s research institutes, researchers are using AI to develop 3D printed patient-specific finger implants. As part of the ‘FingerKIt’ project, the team developed an automated implant design process where AI was deployed to turn 2D X-ray images into 3D finger models.
Using their workflow, it is said to be possible to correct any finger positioning issues and create smooth, frictionless implants with reduced post-processing needs. Dr. Philipp Imgrund, head of the AM Process Qualification department at Fraunhofer IAPT, explained that the process enabled them to “structure the surface of the shaft in such a way that it grows into the bone more effectively.”
Early signs of financial recovery?
Although there is no hiding from the fact that 2022 will be a difficult financial year for some in the 3D printing industry, there were some encouraging signs that were shown in December. Desktop Metal’s $9 million Automotive OEM order shows that demand for its technology remains strong, especially as a tool for mass manufacturing powertrain components.
Given that Desktop Metal laid off 12% of its workforce earlier in the year, the deal also represents a positive step for the company, which announced more than $100 million in efficiencies as part of its plans to become income.
The assets of Fast Radius were bought by SyBridge, just one month after its bankruptcy. The company’s folding was bad news for SPAC investors, who saw its assets sold for just $15.9 million. However, there is better news for Fast Radius employees, with SyBridge committed to offering them contracts and keeping the brand name alive.
Looking to predict the future of 3D printing
So, where is the 3D printing industry next? As usual, in 2022, there is no shortage of reports trying to project where it could be, and December saw the results of some published. Sculpteo’s State of 3D Printing Report found that manufacturers are increasingly looking for ways to improve the sustainability of their processes, with 63% of those surveyed looking for ways to reuse scrap.
At the beginning of the month, 3D printer OEM Essentium’s 3D printing survey results were also released. As well as finding that the technology is proving to be more reliable and more allowing users to gain a competitive advantage, the research uncovered some of the core benefits that are driving the adoption of 3D printing among those who – contribute.
Of those who participated, 43% praised the ability of 3D printing to speed up a product’s time to market, while issues such as speed, cost, and part performance also came up in the results. Going forward, 89% of respondents said they expect large-scale 3D printing to grow over the next five years, but 32% of executives interviewed agreed that material innovation is needed. for this to happen.
Stay tuned for our annual series of articles where experts tell us the future of 3D printing in 2023. Want to review last year’s predictions? Stay tuned here: 2022 Future of 3D Printing.
2022: 3D Printing Industry Review of trends and news
2021: 3D Printing Industry Review of trends and news
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The featured image shows the logo of the 2022 3D Printing Industry Awards.
