Formnext is putting exceptional talents and ideas from the world of Additive Manufacturing in the spotlight with its new awards format. This year, for the first time, the Formnext Awards will be presented across six different categories, including young innovative companies, sustainable business ideas, and pioneering technologies. In another first, Formnext attendees are invited to help decide the winners in a public vote.
The finalists in all categories demonstrate a high degree of professionalism with their pioneering innovations for sectors ranging from medicine and dentistry to energy and aviation.
Visitors to Formnext can meet the finalists at the Formnext Awards special showcase (Hall 11.0, Stand F61). The winners will be announced at the awards ceremony on Thursday 21 November from 4:20 p.m. on the Industry Stage (Hall 11.0, D72). The finalists’ submissions can now also be viewed on the Formnext website. Voting is open in all categories until noon on Thursday, 21 November, and the overall audience vote will be considered as an additional juror vote.
In addition to a trophy designed by AM artist duo SUTOSUTO and produced by Voxeljet, the winners will also receive attractive prize packages provided by 3D Printing Industry, AM Ventures, Cirp, Renishaw, and Trumpf.
Start-up Award supported by AM Ventures: New technologies and applications
The Start-up Award supported by AM Ventures recognizes inspiring young companies with viable business models.
Finalists:
· AM Craft Group designs and manufactures 3D-printed, small-batch aircraft interior components.
· Amsight promises to reduce the costs of AM quality management by 70 percent with its software.
· Axolotl Biosciences has developed TissuePrint, a research-grade, xeno-free bioink for 3D Printing of human tissue models.
· Micro Factory 3DSolutions specializes in the development of resin-based SLA 3D printers.
· Supernova Additive has developed the Viscous Lithography Manufacturing (VLM) technology, which can handle highly viscous materials up to 1 million cP.
Rookie Award: Medical and dental take center stage
The Rookie Award honors individuals with promising business ideas who have either not yet founded a company or who launched less than a year ago.
Finalists:
· Enki Interdentalis has developed a 3D-printed, customized dental splint that improves oral hygiene by using a water-air mixture to remove food debris and plaque from between the teeth.
· Fidentis is a start-up that has developed a multi-material Additive Manufacturing solution with an integrated robotic arm that produces prostheses based on a digital model.
· Oryx Medicals is developing an innovative, additively manufactured aortic valve that is set to revolutionize the treatment of aortic valve stenosis.
Sustainability Award supported by Renishaw
The Sustainability Award supported by Renishaw recognizes AM applications and products beyond the pure production process on the basis of their product life cycle.
Finalists:
· Baker Hughes is helping to reduce the environmental impact of the energy sector with additively manufactured components for gas turbines.
· Ceratizit has developed a unique process for the binder and sinter-based Additive Manufacturing of hard metals.
· Stratasys enables the holistic and sustainable production of high-quality footwear in the luxury segment with its J850 TechStyle 3D printer.
Design Award supported by cirp
The following finalists in the category Design Award supported by cirp impressed the judges with their exceptional AM designs and AM products:
· Siemens presents an innovative reactor design for greater sustainability in the chemical industry.
· Quorum Orthopedics is revolutionizing prosthetics with a customizable, ergonomic solution produced by MJF (multi jet fusion) printing.
· The ILEK and ISW institutes (University of Stuttgart) are contributing to the implementation of low-carbon technologies in the construction industry with advanced and sustainable design solutions.
(R)Evolution Award supported by 3D Printing Industry
The (R)Evolution Award supported by 3D Printing Industry is presented to pioneering products, technologies or services that demonstrate particular added value for the user.
Finalists:
· AMSystems promises to deliver high resolution and productivity at any build volume with the patented design of its MLP (multi-laser patterning) modules, which feature a combination of multiple tightly focused laser beams.
· Fraunhofer Institute for Casting, Composite and Processing Technology IGCV: The new three-material processing technology using powder bed fusion makes it possible to manufacture battery cell housings from aluminum, copper, and ceramic in a single production step.
· Toolcraft has developed a method for the efficient removal of support structures in metallic 3D-printed components using dry ice blasting.
AMbassador Award: Entertainment, teaching and science
The AMbassador Award recognizes outstanding individuals or organizations who have had a unique impact on the industry and users through innovative training and education approaches or personal advocacy.
Finalists:
· Stanley Tong has developed a corporate tailored additive curriculum, built a network of cross company subject matter experts, and made additive technology accessible to thousands in his lab for one of the world’s biggest automakers.
· 3D Printing Nerd: He informs a broad global audience about AM and shows how everyone can get involved in the next industrial revolution with his entertaining YouTube show.
· The University of Stuttgart has developed innovative dental bone grafts together with dentists from the Medical Center – University of Freiburg.
