Author: Ingo Schepers

Spending two days surrounded by the combined knowledge AM experts, pioneers, and innovators – this is a dream come true for us at MGA. And it’s exactly what we had the privilege of doing during the past two days at the MGA Annual Meeting and Women in AM Summit 2023!

We have had the privilege of exploring a wide spectrum of diverse AM applications and captivating AM journeys. The possibilities within this field are limitless, and we’re excited to witness the incredible innovations that will shape the future. We are looking back at networking opportunities, workshops, panel discussions, insightful talks, and, of course, the 3D evening event with 3D printed food. Trying to pick the highlights from this experience is nearly impossible, but we’ll do our best to capture some of the magic for you.

The Women in AM Summit

We started our 4-events-in-two-days marathon with our women-only “Women in AM Summit”. The aim of this event is to bring together female role models and AM experts on stage and an all-female audience to inspire the open exchange in a relaxed setting – something that is nearly impossible when being part of a larger event in an industry of only 15% female quota. Our participants are invited to learn from each other – pioneers mentoring newcomers – while at the same time connecting the female representatives of our industry as well as hearing updates from that industry on for example AM in construction, AM ceramics, dental AM and much more.

A special thank you to our speakers and especially Małgorzata Kielak, the founder of Find Your Wine Match, who hosted a wonderful ice-breaker event in the afternoon and our external source of inspiration, Sven Krause, who coached our guests on the relevance of Feelgood Management in retaining employees.

The Yearly Gathering of the Working Group Materials

The face-to-face meeting of our Working Group Materials – MGA’s largest Working Group – included pitches from the Focus Groups WAAM and Technical Data Sheets as well as the Medical Focus Group Analysis and Processing. The members of the group came together not only to hear about current projects, but also to define the next steps.

One thing that we would like to highlight at this point: our Materials Working Group led at that point by Dr.-Ing. Tina Schlingmann received the prize for the best paper for their article on the results of their Round Robin test. The award was well-deserved, showcasing the outstanding research and contributions from the MGA members.

The General Assembly

As an association, we are happy to host all our 142 members for the General Assembly, where our Executive Board, Nicole Friedrich, Johannes Emmelheinz, Prof Dr-Ing Claus Emmelmann and Prof Dr Florian Thieringer, recaps the past fiscal year and our treasurer Carmen Schmieder presents the annual fiscal report – Carmen was also re-elected as treasurer by the General Assembly.

This year, our Executive Board honoured our former members of the advisory board, Klaus Roeser and Steffen Kuhn, for their exceptional dedication and service with an honorary membership.

The Executive Board also honoured the support from and expertise of our advisory board (Oliver Cynamon, Sonja Rasch, Andreas Leupold, Bernhard Winkler) and the extended board (Torsten Wehrkamp, Olaf Steinmeier) and we would like to take this opportunity to also thank them for their continuous work.

We also welcomed two new members to our Advisory Board: Dominic Duda (Takeda) and Marc Fette (CTC – An Airbus company), we look forward to working with you.

The 3D Evening Event

Where can you try 3D printed Pasta, Steak and Salmon?! Exactly, at our 3D evening event that we hosted outdoors in the Marienpark in Berlin (thanks to Investa for giving us the space to host our members and friends).

The weather was more than perfect and most of our guests spend the evening enjoying the last warm summer night outside, networking and enjoying the food from our BBQ station and Pasta cook.

The MGA Annual Meeting

September 27 was dedicated to our MGA Annual Meeting where we not only presented the current status of our MGA Mobility and Medical Working Groups but also heard from a diverse selection of panellists and keynote speakers about printing bones, the global AM developments and the latest trends of the AM industry. In our small exhibition our guests were able to have a look at the winning applications of this year’s 3D Pioneers Challenge – thank you for letting us show these great applications for AM. We also hosted our first Workshops during an Annual Meeting: thank you to trinckle 3D for hosting a session on AM software and to Berhard Winkler for moderating the MGA Workshop. At the end of the day, the event was a celebration of innovation, collaboration, and the boundless possibilities of AM.

Thanks to Andrew Littlefield, we learned that every year the US Army allocates $1 billion just for AM topics. We of course had to follow up on that with a specific workshop the following day highlighting what companies must do to benefit from the funds. This workshop laid the groundwork for the Kick-Off of the new Working Group Defence happening on November 9 at the Formnext in Frankfurt (want to join? Contact Sven Fritzsche).

Thank you and see you next year

Thank you to all our speakers and of course our Working Group Leaders for their contributions to the event and our network!

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our 142 members for being an integral part of our community. Your presence and active participation have enriched this event, contributing to the vibrant atmosphere, and making it a grand success.

The two-day marathon would not have been possible without the great support from our partners (Berlin Partner für Wirtschaft und Technologie GmbH, Siemens Mobility, Protiq Marketplace, Trinckle 3D, SLM, Women in 3D Printing), our amazing technical provider (AV Union Eventtechnik), our great photographer (Philipp von Recklinghausen).

As we continue this journey, let’s maintain the momentum and look forward to more enlightening discussions, networking opportunities, and groundbreaking research in the future. Your contributions make all the difference, and together we shape the future of AM.

Please save the date for next year in your calendars:
October 8 – 9, 2024

 

Segmentation is an important step of the medical 3D printing process. In this process, virtual 3D models of the target structures are created from slice image data sets using suitable image data processing programs. The segmentation results still heavily depend on the examiner, while both approved paid medical products and open-source solutions can be used for this purpose. There are several reasons why it is important to evaluate open-source segmentation programs regarding correctness and precision, e.g. to lower the barriers for medical 3D printing in general and to enable access to the technology in less developed regions, as well as for the influence of the examiner on the segmentation result. Furthermore, the person segmenting the data has a significant impact on the segmentation result, depending on the experience.
The aim of the study is to examine the non-inferiority of the open-source software “3D Slicer” regarding correctness, precision, and inter-examiner reproducibility of the segmentation results compared to approved medical devices. The tests will be incorporated in an international multicenter study design. Abdominal CT scans, for which a positive ethical vote has already been obtained, will be used as data basis.

Have we sparked your interest, or do you have further questions?
Then we would be happy to welcome you to our virtual kick-off on 04 October 2023 from 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm!
Feel free to contact Cora for participation and further information about the project.

Additive Manufacturing is a game-changer in various industries, and the defense sector is no exception. It presents a myriad of opportunities to transform the way we design, produce, and maintain critical components. By harnessing the power of Additive Manufacturing, we can enhance defense readiness, reduce costs, improve supply chain resilience, and enable rapid prototyping and production of crucial defense systems.

But how can we best use AM in this highly demanding sector? This questions needs to be answered, which is why we are thrilled to announce the official launch of the next MGA Working Group: Defense!
On September 28, one day after our MGA Annual Meeting, we invite you to be part of this endeavour to explore the possibilities of Additive Manufacturing technologies for the defense sector.

Our Working Group brings together a diverse range of experts and professionals from the defense industry, academia, and government agencies.

Through regular meetings, workshops, and collaborative projects, we aim to foster a vibrant ecosystem that encourages the exchange of ideas, best practices, and cutting-edge research. Together, we will explore the latest advancements, challenges, and opportunities in additive manufacturing, with a specific focus on defense applications.

Join us at our Kick-Off in Berlin – whether you are a researcher, engineer, defense professional, or working for an interested NATO government agency, your participation and expertise will be invaluable in driving our collective mission forward.

To get involved, please contact Sven Fritzsche for more information.

Join the kick-off and shape the future of defense manufacturing.

The first buildings of humankind were erected about 11,000 years ago – but since those rudimentary temple structures in Turkey, we imagine that one or two things have changed in the construction industry – an industry that is like so many others dependent on environmental factors and of course must keep up with current technology developments.

One technology that might be of use to the industry is our Additive Manufacturing: it is already in use and showing potential in minimizing the use of materials and maximizing the freedom of design while at the same time lowering the emissions of CO². Use Cases also include the printing of customised formwork at the actual construction site – saving both time and money.

But we still have questions:

• How can Additive Manufacturing improve this industry?
• How is 3D Printing already used in Construction?
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of AM in Construction?
• What needs to be done to establish AM in Construction?

Together with architects, engineering firms, builders, material suppliers and a multitude of other trades, the construction industry is structured differently and more complex than large parts of the rest of the additive industry – which is why we are bringing together the various players to shed light on the advantages and opportunities of the cooperation of AM and construction.

We are hosting the first ever MGA “Construction” Workshop on June 28, 2023 at 11am in Berlin.

Hosted by Stefanie Brickwede, MGA & Deutsche Bahn, and opened by Dr Karsten Heuser, Siemens, we will hear keynotes from Dr. Fabian Meyer-Brötz, PERI 3D, Prof. Dr. Inka Mai, TU Berlin, Dr. Ksenija Vasilić, DBV, and François Perrot, 14Trees.

If you would like to join our Workshop, please contact Sven Fritzsche to learn more.

Overview:

When: June 28, 11am – 4pm
Where: MGA Office, Berlin
What: Discussions, Keynotes, Lunch & Networking

The formnext homepage clearly states: “Within the framework of Formnext, more than 800 exhibitors and more than 30,000 visitors will meet from November 7 – 10 2023 and transform Frankfurt am Main into the capital of Additive Manufacturing. This community, the fAMily, is dedicated to the ever-growing use of AM in an industrial context.”

These figures make formnext Germany’s largest AM event and therefore predestined for a competition like the Start-up Challenge. Here, young, creative companies are offered the platform to assert and present themselves in the AM industry. Participation not only provides the opportunity for inspiring exchange with experts, potential customers, and investors, but also the chance to secure an attractive and comprehensive price.

The Challenge also offers participants valuable feedback from industry-leading experts: it is with great pleasure that our Managing Director Stefanie Brickwede takes her place on the jury alongside luminaries such as Arno Held, Managing Partner at AM Ventures, Alexander Oster, Director Additive Manufacturing at Autodesk and Michael Petch, Editor in Chief at 3D Printing Industry.

Nevertheless, even non-participants should not miss the opportunity to follow the Start-Up Challenge. The ideas presented show ingenuity and stimulate a meaningful and innovative exchange about the future of the AM industry. It is only by encouraging innovation like this that the AM industry can grow sustainably.

We look forward to meeting you as a contributor or as a spectator (at the Challenge or at the formnext trade fair, we are in Hall 11.1) and being inspired by new and witty pitches!

More information and the opportunity to participate can be found here: https://formnext.mesago.com/frankfurt/en/themes-events/program/startup_challenge.html

MGA is a network of users, material & software providers, institutions, and consultants – but also a network of printer manufacturers. At our IAM Hub in Berlin, we want to give our members the opportunity to show politicians, international delegations, potential customers, and other interested parties the great potential of the different (printer) technologies of Additive Manufacturing.

That is why we already have one of the largest exhibitions of 3D printed parts in Germany – showcasing all different kinds of AM: from FFF to WAAM to concrete printing – we show it all.

But given that the IAM Hub is a Co-Working space, we do not have the requirements for larger printers utilizing for example powder or lasers. So up until this point, we had “only” FFF and SLA printers on side – which are already great when you show the technology to people who did not have a lot of contact with it before. BUT it is not necessarily new to those with a little background in 3D printing (there are quite a few FFF machines in private residences throughout Berlin).

Thanks to Chromatic 3D Materials we can now showcase another AM technology in our space: RX-flow, an elastomer printing technology, great for flexible components such as bellows, seals or rubber buffers! Cora Leibig, Barthel Engendahl and their team set-up their RX-Flow 3500® machine at the end of May. Using two component printing, rubber-like parts can be printed at unimaginable speeds.

Matthias Hoffmann from Chromatic already started training our staff in how to properly maintain and use the printer – which is more complicated than the plug-and-play logic of most FFF machines. Now it is important for us to really learn how to print with the machine and as a next step we are looking forward to finding industrial projects to be realised on this futuristic machine.

If you are interested in learning more about the printer, if you have a project for the printer or would simply like to have a look at the machine – please don’t hesitate to contact us!

We are looking forward to working with the RX-Flow 3500®

90% of global trade takes place by sea. The North Sea and the Baltic Sea are the most heavily trafficked waters on earth. From this point of view, it is only logical that Mobility goes Additive e.V. also positions itself in the maritime sector.

At the Marilight network meeting, the network of maritime lightweight manufacturers, we were able to present the successful work of our members from the Working Group Approval in Rail and show that Additively Manufactured parts are already being used in safety-relevant areas of train traffic.

This technology transfer is what makes MGA special: After all, shipping still offers great potential for Additive Manufacturing, whether in tooling, spare parts or interior fittings.

To contribute to climate protection, shipping must massively reduce its CO² emissions. The transition to alternative propulsion systems in the offshore sector will be exciting. Hydrogen, ammonia (NH³) and methanol are being traded here as energy sources for fuel cells. Materials in Additive Manufacturing should be prepared for these energy sources and should already be examined regarding their resistance (corrosive or chemo-mechanical stress).

But not only commercial shipping holds potentials for AM, also the navy has already developed applications for Additive Manufacturing processes – as presented by Captain Lieutenant Sascha Hartig M.Sc. at our MGA Annual Meeting last year. But this industry offers much more and is waiting for solutions and innovations.

We are excited to see how the cooperation on and off the water will develop and look forward to the next steps with Marilight and other representatives of the maritime industry.

Photo Copyright: Deutsche Bahn AG / Dominic Dupont & Susanne Tost

What if you’re looking for a network but can’t find one yourself? This is what happened to the Deutsche Bahn in 2016 and thus together with 8 other companies, MGA was founded.

Since then, we have grown to over 150 members and are happy to announce a ground-breaking milestone of a member: DB has reached the mark of 100,000 3D printed spare parts! This achievement marks a significant step in the transformation of maintenance in the rail industry, which Deutsche Bahn is shaping together with NS (Netherlands), SNCF (France), ÖBB (Austria), Trenitalia (Italy), SBB (Switzerland) and Angel Trains (UK) in our RAILiability Working Group.

According to a recent DB press release, the 100,000th 3D-printed part is a gearbox housing for shunting locomotives: With impressive dimensions of almost one cubic metre in volume and a weight of 570 kilograms, it is the largest and heaviest 3D-printed part that the company has ever produced using Additive Manufacturing. The final component was created in close cooperation with voestalpine – and also reflects the great benefits of a network like MGA.

Conventional procurement of the spare part has long delivery times of ten months on average – thanks to the sand mould created using binder jetting, the manufacturing process could be accelerated enormously, so that the component can now be made available within two months. Another advantage of indirect 3D printing with rapid casting: with this procedure, the component remains in its original manufacturing mode, as only the mould for the cast component is printed – this often makes extensive approval processes obsolete and is easy on the wallet.

The gearbox housing of the 29x series is part of DB’s digital warehouse, which is being continuously expanded – another topic that plays a major role in our network. This approach not only saves storage space and costs, but also shortens delivery times and creates independence from supply chains that can be affected by global crises or raw material shortages. It also contributes to sustainability, which is why the full-size gearbox housing can also be admired at the DB booth at the GreenTech Festival in Berlin in June.

The Deutsche Bahn has established itself as a global pioneer in 3D printing for the rail industry. What started in 2015 with simple plastic parts (perhaps one or the other member remembers the famous coat hooks) has now developed into over 100,000 parts for more than 500 different applications. DB is working with our network of users, suppliers, printer vendors, material manufacturers, software providers, consultancies, universities, institutes and more to drive innovation in 3D printing together.

This Deutsche Bahn success story is an impressive example of how innovative technologies can revolutionise industry and increase efficiency. It shows that not every part has to be printed directly – rapid casting offers diverse possibilities to produce even large parts with AM. We are proud that one of our founding members is driving these ground-breaking advances and look forward to a continued successful collaboration in the world of industrial Additive Manufacturing.

Here you find the official press release

The exhibition and award ceremony of the eighth edition of the 3D Pioneers Challenge, the international competition for additive and advanced technologies, was a highlight of Rapid.Tech3D in Erfurt.

The exhibits ranged from large-scale 3D printing of architectural elements to complete e-cars art objects. Visitors could watch a robotic arm print a dress or discover3D printed materials from eggshells to oysters. They could get active themselves and take a closer look at printed electronics on the nanoscale at the microscope and thus experience first-hand what 3D printing makes possible.

The 3D Pioneers Challenge has established itself as one of the most important competitions in the 3D printing industry. Entries from 29 countries and 5 continents were submitted, 43 made it into the exhibition. The finalists and award winners had travelled to Erfurt at the beginning of May from Europe, America, Tunisia, Singapore and Australia. The tension was palpable as the 10 winners were announced on the second day of the fair and the prizes were awarded by jury members and partners of the 3DPC.

The focus of this year’s Challenge was: RESILIENCE. NOW. Advanced Technologies to enable a sustainable tomorrow.

What could be more in line with this topic than the main prize winner in “MedTech” MATTISSE from France? These totally resorbable 3D printed implants allowing a natural, simple and riskfree breast reconstruction after cancer could positively change the lives of millions of women after a cancer diagnosis. The “Sustainability” Award went to the “Material” category with the project “FLAM”, from the University of Singapore. They enable true circular additive manufacturing with bioinspired manufacturing and Fungal-like Adhesive Materials. Other highlights were the “Best Student Project” from the Bauhaus-University of Weimar “Algae” by Lena Vogel, who explored the cultivation of microalgae.

The 3D-printed basketball by Wilson, which caused a sensation beyond the industry, could decide the “Design” category for itself and “Digital” was won by the Italian company EnginSoft with its “3D printed Helices”. The jury was convinced by the potential that these projects can open up for further applications. A project on a much larger scale won in “Architecture”: ETH Zurich with its sustainable robotassisted construction method that implements additive processes in a novel way. Mobile 3D printing was demonstrated by “Armstone” from University College London.

Julius Sustarevas was awarded in “Machinery” for enabling printing in unlimited space with his autonomous robot. Individual, “Inclusive Eyewear for A diverse World” and thus REFRAMD was able to win the “FashionTech” category. With their vision to revolutionise the electronics industry by democratising electronics manufacturing, the Australian team from Syenta won the prize in “Electronics”. The joint project of ETH Zurich, inspire AG and Siemens rethinks the electric motor with its hybrid AM housing in the vertical “Mobility” and takes an important step towards sustainability
in the automotive industry by increasing performance. In total, prizes worth over 185,000 euros were awarded. These included software licences
from nTopology and 3YOURMIND, a coaching for the “Best Start-Up” by AM Ventures, and 3D printers from Ultimaker, Asiga and Makerbot. Partner Autodesk awarded 3 Special Mention. The prize money of 35,000 euros was provided by the Thuringian Ministry of Economic Affairs, Science and Digital Society.

At the Rapid.Tech 3D gala event on 10 May at the Zentralheize Erfurt, the prize winners were honoured in this festive occasion by Minister for Ecomonic Wolfgang Tiefensee and CEO of Messe Erfurt Michael Kynast: “The 3D Pioneers Challenge has become an integral and impressive part of our Rapid.Tech 3D and also a real enrichment. In the eighth year we are again delighted to be able to show the forward-looking developments as part of the finalists’ exhibition.” Networking evenings like these reflect the spirit of Rapid.Tech 3D and 3D Pioneers Challenge, bringing together innovative minds and initiating new collaborations. The award ceremony and exhibition of the 3D Pioneers Challenge was an impressive event that once again showed the potential of 3D printing and how innovative the industry is.

It was impressive to see how the pioneers and innovators are resiliently shaping a sustainable tomorrow.

What is the best way to learn about and fully understand Additive Manufacturing? And what is the most fun way at the same time? For us, it is being up close with the machines and watching how physical objects are created out of thin air. Luckily, among our members there are numerous printer manufacturers who can make this possible.

The promotion of young talents and the early introduction of 3D printing to the experts of tomorrow is a matter close to our hearts. For this reason, we welcomed 3 student interns again this year, whom we accompanied into the world of Additive Manufacturing. The three boys from a local school spend two weeks with us and gained an insight into CAD programs, 3D printers and the daily business of our network office.

This time we also received active support from 2 member companies to further educate our three students:

At BigRep we got an insight into the world of large-scale 3D printing. The possibilities and use cases include prototyping, tooling, furniture concrete molds as well as design objects. During our visit, we were also able to see use cases ranging from sinks to design studies for new Airbus seats to transport safety locks for helicopter rotors. A big thank you to Nico Wachshofer, Marco Backenhaus, Christine Degner and Peter Drimal for welcoming us on site and getting the three students a little more excited about Additive Manufacturing.

At Formlabs, we first had a guided tour of the premises before we gained hands-on experience in the company’s own printing farm. We experienced and carried out the entire printing process ourselves, from pre- to post-processing, on both, the resin and the powder printers. Another highlight of our visit was, that everyone could pick his favorite exhibits to bring them home.

Once again, we would like to thank BigRep GmbH and Formlabs GmbH for welcoming us and our 3 young guests and for making it possible to experience the printing technologies up close! This is the only way we can inspire the next generations for our industry and educate Additive Natives.

We are already looking forward to welcoming the next interns in the summer of 2024 – if you would like to welcome the students to your company for a field trip or if your children would like to drop in for an internship themselves, please get in touch!