Formnext 2021: Kumovis, Lithoz, Evonik & Blue Power Gear Up for Frankfurt Event

Over 500 3D printing companies will return to Frankfurt, Germany, for one of the most awaited additive manufacturing events of the year: Formnext 2021. Following almost two years of digital encounters, including 2020’s Formnext Connect, this time the event will be on-site, and the 3D printing community is keen to meet face-to-face once again. Running from November 16 through 19, the event will feature exciting 3D printing applications, hardware, software, and materials, as well as a top-tier agenda of industry experts, workshops, and plenty of exhibit booths showcasing many of the latest technologies. In addition to the entire spectrum of different additive manufacturing processes, Formnext presents an overview of all upstream and downstream processes.

Experts from a wide range of industry sectors such as automotive, aerospace, mechanical engineering, medical technology, and electrical engineering can discover innovative production technologies in Frankfurt. Moreover, focused on supporting the growth of 3D printing and opening up new possibilities in design and production, several companies will be presenting their latest offerings at the event.

Here are a few of the upcoming products that visitors can experience at Formnext:

Kumovis

Munich-based startup Kumovis has taken the 3D printing of medical devices one step further and developed an industry-specific workflow that allows MedTech companies and hospitals to manufacture products and bring them to market quicker. The new solution ranges from DICOM data processing and additive manufacturing to post-processing and approval of medical products, such as cranial implants made of high-performance polymers like PEEK. The platform for this end-to-end workflow is, of course, the Kumovis R1 3D printer, which has a build chamber that can be turned into a cleanroom.

In addition to Kumovis’ R1 3D printer, which will manufacture implants live at the company’s Formnext booth, panels and presentations will also be part of the startup’s program. With the new workflow in place, Kumovis expects medical device manufacturers to save costs and serve MDR and FDA markets compliantly and faster than conventional manufacturing techniques, such as milling or injection molding.

Kumovis will showcase its new workflow live in Hall 12.1, booth E29.

3D printed PEEK implant for cranioplasty. Image courtesy of Kumovis.

Lithoz

After ten years of commercializing 3D printing of ceramics, Austrian 3D printer manufacturer Lithoz will showcase a wide variety of pioneering multi-material parts produced using the CeraFab Multi 2M30. The platform was launched in 2020 and uses a VAT photopolymerization (VPP) process that the company calls LCM (Lithography-based Ceramic Manufacturing) to print with two materials simultaneously. As a result, visitors will find combinations of ceramic/ceramic, ceramic/metal, and ceramic/polymer among the new components. The machine and parts produced are primarily aimed at aerospace, biomedical, energy, and electronics manufacturers seeking multi-material, multifunctional 3D printing capabilities.

But that’s not all; Lithoz will also have a live demonstration of its new compact entry-level 3D printer called CeraFab Lab L30. This eagerly awaited European premiere will show how the compact 3D printing model fully operates for the first time. Launched in April earlier this year, the CeraFab Lab L30 has been developed explicitly for the customization and small-scale production of oxide ceramics and is engineered to be an ideal starting point for ceramic 3D printing.

Lithoz’s new multi-material components and live demonstration will be presented in stand C21, Hall 12.1.

Lithoz will present a wide variety of pioneering multi-material parts at Formnext 2021. Image courtesy of Lithoz.

Evonik

With the debut of INFINAM RG 3101 L and INFINAM FL 6300 L, specialty chemicals company Evonik has developed two new photopolymers for industrial 3D printing. The duo will expand the product line of synthetic resins launched just this year, suitable for use in common photopolymer 3D printing processes such as stereolithography (SLA) or digital light processing (DLP). Components created with INFINAM RG 3101 L, such as drones, buckles, or automotive parts, can be processed by machine and remain fracture-resistant even when subjected to strong forces.

For the development of the INFINAM FL 6300 L material, Evonik teamed up with Viennese 3D printing company Cubicure. This first industrially suitable elastomer from the photopolymer class enables the additive manufacturing of highly flexible 3D objects that excel in material properties essential for elastomers. Ready to promote the new material, Evonik describes it with “outstanding low-temperature elasticity,” thanks to the high precision with which the elastomer is processed in Cubicure’s hot lithography systems. One of the compatible industries for this product is the sports sector, as manufacturers could leverage the material’s properties to create cushioning elements in shoes, grips, or backpacks.

Visitors will witness Evonik’s range of ready-to-use INFINAM brands of materials in Hall 12.1, at stand C69.

Evonik and Cubicure have developed the first industrially suitable elastomer from the photopolymer class branded INFINAM FL 6300 L. Image courtesy of Evonik.

Blue Power

Blue Power Casting Systems, a German company, focused on developing alternative manufacturing methods for highly specialized metal powders, will showcase the final version of its new AUS 500 ultrasonic atomizer at Formnext 2021. The prototype was announced in November 2020 and has been developed in cooperation with technology partner Amazemet, a spin-off company of the Warsaw University of Technology. The highly compact Ultrasonic Atomization Unit is for R&D purposes, and small powder batch production of high-quality, spherical powder for the same target application as gas atomized powder at an affordable price and without having a complex infrastructure.

Blue Power’s prototype will be displayed on Booth C62, Hall 12.

Ultrasonic Atomizer AUS 500 by Blue Power and Amazemet. Image courtesy of Amazemet.