3D Printing News Briefs, July 14, 2022: Sales, Security, Medical Devices, & More

In today’s 3D Printing News Briefs, we’ll take care of business first, as 3YOURMIND announced its Chief Operations Officer and Meltio announced a new sales partner. Ultimaker received an important security certification for its software and other 3D printing products. Moving on, Enhatch is 3D printing custom medical devices. Finally, SLA 3D printing was used to make a unique restaurant centerpiece.

3YOURMIND Announces New COO

Global organization 3YOURMIND, which offers enterprise software to automate AM processes and workflows, announced its new Chief Operations Officer and Managing Director, Bas de Jong. Co-founder Stephan Kühr will now transition from his role as COO to serve on the company’s advisory board. de Jong will oversee the company’s strategic and daily operations, with support from CEO and co-founder Aleksander Ciszek. He has over eight years of experience in the industry, previously serving as Head of Global Business Development for Ultimaker, and helping other companies adopt cost-saving AM technologies. With his customer-centric approach to sales and operations, he will work to advance software adoption for on-demand manufacturing in his new role at 3YOURMIND.

“3YOURMIND continues to push boundaries in additive manufacturing software. We solve the biggest problems in our industry: identifying and qualifying the right applications to demonstrate and realize the value of AM. It is very exciting to work with such a great team of dedicated people and help our customers scale 3D printing,” said de Jong.

Meltio Announces Newest Sales Partner

Over the last several months, laser metal deposition technology manufacturer Meltio has been significantly expanding its 3D printing distribution network, announcing sales partners in Sub-Saharan Africa, North America, Brazil, Japan, the Benelux region, and more. Now, the company will have its metal 3D printing solutions and products distributed and supported in the Australia AM market, as its newest official sales partner is Metal Tech, an Australian-owned and operated company that provides high-quality machinery sales and services to the metal industry.

Meltio’s metal AM technology is built around welding wire feedstock, and enables industrial applications that are clean, safe, and won’t break the bank. Metal Tech represents what it says is the best production machinery in Australia, and that its special relationship with Meltio will ensure that all customer needs are met, including after-sales service. Metal Tech will work to build up a supportive ecosystem for Meltio’s technology in the Australia territory by partnering, and developing business opportunities, with tooling machine companies, academia and industry, technology centers, and robotic integrators.

Ultimaker Announces ISO/IEC 27001 Security Certification

Professional 3D printing leader Ultimaker announced it has achieved the gold standard for informational security management: the ISO/IEC 27001 certification. The main security risks Ultimaker works hard to prevent are loss of quality during 3D printing; loss of confidential information like personal data or print files; infringement of customer data, products, and services; and interruptions to business processes, especially because of threats that might target applications or devices as potential stepping stones into customer infrastructure and systems. This standard makes the company one of the first AM platforms on the market to be independently certified for information security, meaning that all of the security processes and policies it applies across its business are robust and rigorous.

“At a time when malicious cyber threats against organizations are on the rise, Ultimaker achieving ISO/IEC 27001 certification demonstrates our strong commitment to customer security. We understand that protecting information assets and avoiding costly disruption rank among the highest priorities for all organizations. That’s why Ultimaker has invested in implementing rigorous security procedures and protocols across its 3D printing platform, and why we factor security into every engineering decision we make,” said Jürgen von Hollen, CEO at Ultimaker. “The Ultimaker team is extremely proud of being one of the first and only additive manufacturing platforms to achieve the ISO/IEC 27001 standard. It means that customers can use our software products and services with the confidence that they are managed according to internationally recognised enterprise security standards.”

Enhatch 3D Printing Custom Medical Devices

Technology startup Enhatch is working to personalize surgeries by continuously advancing its open Intelligent Surgery Ecosystem, which uses AI-powered technology, 3D printing, and data gathering to eliminate operating room inefficiencies. The company 3D prints patient-specific medical devices, such as implants and instruments, for surgical procedures, but the difference between Enhatch and larger medical device companies, like Stryker and J&J, is that its custom products are accessible for companies of all sizes…and more importantly, of all budgets.

Enhatch works to connect surgeons, technologies, and other businesses in order to personalize and speed up the clinical workflow, which enables it to deliver customized 3D printed medical devices at a more affordable price point. Its ecosystem starts with planning, in which products are designed using AI and pre-op plans are reviewed. Then, after matching the patient’s anatomy to the implant geometry, it’s on to 3D printing, and then delivery of the custom product. The ecosystem offers inventory and kitting logistics for this step, as well as field logistics. Then, it’s time to implant the device, using technologies like augmented reality, and finally, learning from every operation in order to improve the process for next time.

3D Printed Centerpiece for Michelin Star Restaurant

Finally, Dutch manufacturing and creative studio Holit offers 3D design, consultation, and 3D printing on-demand services to clients. Holit was recently approached by sous chef Federico Sarzi Amadè at Locanda Margon, a 1-star Michelin restaurant in the Trento countryside that’s surrounded by vineyards and natural terraces. Head chef Chef Edoardo Fumagalli, and Amadè, were hoping to 3D print a unique centerpiece for their tables, inspired by the restaurant’s surroundings.

The chefs decided on the stalk of a grape, and based on a photo of one, Holit designed the initial prototype. After just a few iterations, Fumagalli and Amadè approved the final model. Holit used SLA 3D printing and Formfutura’s General Purpose resin to fabricate the centerpieces. Post-processing consisted of painting the parts, using RAL 8017, and then coating them with an epoxy resin that’s safe for food contact.