Amnovis Integrates 3D Systems DMP Flex 350 Dual for Patient-Specific Medical 3D Printing

Belgium-based additive manufacturing production and engineering company Amnovis will be integrating the DMP Flex 350 Dual 3D printer by 3D Systems (NYSE:DDD) into its contract manufacturing workflow. Introduced to 3D Systems’ Direct Metal Printing (DMP) portfolio in November of 2021 along with the DMP Factory 350 Dual, the next-generation DMP Flex 350 Dual will help the ISO 13485 certified contract manufacturer lower costs and increase productivity for high-reliability applications, such as patient-specific medical devices.

“For us, innovation benefits from material and process enhancements, as well as the ability to increase productivity. We’ve experienced a tremendous leap in 3D printing efficiency by integrating 3D Systems’ DMP Flex 350 Dual into our workflow,” Ruben Wauthle, CEO and Co-Founder of Amnovis, stated in a press release. “By scaling our high-end parts manufacturing for quality-critical applications in medical, high tech, and other industries, we ensure faster delivery at lower cost, while maintaining our high-quality standards.”

L-R: 3D Systems DMP Flex 350 Dual and DMP Factory 350 Dual. Images courtesy of 3D Systems.

Amnovis was founded in 2020 as an independent and privately owned company by a few former members of LayerWise, a company acquired by 3D Systems. The company’s founders are said to be some of the first to use laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) to 3D print titanium medical devices, like spinal and orthopedic implants. By adding the DMP Flex 350 Dual printer to its workflow for manufacturing reliable, high-quality end-use parts for medical device and industrial applications, Amnovis is reporting at least 50% more productivity in comparison to what it would get out of 3D Systems’ single laser DMP Flex 350 system. The dual-laser system and all of its features make it possible for Amnovis to add process and product enhancements that can also be used for other heavily regulated industries, like aerospace.

“In order for our service bureau customers to gain a competitive advantage, they need to differentiate the services they provide while becoming increasingly responsive to customer requirements. Our collaboration with Amnovis is yet another example of how we can apply our application development expertise and a broad range of integrated additive manufacturing solutions to help maximize productivity, reliability, uptime, and yield,” said Scott Anderson, Vice President, Segment Leader, 3D Systems. “By integrating the DMP Flex 350 Dual into its solution portfolio, Amnovis is delivering high-quality parts to their customers while realizing exceptional total cost of ownership.”

3D Systems DMP Flex 350. Image courtesy of Amnovis

The DMP Flex 350 Dual, with its two-laser configuration, comes with all the bells and whistles of the original single-laser DMP Flex 350, such as quick-swap build modules, flexible application use, and a central server that easily manages materials, settings, print jobs, and maintenance. 3D Systems says that these features enable the printer to deliver 24/7 productivity. In addition, the dual-laser system features the company’s “unique” vacuum chamber, with is said to offer excellent oxygen purity (<30 ppm) and majorly decrease the consumption of argon gas. Finally, the printer also includes Oqton’s all-in-one 3DXpert solution for industrial 3D printing. The solution streamlines the AM workflow all the way from design to printing, allowing for the efficient preparation, optimization, and printing of quality end-use parts for industrial applications.

As SmarTech Analysis explained in its “Medical Devices 2021: Market Opportunities for 3D printed Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Audiology devices” report, 3D printing enables “greater levels of digitization, customisation and automation” across different fields in the healthcare industry, which can lead to better patient outcomes and cost reduction for healthcare providers and device OEMs. Use of the technology is already well-established for such applications as hearing aids, dental aligner tools and models, orthopedic implants, and pre-surgical planning, but “…there remains scope for major innovation within the medical field through the adoption of 3D printing.” By incorporating 3D Systems’ DMP Flex 350 Dual system into its workflow, Amnovis is keeping itself on the cutting-edge of medical AM applications, which is a huge market value.