AddUp Announces Deputy CEO & Innovations in Medical & Injection Molding AM

February 28, 2024 by Sarah Saunders 3D Printing Business Medical 3D Printing Metal 3D Printing North America

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Global metal 3D printer OEM AddUp, a joint venture between French tire giant Michelin and Paris-based industrial engineering corporation Fives, appointed Julien Marcilly as its new CEO at the end of 2023. Taking the reins from Frank Moreau, Marcilly has been part of AddUp since 2019, originally serving as the Deputy CEO. But since he’s moved up, and the company’s North American leader Rush LaSelle is now the CEO of 3DXTECH, France-headquartered AddUp needed a new Deputy CEO. They’ve found one in Nick Estock, who’s got over 15 years of experience in the manufacturing industry and has been with the company since 2021.

“Nick brings with him a deep and intimate understanding of our customers unique challenges for the US Market. His passion for manufacturing excellence and dedication to customer satisfaction align seamlessly with the company’s core values, setting the stage for an exciting chapter of growth and innovation,” Marcilly said in a press release.

Nick Estock, Deputy CEO of AddUp

AddUp Inc. is the company’s North American subsidiary, and the 20,000-square-foot AddUp Solution Center is headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. The digital manufacturing and demonstration facility provides both DED and PBF metal 3D printing services, along with AM consulting services, POC production, and training for US customers in the aerospace, defense, medical, and tooling industries.

“I am proud to lead our Cincinnati based crew that embodies a culture of dedication and innovation, through their passion and hard work. At AddUp, our customer-centric approach drives everything we do. We are dedicated to understanding their needs, surpassing expectations, and cultivating enduring partnerships grounded in trust and mutual success. As we evolve, our steadfast commitment to delivering cutting-edge solutions remains unchanged,” Deputy CEO Estock told 3DPrint.com. “With the unwavering support of our exceptional team and the trust of our valued customers, the future for AddUp Inc. is bright.”

Estock’s background is in design, product development, and new product introduction, and he has worked with multiple additive technologies throughout his career. He worked at BAE Systems and Case New Holland, and held several leadership roles during his tenure at GE Additive, including Program Leader for its metal binder jet technology. He then rose through the ranks at AddUp quickly, starting out as Product Leader – PBF & DED, and and then Director of Applications and Business Development. He was appointed Vice President of Business Development just five months before being named Deputy CEO. Estock, who now reports to the CEO of AddUp Global, has, as the company writes, “a visionary approach,” and is extremely committed to driving customer success.

“I have had the pleasure of working with Nick for a few years now and I couldn’t be happier to have him leading our US subsidiary. His ability to lead through example is truly admirable; he doesn’t just talk the talk but walks the walk, setting high standards for himself and inspiring others to follow suit,” Sarah Bain, Director of Marketing Communications for AddUp Inc., told 3DPrint.com. “His strategic mindset and focus on results make him an effective leader for our team and I am confident in our path to continued growth under his guidance.”

AddUp Deputy CEO Nick Estock on a panel about Large-Format Metal AM at AMS 2024. (Images: Sarah Saunders, 3DPrint.com)

The AddUp Solution Center is certified to both ISO 9001 and AS9100, but it’s also the company’s only facility with ISO 13485 certification for medical devices, which highlights its commitment to the medical sector. Estock was a driving force last year in setting up the AddUp Medical Advisory Board to support this important work, and many global medical OEMs use the AddUp FormUp 350 for serial production—including Armadillo Additive, a Texas-based medical device contractor. The company recently launched a new advanced additive manufacturing facility, and a high-performance FormUp 350 serves as the cornerstone machine in the facility.

“The FormUp 350 is a dream come true for us. It’s on the cutting edge from both a software and hardware perspective,” said Noah Smith, Armadillo Additive Director of Operations. “The large build volume and quad laser system allow us to get production jobs done faster than the competition, while the roller recoater lets us push the design envelope to the next level.”

Tibia build tray at Armadillo Additive

Armadillo Additive’s new facility specializes in Grade 23 Titanium, which gives medical devices both biocompatibility and high strength-to-weight ratios. The FormUp 350 PBF printer has a large build volume and high productivity, but Armadillo Additive was most impressed by its ability to print high-quality medical implants at volume with excellent surface finish, which means less post-processing is required.

Another recent medical AM success for AddUp comes out of Washington, DC, where Anatomic Implants is said to be the first medical device startup to patent and develop a 1st metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint replacement, using titanium 3D printing, that almost perfectly replicates the anatomy of a human toe. Anatomic Implants is working with AddUp, using the FormUp 350 3D printer to quality its Anatomic Great Toe Joint for 510(k) submission to the FDA.

The Anatomic Great Toe Joint

The MTP toe joint, at the base of the big toe, is one of the three main points humans use for balance, and is also typically the first foot joint to develop osteoarthritis. The $500 million global market for 1st MTP toe joint reconstruction has very few products, and supposedly none of the other options are anatomic or can support bone-in growth as well as the Anatomic Great Toe Joint. That’s because 3D printing can integrate a porous structure into an implant to promote osseointegration, which can reduce the chances that a patient’s body will reject the implant. The FormUp 350 can print complex geometries with finely detailed lattice structures, which are perfect for medical implants.

“With 1st MTP joint replacement being a largely underserved market, and medical device companies building lattice structures into implantables since the mid 2000’s, Dr. [Scott] Nutter and I sought out to make a more anatomic design by leveraging the latest technologies adopted by the industry & FDA. We were excited to partner with AddUp to achieve 510(k) clearance after learning about their proprietary 3D printing technology and seeing how it could benefit the development of the Anatomic Great Toe Joint. We look forward to leveraging the AddUp team and their expertise to validate the world’s first 3D printed toe joint replacement on their FormUp 350,” said Anatomic Implants Co-Founder and President David Nutter.

In addition to a bright future in the medical sector, AddUp’s Tooling Competence Centre in Aachen, Germany—which serves as AddUp’s German subsidiary—recently launched a new project called #2024AMIM – 2024 Additive Manufacturing for Injection Molding. A consortium of AM experts and 17 industrial companies are working on this year-long project, which focuses on seven different areas of importance for tooling manufacturers, including tooling steel development, sustainability, quality, and occupational safety and powder handling.

AddUp’s Tooling Competence Centre

Tooling manufacturers are invited to participate by bringing their own tooling challenges for evaluation and optimization, and companies interested in exploring AM solutions for injection molding applications are also invited. In addition to the WBA Tooling Academy and Aachen Center for Additive Manufacturing (ACAM), AddUp has 17 companies committed to the project, including:

#2024AMIM began earlier this month, and monthly workshops on the seven focus areas will be held at the Tooling Competence Center, which is located within the WBA Tooling Academy and is equipped with a FormUp 350 to help tooling manufacturers validate their applications. AddUp will create samples, benchmarking parts, and production molds for the workshops, and at the end of the project, testing and data collection will be prepared and published.