3D Printing News Roundup: Sciaky and Altem Tech win awards, NuVasive launches new 3D printed implant, more

Oct 19, 2017 | By Tess

Here’s your 3D printing news roundup for October 19, 2017. In it you’ll find news from EBAM inventor Sciaky, India-based Altem Technologies, 3D printed medical implant company NuVasive, and methane conversion researchers from Montana State University.

Sciaky receives President’s ‘E’ award for exports of its EBAM metal 3D printing technology

Metal 3D printing company Sciaky, Inc. has announced that it has been given the President’s “E” Award from the U.S. Department of Commerce. The distinction was awarded to Sciaky for exporting its Electron Beam Additive Manufacturing (EBAM) system to countries around the globe.

A subsidiary of Phillips Service Industries, Sciaky has become known in the additive manufacturing industry for its EBAM system, which is recognized as being the “most widely scalable” metal 3D printing technology on the market as well as one of the fastest metal deposition technologies.

To give an idea, an EBAM printer can produce parts ranging in size from 203 mm (8”) to 5.79 m (19’) in length. In terms of speed, it can achieve deposition rates of up to 9.07 kg (20 lbs) of metal an hour.

The President’s “E” Award, which has existed since 1961, was established in order to recognize companies, people, or organizations which bolster and “contribute significantly” to the United States’ exports “with a focus on innovation, sustainability, and work of broad impact.”

Sciaky was presented with the award last month at the U.S. Manufacturers to Europe & Beyond Conference in Cleveland, Ohio.

Bob Phillips, Vice President of Sciaky, Inc., commented on the event, saying: ”Sciaky is honored to receive this prestigious award from the U.S. Department of Commerce. We are proud to be an American company that exports innovative technology all across the world.”

Indian 3D printing company Altem Technologies receives Frost & Sullivan Innovation Award

In more 3D printing award news, Indian 3D printing company Altem Technologies has received Frost & Sullivan’s 2017 India 3D Printers Technology Innovation Award. The award is part of Frost & Sullivan’s worldwide Best Practices Awards.

This year, awards were given to a total of 57 companies and organizations in a range of industries, including electronics & appliances, digital media, energy & environment, industrial automation & process control, and more.

Altem was reportedly the only 3D printing company to receive an award under the latter category, industrial automation & process control. The Bangalore-based company reportedly ticked the boxes for industry impact, scalability, application diversity, financial performance, and technology licensing.

“Today, industries are facing [an] enormous challenge to develop lighter components, newer materials, and meet ever-increasing compliances and regulatory norms,” said the company. “Altem aspires to be at the forefront to address these with [its] wide spectrum of products...ranging from PLM software solutions, which includes Dassault and MSC Software suite of products, Metal and Plastic 3D Printing from SLM Solutions, and Stratasys, besides handheld industrial 3D scanners from Artec3D.”

Altem Technologies is also one of India’s 3D printing market leaders, according to a report.

Medical tech company NuVasive launches new Modulus XLIF titanium 3D printed implant

NuVasive, Inc., a medical device developer based in San Diego, CA, has launched a new 3D printed titanium implant. Called Modulus XLIF, the new 3D printed implant is destined for use in the company’s flagship XLIF procedure, which itself is aimed at more minimally invasive lateral spine surgery.

The new 3D printed implant features a porous structure which was inspired by the natural porosity and architecture of human bones. By mimicking the organic structure of bone, the 3D printed implant takes on similar stiffness and stress resistance. Additionally, the microporous surface of the implant is well suited for promoting natural bone growth once implanted.

“We’ve seen an increase in surgeon preference to use titanium interbody options in spine surgeries, and we were confident we could develop a titanium option that delivers the porous properties surgeons need,” commented Matt Link, executive vice president of strategy, technology, and corporate development at NuVasive.

“Modulus XLIF maximizes the potential of 3D printed spinal implants through the application of unique and advanced software optimization processes,” he added. “This product launch further represents our continued commitment to advancing surgical materials, and delivering best-in-class implants that provide superior osseointegration and biomechanics.”

NuVasive’s XLIF process is currently the only lateral approach spine procedure with over 15 years of clinical research supporting it. The new 3D printed Modulus XLIF implant marks an important addition to the company’s XLIF offering.

The medical device company will be unveiling its new Modolus XLIF titanium implant at the upcoming North American Spine Society Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida.

MSU researchers awarded $1.8M to study methane conversion with 3D printing

The National Science Foundation has awarded $1.8 million in funding to a team of researchers from Montana State University for the development of plastics and other commercial products made from methane-consuming microbes. The team also hopes that the research will open up possibilities for 3D printed biofilms.

The project, which is actually a collaboration between MSU, the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, and the University of Oklahoma, is called “Building Genome-to-Phenome Infrastructure for Regulating Methane in Deep and Extreme Environments” or BuG ReMeDEE for short.

Methane conversion is becoming significant in scientific research fields, largely because of the threat the gas poses to our environment. Methane, which is generated by agriculture, natural wetlands, landfills, and oil and coal extraction, is the second most significant greenhouse agent after carbon dioxide.

The study is specifically targeting methane production and conversion in deep and extreme environments, of which little is currently known. The project was spurred on by the recent discovery of methane-converting microbes called methanotrophs in such regions.

One of the researchers in the team thinks that there’s a role for 3D printing to play in the project. In simple terms, the researchers are aiming to manipulate tiny liquid drops injected with methane-converting methanotrophs and build them into structures, such as biofilms, using additive manufacturing.

“By layering the methanotrophs in specific configurations, the researchers hope to create prototypes of engineered biofilms that are capable of converting methane into specific materials,” reads a press release.

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