2024 TCT AWARD FINALISTS

Entrant - Airbus (Premium Aerotec)

Partners - Norsk Titanium; Testia

Two structural parts manufactured using ‘directed energy deposition’ (DED) have been qualified, produced and installed in serial production for Premium Aerotec on the A350. The parts have enabled reduced carbon emissions and resulted in DED being qualified for use as a standard manufacturing technology for new program developments within Airbus.

Entrant - Boeing

This additively manufactured multi-functional cold plate has been installed on the O3b satellite constellation, which will provide internet service to three billion people across the globe. The use of aluminium alloy powder bed laser sintering increased the strength and lifespan of the cold plate as well as reducing costs by 80%.

Entrant - Markforged

Partner - Sidus Space

The use of AM has enabled lightweighting of satellites as well as enabling the development of multi-use satellites, reducing the number needed in space. Printed with Markforged’s Onyx FRA flame retardant/traceable material, the parts have withstood the rigours of a year in space without degradation.

Entrant - Metamorphic Additive Manufacturing

Partners - RAL Space; University of Nottingham; Torr Scientific

Qteam leverages AM to create compact, lightweight and power-efficient quantum devices for applications such as precision navigation, timing, and gravitational field sensing, which are crucial to aerospace and defence. Using LPBF to produce leak-tight ultra-high vacuum components in Ti-6Al-4V has enabled a 30% reduction in volume and a 50% reduction in weight.

Entrant - Airtech Advanced Materials Group

Partners - Oak Ridge National Lab; The Brumos Collection; Verus Engineering

Using recycled materials from redundant molds, a carbon-fiber aerodynamic splitter mold was manufactured using a Thermwood 1040 LSAM 3D Printer. The splitter played a pivotal role in enhancing The Brumos Collection's GT2 RS Clubsport, producing more downforce, enabling the Brumos Racing Porche to set a New World Record as the fastest car in its class.

Entrant - Girl Gang Garage

Partners - Stratasys; Autodesk; Volvo; BASF; PADT

Girl Gang Garage provides a judgment-free space for women to explore the automotive trade. One of their most unique vehicle rebuilds, the Iron Maven, utilised 3D printing to create one-off fully custom parts, enabling quick iterations within tight timeframes. Supported by Stratsys, the project produced multiple key components using FDM, Origin and SAF technologies.

Entrant - CRP USA

Partners - UVic Formula Racing team University of Victoria

3D printing liquid catch cans have been developed for UVic Formula Racing, enabling the consolidation of multiple pieces into a single part. These vital components were laser sintered in Windform SP, which contributed to superior performance and durability in the demanding environment of Formula SAE racing.

Entrant - EOS North America

Partners - Bauer Hockey; Dyemansion; nTop; Twikit

Bauer have collaborated with EOS to produce this mass customised foam insert for its REAKT ice hockey helmet. A player’s head is scanned and a digital insert file created to fit perfectly to its wearer. Printed in SLS using TPE 300 digital foam technology, the liner increases comfort, breathability, fit and grip whilst reducing weight to just 580 grams.

Entrant - Ricoh 3D

Partners - Impossible Objects; Athletics 3D

The development of a 3D printed bolt handle for elite biathletes has led to 6 gold medals at the 2023 World Championships. Produced using CBAM technology and in line with Olympic Biathlon regulations, the multi-beneficial solution improved reload speed and decreased the overall rifle movement and effort between each shot.

Entrant - HP

Partner - Brooks

Brooks Exhilarate-BlueLine running shoes feature 3d printed midsoles to advance their power and performance. The Multi Jet Fusion-produced midsoles, designed using runner data for size-specific optimisation, have been proven to deliver higher energy return than 90% of midsoles in running shoes on the market today.

Entrant - GM Inventions

3D lattices have been harnessed to reimagine the traditional aftermarket foam footwear insert. Made using TPE, TPU, silicone gel and PU foam, the insert uses strategically arranged lattices to achieve optimal results in comfort, support and longevity. Furthermore, GM Inventions offer both a mass-market option for widespread accessibility and a customizable alternative for those seeking tailored comfort.

Entrant - Massivit

Partner - Nautic

In collaboration with Woltz Nautic, Massivit have produced an innovative 3D printed hot tub in their proprietary Dimengel thermoset acrylic. The hot tub weighs 100 kg less than traditional counterparts and significantly reduces installation time by approximately 260 hours per tub. The enabled personalization is especially beneficial to cater to diverse client preferences in the superyacht industry.

Entrant - Cognitive Flow Design

Partner - GreenGate3D

‘Rainbow Raindrops’ harnesses 3D printed layers acting as a Fresnel lens to diffract light in unique ways. The design went through a lengthy development process, testing materials and print parameters to achieve its unique geometry, clarity and durability. With a focus on sustainability, the sculpture is made from GreenGate 3D’s 100% Post-Industria Recycled PETG and is assembled using circular design principles.

Entrant - PROCODE_DRESS

Partner - Xtellar; Mimaki

"DRESS_CODE" is a fashion collection of 12 looks, that focuses on the merger between technology and fashion. 3d printed using a robotic arm from PLA and Xtellar’s Braskem recycled PE/PP/CF blend materials, the collection was inspired by software engineering, comparing traditional methods to 3d printing, where software becomes art and is translated into wearable objects.

Entrant - CRP Technology

Michael Mann’s film ‘Ferrari’ used 3D printing to produce the cat’s eye prop, which was pivotal to the plot line of the movie. Produced in SLS using CRP's rubber-like thermoplastic polyurethane Windform TPU, the solution embodies innovation at the cinema-technology intersection, addressing the film crew's need for a high-performance solution in an urgent timeline.

Entrant - PrintCity

Partner - Walk the Plank

Walk the Plank & PrintCity collaborated to produce 3D printed parts for the Lost Village Festival. 3D scanning and AM technology was utilised to create bespoke face masks for the performers at the event, and the events showstopper Stag’s head was created using large format 3D printing with PLA derived from 97% Recycled plastic waste.

Entrant - Lancaster University

Partners - Lancaster City Museums Service; Galloways

This unique solution enables people with sight loss to experience 2D objects within museums and art galleries using 3D printed lithophanes. Fitted in museums next to 2D historical artefacts, the low-cost haptic stand allows visitors to feel the lithophanes 3d surface and listen to audio descriptions to experience a version of the 2D object.

Entrant - nLIGHT

Partners - Optoprim; AMCM; Ohio State University

The AMCM M290 FLX is one of the first commercially available laser powder bed fusion machines on the market to provide beam shaping capability. Beam shaping, enabled by nLIGHT AFX technology, dramatically opens the processing window, enabling higher powers, faster scan speeds, and bigger layer thicknesses.

Entrant - University of Delaware

Partners - CarbonForm, Inc.

CarbonForm3D’s robotic-controlled printing system is capable of precise deposition, lamination, and rapid curing of tow-pregs into composites. Employing a unique core-shell structure formation mechanism produces high-performance composite structures with strong interlayer bonding suitable for a wide range of thermoset resins.

Entrant - Copner Biotech

Partners - Smart Cymru; Innovate UK

The GRAPE S1 4D bioprinter uses proprietary GRAPE technology enabling accurate and repeatable biofabrication of models for cell culture research and tissue engineering. Employing microfluidics with raster style printing via coreXY movement enables accurate a repeatable biomaterial deposition.

Entrant - Ponticon

Partners - ELHA-MASCHINENBAU Liemke; Cognibotics

This innovation revolutionizes large-scale laser-based Direct Energy Deposition (DED-LB) applications with the integration of a large Parallel Kinematic Module (PKM). The result is unrivalled productivity and material flexibility, achieving speeds up to 100 times quicker than traditional DED, while retaining exceptional accuracy.

Entrant - Holo

Designed for high throughput, the H200 merges the high resolution and speed of DLP stereolithography with the cost-effectiveness of large-scale metal injection molding (MIM). The innovation is enabled by the proprietary front-end - blending materials, hardware, and software capabilities that combine to offer scalable, safe-to-handle, high-resolution metal 3D printing.

Entrant - Thought3D

Drywise is an in-line filament dryer that processes the material while 3D printing. It works with pre-certified material profiles, has sensors for humidity, temperature and filament movement that control the material pre-processing just in time for 3D printing. The results achieve 12% improvement in printed part strength and 7% stronger inter-layer adhesion when compared to oven drying.

Entrant - Stratasys

The F3300 industrial FDM 3D Printer produces complex, high-precision end-use parts. The system was designed to minimize labour requirements making it suitable for those focused on throughput and accuracy. With these features, the F3300 lowers cost-per-part by up to 25 percent, prints up to two times faster than other FDM printers, and has 25 percent increased accuracy.

Entrant - AON3D

AON3D introduced the next generation of digital twins and new methods of non-destructive part examination (NDE). By combining positional data with data streams from Hylo’s 25+ integrated sensors, AON3D has enabled near real-time part quality verification and visible/hidden defect detection. Detectable defects include part deformation, debris inclusions, over/under extrusion, and poor interlayer welding.

Entrant - HP

HP’s new 5600 Series is the company’s upgrade to the Multi Jet Fusion technology 5200 Series. Through improvements in hardware and firmware opening up production parameters, the 5600 offers greater repeatability, reliability, and customization to help reduce development and validation costs. These features are critical as customers scale manufacturing for serial production.

Entrant - Rapid Fusion

Partners - Xtrution; Ai Build; Adaxis; KUKA

The Rapid Fusion PE 320 Pellet extruder has been developed with an innovative power-to-weight ratio, enabling an industry leading 17.2Kg per hour throughput for its small 22Kg weight. The ability to print in large scale, with engineering grade materials, opens up new markets and applications.

Entrant - Dyze Design

Pulsar™ Atom is a revolutionary small and compact precision thermoplastic pellet extruder, engineered to deliver precision, productivity, and uncompromising performance. It's uniquely designed for high temperature printing up to 450°C, enabling the use of advanced materials.

Entrant - Triastek

Partner - Siemens

3DμS®-GR produces medication with an innovative structure using a combination of Melt Extrusion Deposition 3D printing and micro-injection molding. This structure prolongs drug release time in the stomach to simplify dosage regimen, reduce pill burden, increase drug absorption and improve therapeutic efficacy.

Entrant - Toolkit3D

Partners - Berretta Medical Inc; Materialise CO-AM; Extol

Toolkit3D has created a seamless solution from patient scan to manufacture of a bespoke knee brace for Berretta Medical Inc. The scan-to-fit design engine turned the patient scan to a brace design file in minutes. Fully trackable through their OMS, the pieces were then 3D printed through partners Extol, to produce the final brace, all based on the patient's individual requirements.

Entrant - HP

Partners - Mighty Oak Medical

This patient specific pre-surgical planning platform was developed to streamline the pedicle screw placement phase in complex spine surgeries. FIREFLY uses HP 5200 3D printed anatomical models and disposable guides to address five crucial criteria; accuracy, radiation dosage, pedicle screw placement time, cost, and learning curve. Its innovative workflow has enabled surgeons to increase screw placement accuracy from 59% to 99.7%.

Entrant - Advanced Engineering Solutions

Partners - PTC; Tel Aviv Medical Center

A patient diagnosed with bone cancer in her femur avoided amputation through the use of a patient specific implant, and was able to walk again in a few weeks. The implant was tailored to the patient in form and stiffness, and the unique lattice structure promoted faster healing, better integration of bone, and improved long-term outcomes.

Entrant - Arburg

Partner - HASHTAGTWO

The HASHTAGTWO breast orthosis is a disruptive innovation for women who have undergone mastectomy due to cancer. Additively manufactured with the ARBURG freeformer, the breast orthosis can be fully tailor-made, including shape, density, size, colour and in certified medical product grades which are light weight, breathable and 100% recyclable.

Entrant - Boston Micro Fabrication

Partners - Peking University School of Stomatology; Capture Dental Arts

These 3D-printed veneers are said to be the world's thinnest cosmetic dental veneer. Produced using projection micro stereolithography (PµSL) to custom-manufacture veneers that are three-times thinner than traditional veneers and require significantly less preparation for dental professionals, allowing preservation of the patient’s enamel with less reduction.

Entrant - Westinghouse Electric Company

After Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine put fuel supply at risk, Westinghouse developed the world’s first fully western VVER-440 nuclear fuel (a class of Russian-designed nuclear power plants), with the top and bottom flow plates in every assembly produced with AM. With the VVER-440, Westinghouse delivered the first reload of Ukraine’s Rivine NPP in August 2023.

Entrant - ADD3D Solutions

Partner - George Romneys

When a confectionary company needed new heat resistant food grade silicone moulds for their expanding production line, it turned to 3D printing. By using Materialise Magics to randomly and equally space the sweet forms, Romney’s Mintcake was able to fit 178 sweets per mould compared to 130 with the previous moulds, increasing production by 37%.

Entrant - Labconco

Partner - The ASHRAE 110 Committee

This transformative fume hood testing product is a complete redesign of traditional systems which are reliant on an expensive and environmentally harmful gas. Design for additive manufacturing has enabled a fan-driven mechanism with unique and intricate consolidated geometries, optimize the testing process for more cost effective and eco-friendly gases.

Entrant - Ricoh 3D

Partners - nTop; RICOH Company

A THETA camera cover has been redesigned with additive manufacturing to dissipate heat, so the camera no longer shuts down when overheating. Since implementing the new cover, the THETA camera has been able to run continuously for 24 hours despite RICOH’s production lines reaching temperatures of up to 32 degrees Celsius.

Entrant - FasTech

Partner - Siemens Energy

This large-scale resonator ring component measuring around 450 mm in diameter was manufactured with wire arc additive manufacturing technology, with a cost reduction of 25% and a lead time reduction of 66%. Energy usage also came down by 60%, while material waste reduction came was reduced by 80%.

Entrant - Fishy Filaments 

Partners - 3D Print Cornwall; Fillamentum

The 0rCA filament is a 10% carbon-filled material that is believed to be the first in the world to use recycled nylon with recycled carbon fibre for a 100% recycled content. The material has a carbon equivalent emissions saving of around 95% vs global baselines for virgin equivalents, and also provides mechanical strength parity with other carbon-fibre filled nylons on the market.

Entrant - Formlabs

Partners - OXO

The Silicone 40A resin uses Formlabs’ patent-pending Pure Silicone technology and boasts a shore hardness of 40A. This shore hardness ensures that parts printed with this material are resistant to chemicals, thermally stable, and can handle repeated cycles of flexing, wear and tear.

Entrant - EOS

Partners - Sintavia; Vast Space

Utilising thermodynamic modelling, iterative alloy design, and iterative AM process development, the EOS Al5X1 is a high-strength aluminium alloy that also boasts excellent elongation and density properties. The material not only meets aerospace requirements, but is also suitable for the semiconductor and electronics industries, with the material said to excel in anodization and corrosion resistant applications.

Entrant - Massivit

CIM 84 is the first 3D printing material certified for ASTM E84 Class A fire & safety requirements – a regulation demanded by theme parks and entertainment venues. This material, with its durability and longevity proficiencies, will enable theming fabricators and production studios to create full-scale sets, characters and amusement park constructions with additive manufacturing.

Entrant - Photocentric

Partners - QI factory; Grisport

DL401 is a rigid, high temperature resin with enough ductility to allow compression where needed, making it ideal for thermoforming moulds. Among its key properties are its colour, which means the inside and any engravings are clearly visible, as well as its temperature resistance of 230°C and its resistance to fatigue.

Entrant - Mechnano

Partners - Jabil; Farsoon

The PK ESD material leverages Jabil’s low carbon footprint PK 5000 powder and incorporates Mechnano’s innovative Dispersed and Functionalized Carbon Nanotubes (D’FUNC) technology to ensure consistent electrostatic discharge properties. Thanks to D’FUNC, PK ESD parts have Nano-Uniform resistivity at 107 ohms, while closely retaining PK 5000’s enhanced mechanical performance.

Entrant - CRP Technology

Finding applications in automotive, robotics and sports equipment, Windform TPU is a thermoplastic polyurethane that is suitable for parts being used at low temperatures or that have to be immersed in oils, greases or solvents. Set apart by its elongation at break exceeding 400%, the Windform TPU has exceptional elastomeric properties, remarkable flexibility and softness, and resilience to abrasion.

Entrant - Nexa3D

xMOLD is a high-performance dissolvable resin developed for Nexa3D’s Freeform Injection Molding (FIM) technology. It is a fully dissolvable resin, allowing users to produce tools within minutes or hours with high feedstock compatibility that includes materials such as ABS and polypropylene, as well as HX-5 and PAEK.

Entrant - Russell Finex

With an integrated storage hopper and convey system, the AMPro Sieve Station Connect has been developed as an all-in-one powder management system, which is backed up by the Smart Flow technology for autonomous sieving and data logging. The resulting data is used to optimise powder usage and can be done remotely for end-to-end traceability.

Entrant -   Solukon

Partner -   Rivelin Robotics

With the integration of Rivelin’s robotic solutions for finishing, quality control and support removal, Solukon’s SFM-AT800-S can now automate the cleanliness inspection of the channels by implementing a blow-out process, streamlining the final stages of serial cleaning to enable real application testing.

Entrant - Formlabs

An affordable cleaning solution for users of small-format SLS machines, the Formlabs Fuse Blast efficiently removes loose and semi-sintered powder from the parts’ surface to produce a smooth part with no powder residue. This machine eliminates the time spent manually blasting parts, and is said to reduce the entire post-processing timeline to as little as 15 minutes.

Entrant - Steros GPA Innovative

Partner - CETIM

DryLyte Hybrid Finish merges GPA Innova’s patented Dry Suspension surfacing technology with abrasive finishing to achieve remarkable material removal speeds and geometry preservation, outpacing its precursor by up to five times. The system is known to deliver finishes of Ra 10 to 0.5 micrometres in just 40minutes, helping users to maintain precision while slashing lead times.

Entrant - ADDIBLAST by FerroECOBlast

ADDIBLAST’s MARS02 BJP system has been designed to streamline the de-powdering process for users of binder jetting technologies, excelling in the handling of powders thanks to its enclosed chamber and inert gas infusion. The system not only aids in powder removal, but also powder recovery by transferring excess powder to a cyclone separator for sieving before being collected for reuse.

Entrant - Additive Manufacturing Technologies

The world’s first benchtop vapour smoothing system, the PostPro SFX has been developed to enhance the surface finish and mechanical properties of thermoplastic 3D printed parts. The PostPro SFX uses AMT’s fully green PostPro Pure chemistry, which is sustainable and FDA-approved.

Entrant - AON3D

AON3D’s Basis software employs process simulation and optimisation to anticipate and prevent defects by considering factors like part geometry, orientation, print settings, machine convective workflows, and material. The software then applies dynamic print setting adjustments millimetre by millimetre to minimise defects and optimise part properties.

Entrant - nebumind

Partners - Isar Aerospace Technologies; EOS

Integrating its AI Recoater Eye capability into its digital twin, nebumind is now offering users the capacity to automate the identification and reporting of defects during the application of a new powder layer. With this capability, nebumind automatically detects defects during the printing process through AI-based image analysis, which can be visualised in the digital twin of the component.

Entrant - Replique

The AM Material Database helps Replique’s customer base to select the right materials for the applications, with user-friendly filters helping manufacturers to select materials based on properties like strength, flammability and chemical resistance.

Entrant - Metafold 3D

With Metafold’s volumetric geometry kernel, users can rapidly create complex designs with lattices and gyroids, while assessing the best materials to use with a meshless compression simulation tool. This simulation capability also allows users to predict the performance of the part before they print it.

Entrant - DiManEx

Partner - Additive Center

Leveraging data from ERP systems, the DfAM Potential Analysis tool from DiManEx analyses thousands of lines of data for existing parts and products to identify components that can be redesigned with additive manufacturing. The software provides a sortable indication of cost savings for large volumes of component data in minutes.

Entrant - LEAP 71

Partners - The Exploration Company; Dubai Future Labs; Fraunhofer IGCV

PicoGK is a compact and open-source geometry kernel designed to enable the computational engineering of sophisticated and complex parts. This kernel forms the basis for all of the company’s computational engineering models – currently being used to develop space propulsion systems – allowing users to encode their knowledge in computer algorithms and design parts in minutes.

Entrant - EOS

Partners - Launcher; KSB; Pankl

EOS’ Smart Fusion software has been developed to automatically adjust laser power inside metal powder bed fusion systems in real-time to help address the need for support structures, while reducing material use, post-processing requirements, and cost-per-part.

Entrant - trinckle

Partners - Deutsche Bahn; Audi Sport; ERIKS

Fixturemate has been developed to simplify and accelerate the creation of custom manufacturing fixtures, leveraging advanced algorithms to design parts in minutes. Because of the speed and simplicity of the platform, trinckle believes user will be able to keep pace with ever-changing assembly lines.