Materialise NV

Last updated
Materialise NV
Company type Public
Nasdaq:  MTLS
Industry 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing
Founded1990;34 years ago (1990)
FounderWilfried Vancraen
Headquarters,
Belgium
Area served
Worldwide
RevenueIncrease2.svg US$196.67 million (2019) [1]
Number of employees
2000+
Website materialise.com

Materialise NV, headquartered in Leuven, Belgium, is a company in the 3D printing / additive manufacturing sector.

Contents

History

1990s

Materialise was founded in June 1990 by Wilfried Vancraen and his wife Hilde Ingelaere as a Rapid Prototyping service bureau. It was the first company of its kind in the Benelux region of Europe, through the acquisition of a single Stereolithography machine (the SLA 1). [2]

In 1992, Materialise began mapping human anatomy digitally in three dimensions, [3] using sliced CT image data, which lead to the development of its medical image processing software: Mimics. Concurrently, the team was also developing its industrial software solution, Magics. Both of these software solutions were later commercialized to promote growth.[ citation needed ]

In 1995, Materialise became the first company to produce 3D printed parts [4] in more than one colour, specifically at this time for anatomical models produced using the stereolithography process to delineate the complexities of the anatomy (such as nerves, blood vessels and tumours) and allow surgeons to more precisely plan for operations.[ citation needed ] [5]

The company developed and produced the first customised 3D printed surgical guide for a dental operation in 1996. These personalised guides were utilised during surgery to show surgeons bone cutting and drilling locations to apply implants. This knowledge was used to develop Materialise SimPlant software, allowing the surgeon to virtually plan the surgery and minimize invasive exploratory surgery.[ citation needed ]

The company launched one of the first 3D printing online ordering systems in 1997, Materialise NextDay, which later became Materialise OnSite. This service allowed 3D printing service customers to send digital 3D data, which could be printed and shipped the next day.[ citation needed ]

Demand for prototypes grew, leading Materialise to develop its Mammoth Stereolithography systems, which are capable of printing single-piece models with dimensions of more than 2 meters in the Y axis.[ citation needed ]

2000s

In the year 2000, hearing aid specialist Phonak approached Materialise to develop the Rapid Shell Modeling (RSM) software. This allowed the design process for customized, patient-specific hearing aid shells to become automated. The resulting designs could then be 3D printed to produce the customised hearing aids. This was the first high volume, end-use application of 3D printing, and today, 99% of the world's hearing aids are now produced using 3D printing. [6]

Materialise acquired US company Columbia Scientific Inc, (CSI) in 2001, the creators of Sim/Plant and ImageMaster, which became the US headquarters for Materialise's dental division in that region. [7]

In 2003 Materialise launched one of the first 3D printed consumer brands — .MGX by Materialise — for 3D printing end-use products as well as prototypes. In parallel, the company also acquired Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) systems for industrial applications.[ citation needed ]

The following year, in 2004, Materialise introduced its 3-matic software, allowing 3D printer users to edit files directly in the STL format. Previously, if design changes were required in the digital model, designers had to make them in the CAD suite of choice before re-converting the entire file to STL again.

In 2006 Materialise launched RapidFit, developed as a 3D printed solution for shipping large parts with customized jigs and fixtures to prevent deformation or breakage while in transit.[ citation needed ]

In 2006 Materialise developed the first Titanium 3D printed skull implants, following the acquisition of OBL, which specialized in the creation of custom cranio-maxillfacial (CMF) implants, producing customized implants with intricate porous structures, that behave like natural bone and mimic its mechanical and thermal properties. [8]

In 2008 Materialise introduced the e-Stage software which was the first software to automatically generate support structures for different geometries in Stereolitography. In the same year, the company launched i.materialise for the consumer market, making it possible for anyone to print their ideas using professional-quality equipment. Materialise also developed its first Build Processor to support running different 3D printing processes more efficiently within a single location.[ citation needed ]

2010s

In 2012, Materialise introduced Streamics to provide traceable quality control to industrial 3D printer users producing end-use parts within regulated industries.[ citation needed ]

Materialise went public on June 25, 2014 [9] to enable expansion of its services and software development. The same year the company acquired OrthoView, [10] a market leader in orthopaedic digital pre-operative planning software and officially established a new office in China in December with a focus on 3D printing Software and R&D, namely Materialise Shanghai Co. Ltd. [11]

In 2016, the company opened a new and dedicated metal production facility in Bremen, Germany. Materialise HQ, Leuven, also acquired and started testing the multi jet fusion (MJF) process from HP. Production of parts with MJF started in the following year, 2017.[ citation needed ]

With the expansion of the AM Metal market, Materialise acquired ACTech in Germany to extend the company's metal capabilities, with a specific emphasis on low-volume production of highly complex metal parts. The acquisition also enabled Materialise to develop and improve its software suite for metal 3D printing. [12]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stereolithography</span> 3D printing technique

Stereolithography is a form of 3D printing technology used for creating models, prototypes, patterns, and production parts in a layer by layer fashion using photochemical processes by which light causes chemical monomers and oligomers to cross-link together to form polymers. Those polymers then make up the body of a three-dimensional solid. Research in the area had been conducted during the 1970s, but the term was coined by Chuck Hull in 1984 when he applied for a patent on the process, which was granted in 1986. Stereolithography can be used to create prototypes for products in development, medical models, and computer hardware, as well as in many other applications. While stereolithography is fast and can produce almost any design, it can be expensive.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">3D printing</span> Additive process used to make a three-dimensional object

3D printing or additive manufacturing is the construction of a three-dimensional object from a CAD model or a digital 3D model. It can be done in a variety of processes in which material is deposited, joined or solidified under computer control, with the material being added together, typically layer by layer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">STL (file format)</span> File format for stereolithography applications

STL is a file format native to the stereolithography CAD software created by 3D Systems. Chuck Hull, the inventor of stereolithography and 3D Systems’ founder, reports that the file extension is an abbreviation for stereolithography.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Organ printing</span> Method of creating artificial organs

Organ printing utilizes techniques similar to conventional 3D printing where a computer model is fed into a printer that lays down successive layers of plastics or wax until a 3D object is produced. In the case of organ printing, the material being used by the printer is a biocompatible plastic. The biocompatible plastic forms a scaffold that acts as the skeleton for the organ that is being printed. As the plastic is being laid down, it is also seeded with human cells from the patient's organ that is being printed for. After printing, the organ is transferred to an incubation chamber to give the cells time to grow. After a sufficient amount of time, the organ is implanted into the patient.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">3D Systems</span> American 3D printing company

3D Systems Corporation headquartered in Rock Hill, South Carolina, is a company that engineers, manufactures, and sells 3D printers, 3D printing materials, 3D Printed Parts, and application engineering services. The company creates product concept models, precision and functional prototypes, master patterns for tooling, as well as production parts for direct digital manufacturing. It uses proprietary processes to fabricate physical objects using input from computer-aided design and manufacturing software, or 3D scanning and 3D sculpting devices.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rapid prototyping</span> Group of techniques to quickly construct physical objects

Rapid prototyping is a group of techniques used to quickly fabricate a scale model of a physical part or assembly using three-dimensional computer aided design (CAD) data. Construction of the part or assembly is usually done using 3D printing or "additive layer manufacturing" technology.

Custom-fit means personalized with regard to shape and size. A customized product would imply the modification of some of its characteristics according to the customers requirements such as with a custom car. However, when fit is added to the term, customization could give the idea of both the geometric characteristics of the body and the individual customer requirements, e.g., the steering wheel of the Formula 1 driver Fernando Alonso.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stratasys</span> Manufacturer of 3D production systems

Stratasys, Ltd. is an American-Israeli manufacturer of 3D printers, software, and materials for polymer additive manufacturing as well as 3D-printed parts on-demand. The company is incorporated in Israel. Engineers use Stratasys systems to model complex geometries in a wide range of polymer materials, including: ABS, polyphenylsulfone (PPSF), polycarbonate (PC) and polyetherimide and Nylon 12.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Objet Geometries</span>

Objet Geometries is one of the brands of Stratasys, a 3D printer developing company. The brand began with Objet Geometries Ltd, a corporation engaged in the design, development, and manufacture of photopolymer 3D printing systems. The company, incorporated in 1998, was based in Rehovot, Israel. In 2011 the company merged with Stratasys. It held patents on a number of associated printing materials that are used in PolyJet and PolyJet Matrix polymer jetting technologies. It distributed 3D printers worldwide through wholly owned subsidiaries in the United States, Europe, and Hong Kong. Objet Geometries owned more than 50 patents and patent-pending inventions.

Solidscape, Inc. is a company that designs, develops and manufactures 3D printers for rapid prototyping and rapid manufacturing, able to print solid models created in CAD.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Selective laser melting</span> 3D printing technique

Selective laser melting (SLM) is one of many proprietary names for a metal additive manufacturing (AM) technology that uses a bed of powder with a source of heat to create metal parts. Also known as direct metal laser sintering (DMLS), the ASTM standard term is powder bed fusion (PBF). PBF is a rapid prototyping, 3D printing, or additive manufacturing technique designed to use a high power-density laser to melt and fuse metallic powders together.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Powder bed and inkjet head 3D printing</span> 3D printing technique

Binder jet 3D printing, known variously as "Powder bed and inkjet" and "drop-on-powder" printing, is a rapid prototyping and additive manufacturing technology for making objects described by digital data such as a CAD file. Binder jetting is one of the seven categories of additive manufacturing processes according to ASTM and ISO.

Solid Concepts, Inc. is a custom manufacturing company engaged in engineering, manufacturing, production, and prototyping. The company is headquartered in Valencia, California, in the Los Angeles County area, with six other facilities located around the United States. Solid Concepts is an additive manufacturing service provider as well as a major manufacturer of business products, aerospace, unmanned systems, medical equipment and devices, foundry cast patterns, industrial equipment and design, and transportation parts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Formlabs</span>

Formlabs is a 3D printing technology developer and manufacturer. The Somerville, Massachusetts-based company was founded in September 2011 by three MIT Media Lab students. The company develops and manufactures 3D printers and related software and consumables. It is most known for raising nearly $3 million in a Kickstarter campaign and creating the Form 1, Form 1+, Form 2, Form Cell, Form 3, Form 3L, Fuse 1, Fuse 1+ and Form Auto stereolithography and selective laser sintering 3D printers and accessories.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">EnvisionTEC</span>

EnvisionTEC is a privately held global company that develops, manufactures and sells more than 40 configurations of desktop and production 3D printers based on seven several distinct process technologies that build objects from digital design files. Founded in 2002, the company now has a corporate headquarters for North America, located in Dearborn, Mich., and International headquarters in Gladbeck, Germany. It also has a production facility in the Greater Los Angeles area, as well as additional facilities in Montreal, for materials research, in Kiev, Ukraine, for software development, and in Woburn, Mass, for robotic 3D printing research and development. Today, the company's 3D Printers are used for mass customized production and to manufacture finished goods, investment casting patterns, tooling, prototypes and more. EnvisionTEC serves a variety of medical, professional and industrial customers. EnvisionTEC has developed large customer niches in the jewelry, dental, hearing aid, medical device, biofabrication and animation industries. EnvisionTEC is one of the few 3D printer companies globally whose products are being used for real production of final end-use parts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DFM analysis for stereolithography</span>

In design for additive manufacturing (DFAM), there are both broad themes and optimizations specific to a particular AM process. Described here is DFM analysis for stereolithography, in which design for manufacturability (DFM) considerations are applied in designing a part to be manufactured by the stereolithography (SLA) process. In SLA, parts are built from a photocurable liquid resin that cures when exposed to a laser beam that scans across the surface of the resin (photopolymerization). Resins containing acrylate, epoxy, and urethane are typically used. Complex parts and assemblies can be directly made in one go, to a greater extent than in earlier forms of manufacturing such as casting, forming, metal fabrication, and machining. Realization of such a seamless process requires the designer to take in considerations of manufacturability of the part by the process. In any product design process, DFM considerations are important to reduce iterations, time and material wastage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Applications of 3D printing</span>

In recent years, 3D printing has developed significantly and can now perform crucial roles in many applications, with the most common applications being manufacturing, medicine, architecture, custom art and design, and can vary from fully functional to purely aesthetic applications.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">3D printing processes</span> List of 3D printing processes

A variety of processes, equipment, and materials are used in the production of a three-dimensional object via additive manufacturing. 3D printing is also known as additive manufacturing, because the numerous available 3D printing process tend to be additive in nature, with a few key differences in the technologies and the materials used in this process.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Xilloc</span>

Xilloc, headquartered in Maastricht, The Netherlands is a company that designs and manufactures patient-specific medical devices.

Markforged is an American public additive manufacturing company that designs, develops, and manufactures The Digital Forge — an industrial platform of 3D printers, software and materials that enables manufacturers to print parts at the point-of-need. The company is headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts, in the Greater Boston Area. Markforged was founded by Gregory Mark and the chief technology officer (CTO) David Benhaim in 2013. It produced the first 3D printers capable of printing continuous carbon fiber reinforcement and utilizes a cloud architecture.

References

  1. https://investors.materialise.com/static-files/e92dd3f2-960a-40b0-82ab-38f99c5d04de [ bare URL PDF ]
  2. "Our Story". 12 January 2017.
  3. McDonald, Julia A.; Ryall, Chris J.; Wimpenny, David I. (2001-06-22). Rapid Prototyping Casebook. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN   978-1-86058-076-5.
  4. "Materialise teams with DePuy Synthes to deliver patient-specific medical implants". TCT Magazine. 2016-07-20. Retrieved 2023-10-25.
  5. Boissonneault, Tess (2018-11-12). "Materialise announces Magics 23 software and new 3D printing materials". 3D Printing Media Network - The Pulse of the AM Industry. Retrieved 2022-11-07.
  6. http://ratio.se/app/uploads/2015/12/cs_3dprinting_hearingaid_262.pdf [ bare URL PDF ]
  7. "Materialise acquires CSI - LEUVEN MINDGATE - Leuven Innovation Networking Circle". Archived from the original on 2019-04-26. Retrieved 2019-04-26.
  8. Hoang, D; Perrault, D; Stevanovic, M; Ghiassi, A (2016). "Surgical applications of three-dimensional printing: a review of the current literature & how to get started". Ann Transl Med. 4 (23): 456. doi: 10.21037/atm.2016.12.18 . PMC   5220021 . PMID   28090512.
  9. "Belgian 3D printing software firm Materialise files for U.S. IPO". Reuters. 2 April 2014.
  10. "Materialise acquires OrthoView's surgical planning tools for $12.3M |". 24 October 2014.
  11. "Materialise officially opens Shanghai office". 19 December 2014.
  12. "Materialise acquires ACTech, a manufacturer of complex metal parts, in $52.9 million deal". Metal Am Magazine. 7 October 2017.