Introducing Thrive Orthopedics: Printing Custom Orthoses

Introducing Thrive Orthopedics: Printing Custom Orthoses

Thrive Orthopedics, a distribution enterprise founded in 2017, debuted its very own product line with 3D-printed orthoses called the Balance 3D+ Brace, an ankle foot orthoses (AFO). The brace reduces postural sway and increases postural stability. This relative newcomer to the AM scene has created an orthotic that lines the sole of one’s foot while also bracing the heel and calf for additional support. The company prides itself on the elegance and aesthetically pleasing look of its product. It also projects product prices in line with industry standards.

Lincotek Additive Gets New Funding and Adds More EOS M 400-4 Systems to Swiss AM Center

Lincotek Additive Gets New Funding and Adds More EOS M 400-4 Systems to Swiss AM Center

Lincotek Additive has taken another step in its development program by increasing its production capacity to meet customer demand. The company is adding further EOS M400-4 additive machines in its brand new, state-of-the-art Additive Production Center for the aerospace and industrial sectors in Switzerland and obtained EN9100:2018 certification for its quality management system.

The Importance of a Broad SLS Powder Range

The Importance of a Broad SLS Powder Range

As 3D printing evolves and matures, so to do the expectations surrounding it. In order to meet these growing expectations and to address an increasing number of use cases for 3D printing—in prototyping and end-use production—it is important to recognize that the 3D printer itself is just part of the equation. A key element is also material selection, in this case SLS powder materials.

Oqton Raises M in Series A Financing Round

Oqton Raises $40M in Series A Financing Round

Oqton, a software company specializing in AI-powered solutions for the manufacturing industry, has raised over $40M in a Series A financing round, led by Fortino Capital, a leading B2B software investor, by PMV, the regional Flemish investment fund, and by Sandvik, a global engineering group. In particular, Sandvik—which manufactures AM powders and provides metal AM services— also acquired a minority stake in the company.

A Cobbler in the Machine: Voxeljet’s Coral Runner

A Cobbler in the Machine: Voxeljet’s Coral Runner

In 1827, The Book of English Trades summarized the cobbler’s profession: “There are few trades more useful than that of a shoe-maker, and, perhaps, not many that are more profitable, when it is carried on to a considerable extent.” We have largely forgotten this profession as, two hundred years on, the cobbler has been replaced by mass production. Additive manufacturing, however, promises a return in some ways to the personalized shoe of earlier extraction. Such a return, as with many things relating to AM, makes mechanisms and their operators artisans.