Whereas we’re nonetheless six months away from the following Formnext occasion, the planning for the Frankfurt-based AM commerce present is nicely underway. Final month, Formnext 2025 opened up its name for audio system and now it has opened its submission portal for the 2025 Formnext Awards. Following the success of final 12 months’s awards format, this 12 months’s version may even acknowledge innovators in six totally different classes, who can be chosen by a jury of AM trade specialists and a public vote.
Formnext regulars will probably keep in mind the 2024 awards ceremony, the place six firms and organizations got particular 3D printed trophies. Final 12 months’s winners have been:
- AM of Bones, College of Stuttgart (AMbassador Award)
- Siemens / 3D-PROCESS analysis consortium (Design Award)
- Fraunhofer IGCV ((R)Evolution Award)
- Oryx Medicals (Rookie Award)
- Axolotl Biosciences (Begin-up Award)
- Ceratizit (Sustainability Award)
This 12 months, a brand new crop of winners can be chosen in the identical six classes of AMbassador, Design, (R)Evolution, Rookie, Begin-up and Sustainability. “To maintain shifting ahead, the AM trade wants a continuing provide of latest and forward-looking concepts and innovators. So, we wish to do extra than simply give excellent folks, firms and organizations a stage. We additionally wish to assist them community and join with potential clients, companions and traders,” mentioned Christoph Stüker, Vice President Formnext at occasion organizer Mesago Messe Frankfurt GmbH.
The AMbassador Award, which acknowledges organizations or people which are making an influence on the AM trade via coaching, training or private advocacy, can be chosen by an knowledgeable panel consisting of Dr. Irene Skibinski (VDMA Additive Manufacturing), Haden Quinlan (MIT), Ralf Anderhofstadt (Daimler Buses GmbH) and Lisa D. Block (Hybrid Manufacturing Applied sciences, Ladies in 3D Printing).
The Design Award, for its half, is concentrated on design teams, firms or people which are developing with cutting-edge AM designs or AM merchandise with notable aesthetics and functionalities. This award can be granted by a jury of specialists within the AM design area together with fashiontech designer and engineer Anouk Wipprecht, Duann Scott, the founding father of BITS to ATOMS and CDFAM, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Oliver Tessman from the TU Darmstadt DDU Digital Design Unit and Evamaria Deisen of commercial design agency Deisen Design.
The (R)Evolution Award, because the identify suggests, acknowledges game-changing new merchandise, applied sciences or companies. For instance, final 12 months’s winner Fraunhofer IGCV submitted its mission on “Three Materials Powder Mattress Fusion of Battery Cell Cap Housing”, which used an progressive three-material powder mattress fusion course of to create battery cell housings constituted of aluminum, copper and ceramic. On the upcoming commerce present, this class can be judged by Dr. Melissa Orme (Boeing), Dr.-Ing. Maximilian Binder (BMW Group) and Prof. Jennifer Johns (College of Bristol Enterprise College).
Subsequent up, the Rookie Award will spotlight an up-and-comer within the trade who has a very promising enterprise concept. To be eligible for this award, contributors should not have but based an organization or nonetheless be within the first 12 months since launching. For these which have been round a little bit bit longer, the Begin-up Award is a possible pathway to recognition. The panel for each these awards can be Arno Held (AM Ventures), Alex Kingsbury (nLight), Prof. Dr. Peter Mayr (TU München), Dr.-Ing. Sascha Schwarz (TUM Enterprise Labs) and Heather Swift Hunt (Kickstarter).
Final however not least is the Sustainability Award which focuses on additive manufacturing purposes or merchandise which are rated primarily based on their product life cycle. For instance, final 12 months’s winner Ceratizit developed a course of for 3D printing laborious metals utilizing bonding brokers and sintering that resulted in a 91% discount of uncooked materials consumption (and a 95% lower in carbon footprint) in comparison with extra conventional laborious steel processing strategies. The jury panel for the Sustainability Award can be Prof. Dr.-Ing. Kristian Arntz (FH Aachen), Dr. Mohsen Seifi (ASTM Worldwide) and Sherri Monroe (Additive Producer Inexperienced Commerce Affiliation).
“The success of final 12 months’s Formnext Awards launch has demonstrated the numerous alternatives that the awards provide contributors and winners in every class,” added Petra Haarburger, President of occasion organizer Mesago Messe Frankfurt GmbH. “They get pleasure from entry to all related worldwide specialists in a single place and profit from focused networking and scope for in-depth discussions and strategic partnerships—whereas additionally elevating their profile amongst key decision-makers within the trade and past. The awards stage at Formnext is the place competence, relevance and attain come collectively.”
These are actually invited to submit their purposes for the 2025 Formnext Awards. For the Begin-up Award, the deadline to submit is July 31, 2025 and all different classes can submit till August 31, 2025. First, a choice of finalists can be chosen by the jury panel. These finalists will have the ability to current their submissions in a particular exhibit at Formnext 2025. There’ll then be a public vote, the place Formnext guests can vote for a finalist in every of of the six classes (in individual or on-line). The winners will finally be offered with their awards on November 20, 2025 and the official ceremony. Winners will obtain a 3D printed trophy and different prizes, together with money prizes or enterprise teaching.
