K3D has won the Additive World Design for Additive Manufacturing Challenge for the second consecutive time. During the 8th edition of the Additive World Conference that took place online because of Corona, the chairman of the jury, Ultimaker’s Steven van de Staak, announced the winners. Besides K3D, this was also Younes Chahid, who won the prize in the student category. All six finalists were able to explain their designs in a short video presentation in front of the six members of the jury. The winning designs, a ‘Laser Welding Head’ and a ‘Hip Implants Stem Design’, are, according to the jury, both inspiring examples for industrial applications of 3D metal printing.
The Laser Welding Head developed by K3D for Hittech Bihca, manufacturer of precision parts, was presented by K3D’s Technical Director, Jaap Bulsink. The jury concluded that the Brainport Industries Campus-based company “despite the strong competition in this category” was able to convince with yet another appealing redesign. “Improved performance, functional integration, integrated cooling channels, weight reduction and optimized local porous structures” were decisive elements. The jury also found the positive business case appealing due to its practical application in an industrial environment “which is not common in design competitions”. Because it only involves additive manufacturing and minimal post-processing, this winning design is a textbook example of a design for 3D printing, according to the jury.
In the student category, the first prize went to Younes Chahid of BiometicAM from the UK with a redesign of the stem of a hip implant. “A relevant and highly functional application that improves the patient’s life by reducing both surgery and recovery time,” says the jury.
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