PhD students Inga Beyers, Matthias Kiesel and Adam Kalisz (not present) from the Pelvisio team developed a 26-part modular anatomical teaching model of a female pelvis for medical students and took first place. They say: "Teaching has to get better!" As committed as they were in presenting their project, they were overwhelmed after the award ceremony: "The victory is a great confirmation for us and also a great motivation to continue in the same way, because there is a great need here from the medical side."
Second place went to Jennifer Schubert, Julia Witzmann and Tizian Scharl from the "Tiger Toe" team, who developed an additively manufactured children's foot prosthesis. The three students from Bayreuth fill a gap in the market with their project, as current children's foot prostheses are only modifications of the models for adults.
Third place went to Axel Meier and Norbert Hülshorst from Petershagen with individually adapted air scraper geometries for belt electroplating systems produced in additive manufacturing. through additive manufacturing. The first very technical product to make it to the finals of a 3D Printing Challenge.
For the German 3D Printing Challenge, Neu-Ulm University had received around 50 entries from Germany, Austria and Switzerland. In addition to 3D-printed prototypes or, if already available, a fully developed product, the participants also had to submit a business plan for their product, explains Fabian Frommer, who helped organise the challenge as a research assistant in the project: "All submissions were evaluated by a panel of experts. Those submitting the best ideas were asked to develop a more concrete business plan. On this basis, the seven finalists were selected to pitch for victory in the final in front of a jury consisting of leading business representatives."
After the welcome by Prof. Dr. Elmar Steurer, Dean of the Faculty of Business and Economics, all finalist teams presented their projects in pitches. Six minutes were allotted for pitches and six minutes for questions from the jury. The jury consisted of: Prof. Dr. Oliver Kunze (HNU), Monika Ruhkopf (Pro3D), Valentin Kurtovic (Solidpro), Andreas Weiß (AMPrO 3D), Robin Buck (Filamentworld), Christoph Hilscher (Max Hilscher GmbH), Johannes Schlenker (Honold), Dr. Daniel Riedmüller (EOS) and David Schlawer (Mark3D).
Finally, the awards ceremony took place. In addition to 3D-printed trophies, the prizes included technology shopping vouchers, technical workshops with experts from the 3D printing industry, business and start-up coaching with a bank and filaments (thermoplastics, the "raw material" for 3D printing, so to speak). As a special prize, the winning team gets to shoot a video with Andreas Weiß, which will be published on his YouTube channel AMPrO 3D, which has around 55,000 subscribers.
The prize sponsors were
- AMPrO 3D
- EOS GmbH
- Fabb-It pro3D GmbH
- Filament World
- Honold Logistics Group
- Mark3D GmbH
- Max Hilscher GmbH
- Solidpro GmbH
- Volksbank Ulm-Biberach e.G.
Aim of the Challenge: Bringing ideas out of the heads and into reality
The idea for the 3D printing challenge came about as part of the InnoSÜD sub-project "Physical, Augmented & Virtual Reality Logistics Living Lab" at Neu-Ulm University of Applied Sciences. Prof. Dr.-Ing. Oliver Kunze, Dr. Fang Li and Fabian Frommer are working on how 3D printing technologies can be used in logistics, for example, to shorten delivery routes. Following the principle of the "Open Lab", students, but also regional companies, can test their own 3D printing ideas in their lab.
"3D printing is a technology that is still partly underestimated and has disruptive potential not only in production but also in logistics," says Prof. Oliver Kunze. "With the 3D Printing Challenge, we want to give young people the opportunity to develop and present business ideas. We are an innovative business school and want to promote new technologies and bring them closer to students, companies and society, and encourage business thinking and a start-up spirit."
The 3D Printing Challenge will take place again next year.
