The 2024 3D Printing Industry Awards returned to celebrate the excellence of individuals and companies across the additive manufacturing sector.
3D printing leaders across 19 categories were selected through a public vote and a 3D printing expert committee. In addition to industry-wide recognition, the winners, announced last month, will receive a 3D printed trophy.
Since the inaugural 3D Printing Industry Awards in 2016, the winner’s trophy has always been selected via an online, community-driven design competition. The 2024 contest was hosted on Prusa Research’s file-sharing site Printables. Uniquely, contestants were tasked with combining 3D printed metal and polymer components into an original and eye-catching structure.
We are grateful to our production partners Desktop Metal, which will 3D print the metal insert using its metal binder jetting technology, and 3DPRINTUK, responsible for producing the polymer section with SLS. We also thank Prusa Research for generously awarding the winner an Original Prusa MK4S Kit valued at €889, along with a wealth of Prusameters.
Who won the 3D Printing Industry Awards Trophy Design Competition?
The winning designer was Florian Tosello, who runs the GT 3D Makers Printables profile and website. His 3D Printing Industry Awards 2024 Trophy design stood out thanks to its elegance, brand identity, and manufacturability.
“All of the designs submitted for this year’s 3DPI trophy were very beautiful and creative, and took full advantage of the power of 3D Printing, both in metal and in polymer,” commented Jonah Myerberg, Co-founder and CTO of Desktop Metal.
While acknowledging that it was “very difficult to choose a winner,” Myerberg said that the selected design “is a great example of how polymer and metal 3D printed parts can come together and work in concert to form a true work of art. Congratulations to Florian Tosello!”
Veronika Hruskova from Printables stated that Tosello’s submission is a “design that’s fresh, simple, and just works.” She added, “The first thing that really catches our eye about the trophy is the centerpiece, which looks like the tip of a 3D printer nozzle—a detail that ties it nicely to the world of 3D printing, which we love. The combination of smooth lines and sharper edges gives it a unique look, and the contrast between the solid metal part and the open space makes it feel really balanced.”
Nick Allen, CEO of 3DPRINTUK, shared this view, explaining that this design was his favorite “due to its minimalist simplicity, manufacturability and on-brand styling.” Allen also pointed to the high quality of this year’s other submissions. “The runners-up both demonstrated complexity only achievable with AM, as well as smooth and flowing aesthetics,” he said. “It was a hard choice between all of them and I would like to further congratulate not just the winners and runners-up, but all entrants for their efforts!”
The 3D Printing Industry Trophy Design Competition runners-up were as follows:
2nd place: t3dworld: 2024 – 3D PIA Trophy – Arched Sweeps
3rd place: A_Niemi Designs: AN01 Trophy For the 3D Printing Industry Awards
3DPI Awards 2024 trophy: A few words from the winning designer
We caught up with Tosello, who told us more about his background and the thought process behind his submission. The French designer acquired his first 3D printer 6-7 years ago, a 101 Hero advertised as the first 3D printer under $100. He stated that this system was “not crazy in terms of quality but it was my first step into the world of 3D.”
Tosello built on these humble beginnings by upgrading to more efficient printers. It didn’t take long to realize he no longer wanted to simply replicate parts found online—instead, he aspired to design and 3D print his own unique creations. “It was at this time that I became interested in modeling software, first SketchUp, then Fusion 360,” the competition-winning designer added. “I learned to use this software on my own, then did training to validate my skills and make them ‘more professional.’”
The 3DPI Trophy Design Competition came at a perfect time to continue this design journey. “I just saw the contest being launched on Printables. Having never had the opportunity to model one in my activity, I said to myself that it could be an interesting exercise to model a trophy,” explained Tosello.
After reading the design brief, his idea for the trophy came quite quickly. I wanted to make an interesting design in its form, which highlights 3D printing, without falling into excess with an overly complicated model with meshes of complex shapes, etc….” The trophy’s central metal insert and logo components create the illusion of levitation, achieved through a clever structure that is simple to 3D print. This focus on practicality was key, “I don’t want the manufacturer to break out in a cold sweat when bringing my model to life.”
Tossello’s new Original Prusa MK4S will be put through its paces. “I haven’t had the chance to have a Prusa in my hands yet, but their quality is second to none … It’s going to have a special place in my workshop!”
He added, “I would like to thank 3DPI and PRUSA for organizing this competition, with this fantastic prize. I participated hoping to receive this MK4S, applying myself to make a trophy that had its chances without expecting much given the mass of interesting designs offered. When I received Veronika’s message I couldn’t believe it.”
Who won the 2024 3D Printing Industry Awards?
All the news from Formnext 2024.
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Featured image shows the winning 3D Printing Industry Awards 2024 Trophy design. Photo via Printables.
