VOXELTEK claims to have revolutionized the production of clear aligners 🤔
The Atomic Layers: S8E12 (00218)
Atomic Layer of the Day:
When I first met the guys from VOXELTEK last year, I was full of biases and stereotypes. After all, what could a Hungarian company I had never heard of possibly achieve in the vast world of additive manufacturing? Probably about as much as a Polish one… (and, well, we all know how that turned out.)
But then I learned that they’ve been in the market for 12 years, specializing in dentistry. That they’ve already developed four generations of photopolymer 3D printers. That they’ve created an intraoral scanner. And that they’re developing an incredibly innovative platform that enables patient treatment using 3D printing in a single, one-hour visit!
And now this...
VOXELTEK has just announced the launch of a groundbreaking system for the automated desktop production of clear aligners.
Their machine prints, thermoforms, and laser-cuts aligners—completely operator-free!
According to VOXELTEK’s press release, clear aligners are one of the fastest-growing segments in dentistry, with market projections estimating growth from $4.66 billion today to $28 billion by 2032.
However, traditional aligner production is a multi-step, labor-intensive process that requires specialized laboratories.
VOXELTEK introduces a completely new approach to this challenge. The "Smilemaker" Clear Aligner Printer is the world’s first device that fully automates the aligner manufacturing process. It integrates 3D model printing, thermoforming, and laser trimming into a single platform, allowing for continuous, 24-hour aligner production.
The device is compact and desktop-sized (approximately 80x30 cm), making it suitable for direct installation in dental offices, hospitals, and healthcare centers. Additionally, VOXELTEK provides CAD design services for orthodontists through its VOXELTEK.live platform, further streamlining the production process.
VOXELTEK has also filed a patent application for the "Smilemaker" system.
But that’s not all! The company also unveiled its fifth-generation photopolymer 3D printer, the "FlashPrint", which is a 2-in-1 system combining a 3D printer and an integrated post-curing chamber essential for the polymerization of biocompatible resins.
Both devices will be presented live on March 25 at the world’s largest dental trade fair, the International Dental Show (IDS), in Cologne, Germany.
Incredible.
And, from my perspective, bittersweet. VOXELTEK started just a year later than polish Zmorph and in the same year as Zortrax. Yet today, one barely exists, and the other is fighting for survival. Meanwhile, VOXELTEK is patenting an invention that could revolutionize global prosthetics!
Jealousy.
But not resentment.
Respect.
Atomic Layer from the Past:
03-12-2013: Stratasys launched the Objet30 OrthoDesk 3D printer.
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News & Gossip:
However, not all Polish companies are as unfortunate as Zmorph and Zortrax. ROSA PLAST, the owner of the ROSA 3D Filaments brand, has just received an award from Forbes Magazine in the prestigious Forbes Diamonds 2025 ranking. Congratulations! ROSA 3D is one of Europe's leading filament manufacturers and also the company that helped me develop a biodegradable material based on wheat bran, which we created at GREENFILL3D.
Another Polish company, Sinterit, has just launched its new SLS 3D printer—Suzy. At first glance, it looks like a direct challenge to the Formlabs Fuse series—the printer is smaller and more affordable. A separate article on this topic is coming soon…
And staying in the spirit of Central Europe, Czech Prusa Research has released PrusaSlicer 2.9.1, enhancing sequential printing and multi-material connections. A new algorithm enables collision-free object placement for Prusa printers. Improved beam interlocking stabilizes multi-material prints. SLA support generation is also enhanced, offering better control and consistency with color-coded support types.
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