Boston Micro Fabrication grows sustainably thanks to permanent product innovations in growth sectors

Boston Micro Fabrication (BMF), a leading provider of advanced 3D printing systems for ultra-high precision applications, continued its sales growth in 2024 due to successes in several areas. In particular, there was increased demand for its 3D printing systems for development, prototyping and small series production. BMF’s high-precision and micro-resolution 3D printing technology, projection micro stereolithography (PμSL), is pushing the boundaries of innovation in industries such as medical technology, electronics, optics and photonics, and life sciences. Over 600 BMF printing systems are now in operation at customer sites around the world.

New materials open up new fields of application

BMF developed and successfully marketed four new materials in 2024 alone. These advanced materials include Figure 4 HI TEMP 300-AMB from 3D Systems, Ultracur3D 3280 from BASF and the HTF and SR resins developed by BMF. They support the production of fit-for-purpose parts in industries such as aerospace, medical, electronics and biotechnology. Each material compatible with BMF’s microArch 3D printing systems meets specific requirements for accuracy, heat resistance, stability and other properties.

Further momentum in the global dental market

In addition, BMF received 510(k) clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its innovative UltraThineer material, which is used to produce the world’s thinnest cosmetic dental veneer. BMF continued to offer this world-class cosmetic dentistry solution in China and Japan, both directly to patients and through third-party providers. BMF also celebrated the opening of an UltraThineer lab at its U.S. headquarters in Maynard, Massachusetts, which houses the UltraThineer veneer production technology. BMF is working with dental laboratories in the USA so that dentists will soon be able to offer their patients better veneers. The products should be commercially available in the first half of 2025.

First printing system with combinable resolutions

With the microArch D1025, BMF has launched the industry’s first 3D printer with combinable resolutions. As the first device in a new series based on BMF’s patented PµSL technology, it prints with a resolution of either 10µm or 25µm. In hybrid mode, it combines both resolutions in the same print layer or in different layers. This gives customers in healthcare, electronics, life sciences and photonics who print ultra-high resolution parts at the microscale more flexibility and efficiency.

“BMF’s micro-precision 3D printing technology has completely changed our approach to connector manufacturing. Where we were limited to tolerances of 5 thousandths with traditional methods, we have achieved tolerances of 1 to 2 thousandths with BMF printers,” says George Glatts, owner of Z-Axis Connector Company. “This has opened up new possibilities for compact, high-performance connectors. High-temperature materials that can withstand heating during electronics assembly allow us to develop compact, innovative designs. With BMF, we have reduced time and cost while achieving precision and performance that exceeds industry standards.”

John Kawola, CEO of BMF, comments on BMF’s market position as follows: “As we’ve said from the beginning, things are getting smaller in the world, and the smaller they get, the harder they are to manufacture. We meet our customers’ needs for prototypes as well as for the production of parts that require increasingly higher precision. We are also using our own platform to develop new fields of application and open up new areas of business. We look forward to the future.”

In 2024, BMF was included in the Inc. 5000 list due to its support of customers from various key industries with micro 3D printing technology. There, companies shaping the future are ranked according to their percentage revenue growth. BMF was also recognized by the Boston Business Journal as the fifth-fastest growing private company in Massachusetts.