2018 is the Year Mass Customized Earbuds are Made Possible by Formlabs and 3Shape

SOMERVILLE, Mass. & Copenhagen, Denmark, Jan. 08, 2018 – Formlabs, the designer and manufacturer of powerful and accessible 3D printing systems, today announced an end-to-end, easy to use and intuitive solution for custom earbuds, which will be demoed for the first time at *CES with the newly launched 3Shape Phoenix in-ear scanner.

The power of the Form 2 3D printer combined with the easy to use and non-intrusive Phoenix in-ear scanner means this promised technology is now possible and can be in the hands of consumers faster. The human body is one of the most custom and unique shapes, and the ear canal is no exception, a truly custom-fit earbud can provide long-term wear, comfort, stability, noise reduction and noise cancellation from the environment compared to current comfort headphones.

“We’re seeing 2018 as the year custom earbuds will be available to most consumers,” said Dávid Lakatos, chief product officer at Formlabs. “This announcement marks a significant use case for 3D printed mass customization at the consumer level, but the implications of the technology go beyond headphones to include hearables. We’re proud to be part of the growing force behind accessible, affordable, high quality 3D printing that is making on-demand production of custom earbuds finally possible.”

“The proven success of 3Shape Phoenix in retail allows shops and earphone brands to finally deliver a unique earphone experience to customers” said Iain Mcleod, Senior Director and Head of Audio Business Unit at 3Shape. “This exciting partnership offers stores a unique competitive advantage, and earphone brands a true product differentiation to the multitude of standard fit earphones that leak music, are uncomfortable to wear and fall out while on the move.”

The Formlabs and 3Shape partnership delivers a ready-made technology package that can be easily deployed in almost any mass market environment, reaching consumers where they already are to receive an on-demand custom in-ear product within a shopping trip. This technology has broader reaching applications that previously were only available to audiophiles or performing artists, and open up a new earphone segment that does not exist today.

*Formlabs CES location: LVCC, North Hall, Booth #7908

For more information on Formlabs Audiology

Press kit : Photos

About Formlabs

Formlabs designs and manufactures powerful and accessible 3D printing systems. Headquartered in Boston with offices in Germany, Japan, and China, the company was founded in 2011 by a team of engineers and designers from the MIT Media Lab and Center for Bits and Atoms. Formlabs is establishing the industry benchmark for professional 3D printing for engineers, designers, and manufacturers around the globe, and accelerating innovation in a variety of industries, including education, dentistry, healthcare, jewelry, and research. Formlabs products include the Form 2 SLA 3D printer, Fuse 1 SLS 3D printer, Form Cell manufacturing solution, and Pinshape marketplace of 3D designs. Formlabs also develops its own suite of high-performance materials for 3D printing, as well as best-in-class 3D printing software.

About 3Shape

3Shape has been in the audio CAD/CAM industry for over 17 years and is the leading technology provider for custom-fit ear products. Over 85% of the custom-fit ear products on the market are powered by 3Shape.

Two graduate students founded 3Shape in the year 2000, and today the company´s fast-growing team of employees in 19 offices worldwide is serving customers in over 100 countries.

www.3shape.com/phoenix

PR Contact

Sarah Wheble for Formlabs
[email protected]
781-738-9251

Julia Von Riegen for 3Shape
[email protected]
+45 31 41 61 23