History

To ensure the best possible patient care, modern medicine must explore the cutting edge of technology. The medical industry has demanding requirements: complexity and precision of parts, customization, biocompatible materials, durability… One of the challenges in this field is the obligation to adapt and tune care for each patient. The tools or devices used during surgery or for the treatment of patients must be customized. However, these devices are often expensive and highly specialized. Additive manufacturing makes it possible to produce unique, customized metal parts at a reasonable price. At present, custom-made prostheses are the main field of application of 3D printing for the health sector. Using medical imaging, prostheses are adapted for each patient and made of biocompatible materials – most commonly a titanium alloy. For all these reasons, the medical field is one of the industries that makes the most use of additive manufacturing today.

 

 

 

Solution 

Additive Manufacturing (AM) technology can print highly complex and customized medical parts using a lattice structure to improve osseointegration, expedite production time and improve surface finish to reduce post-processing.

AM allows for geometric complexity to create lattice structures for medical implants. This creates a porous surface which improves bone integration while simultaneously lightening the implant. For traditional manufacturing to achieve osseointegration, it may be necessary to apply a coating to the titanium, which is very expensive. Additionally, AM reduces the manufacturing steps and the number of components, therefore cutting down production times and costs.

The AddUp FormUp 350, a metal 3D printer using powder bed fusion (PBF) technology, showcases its capabilities with the quality of these implants. The FormUp 350 makes it possible to create shapes that were impossible with traditional machining, increasing performance and reliability for the medical industry.