News and Insights of 3D Printing and Manufacturing
With lots of exciting additive manufacturing industry news coming in last week from RAPID+TCT and Hannover Messe, this week seems to be dominated by another industry: the medical sector. So far, we’ve seen new 3D printed implants from Medtronic, EnvisionTEC partnerships and financial announcements from CollPlant from the medical tech, dental and bioprinting fields. Find today’s highlights below:
Looking back over the last decade, it is clear from the vantage point of 2017 that additive manufacturing (AM) has caused significant disruption in the medical sector. Indeed, in no other sector has AM had such a profound and dramatic effect on the human condition in terms of improving lives — whether directly at the point of need within clinical environments or communities or indirectly as a manufacturing method for greatly improved medical devices. Currently, despite the direct approach dominating many ‘3D Printing’ headlines as surgeons and clinicians increasingly embrace the AM systems at the point of need for patient-specific applications, it is the latter, indirect approach, that has seen significant results for higher volume, serial production with AM by medical device manufacturers.
It seems the excitement surrounding 3D Systems’ game-changing Figure 4 additive manufacturing technology has not been lost on the U.S. Air Force. In an announcement at RAPID+TCT yesterday, 3D Systems revealed that its Figure 4 Production system had been chosen for Air Force-sponsored research.
A new study presented at the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) Scientific Sessions illuminates the effectiveness of using 3D printed models to determine the risk of paravalvular leak (PVL) in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) operations.
The knee is one of the most vulnerable and short-life hinge joints in the human anatomy, with an average life expectancy of 50 years. Many seniors are suffering different types of knee problem, which affects normal lifestyle and reduce mobility in their old age.
Among other big news from one of the 3D printing market’s leaders participation at this year’s RAPID show in Texas, EnvisionTEC also unveiled two new medical-grade materials that make printing parts for safe implantation in humans.
In December 2017, INSTOK AUDIO, a large medical manufacturer, largely known for its superior, custom-made hearing aids, purchased their first Drake Mini scanner from Thor3D. The company wanted to harness the power of 3D scanning to create more realistic face-prosthetics (i.e. ears, eyes, chins, noses) in their Protez-Studio subsidiary.
The benefits of additive manufacturing technologies within the jewelry and luxury goods sector are clear. Processes such as stereolithography (SLA) have opened the doors for intricate and beautiful jewelry design as well as customized luxury ornaments. In the case of polymer-based SLA, 3D printed jewelry typically requires molding and casting post-processes to create the final piece.
Norman Noble, a leading contract manufacturer of next-generation medical implants, has now implemented metal additive manufacturing capabilities. AM is seen by the company as a manufacturing solution for new product designs that could otherwise not be produced using standard methods. Additive manufactured, 3D printed parts can now be made from metallic based alloys including: titanium, stainless steel and cobalt chrome. The ability to produce additive-manufactured parts from magnesium and nitinol also is currently under development.
EnvisionTEC expanded its reach in the French market with the addition of Nantes and Bordeaux-base ...