The Alphaform Medical Division, one of Europe’s leading companies in the manufacture of orthopedic implants and instruments, is increasingly turning its attention toward the manufacture of small and complex implants in additive manufacturing by means of direct metal laser sintering (DMLS). Along with various other procedures, DMLS is commonly referred to as 3D printing. The benefits of the titanium implants produced in this way include the low cost of manufacture, the rapid availability, and the simple option of creating patient-specific models. Along with the one-stop shopping concept, this forms one of the focal points of the Alphaform Medical Division’s stand at this year’s World Medtech Forum in Lucerne (September 17-19, 2013, Hall 2, Stand 2023).
And it is not just industry gurus like Terry Wohlers (Wohlers Report) who see a promising future for 3D printing in the medical field. In addition to medical equipment, implants are receiving special attention. This is due among other things to the fact that mass customization in medicine – in other words, the manufacture of patient-specific implants – is becoming increasingly important.
The drawback of conventional manufacturing procedures such as precision casting is that they are cost-effective only in high-volume manufacture, so only for standardised products. In addition, the process can take a long time because the casting tool first has to be built. In additive manufacturing, the implant is created directly from a computer file, which eliminates a number of process steps. Series products can be launched on the market much more quickly, and modifications between two batches can be implemented rapidly.
The Alphaform Medical Division employs the additive manufacturing process DMLS (direct metal laser sintering). Put simply, a container of titanium powder is located in the printer. Layer for layer, a laser beam fuses the powder as specified in the 3D CAD file until the completed implant made from fused, re-solidified titanium finally emerges in the powder.
There are almost no limits to the shape and complexity of parts produced in this way. The physical properties of titanium implants manufactured by means of DMLS are superior to those of cast implants. Freely definable surface structures can be created that accelerate the process of bonding between the implants and the tissue and bones and make the implants more likely to be accepted by the body. .jpg)
DMLS opens the mass customization market to implants, which, for cost reasons, have always been produced in standardized form in a casting process. Simple modification of the 3D CAD data allows patient-specific products to be offered quickly and at an attractive price. The customer sends the 3D CAD file and receives a market-ready product. This option of one-stop shopping also keeps manufacturing costs down.
The company’s one-stop shopping service, which is the other focal point at the trade fair, offers a continuous process chain from the data supply and initial raw material through to the ready-packaged and sterilized product. The Alphaform Medical Division is one of just a few companies to offer the entire range of manufacturing procedures – from precision casting to 3D printing with DMLS (direct metal laser sintering) and finishing – from a single source, thereby ensuring that customers can always choose the most cost-effective manufacturing procedure for the product.