Markforged Metal X 3D prints Shukla Medical surgical instrument prototypes

Shukla Medical, a wholly owned subsidiary of aerospace manufacturer S.S. White Technologies, designs and manufactures universal orthopedic implant removal tools such as the Xtract-All Spine Universal Spinal Implant Removal System. Surgeons use these products to take out old implants before replacing them with new ones – preserving the patient’s bone.

Known for their simple, intuitive designs, Shukla Medical’s products include time-saving features such as quick-connections and multiple extraction options. The products need to be prototyped and tested by orthopedic implant surgeons before the final parts are manufactured, with surgeons checking for form and fit.

Major slowdowns in iterating on prototypes (PDF download) was preventing them from quickly getting a product to market so engineers purchased a 3D printer from Markforged in 2017, using it to create functional prototypes out of carbon fiber for surgeons to check for form and fit.

“We put a lot of load on our instruments, and carbon fiber gives them more stiffness so it doesn’t feel like a toy,” says Adam Gosik-Wolfe, mechanical engineer at Shukla Medical.

Impressed by the precision of its carbon fiber 3D printer, they decided to purchase a Markforged Metal X system. Shukla Medical currently uses stainless steel when fabricating their end product, so the 17-4PH stainless steel material from Markforged proved to be the right option for prototyping. The team can conduct tests on the 3D printed metal prototype to verify and validate it, and surgeons can practice using it.

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“3D printing the prototype product helps our surgeons test the part in their hands before going into the operating room, so they already have the experience and confidence in the tool,” says Zack Sweitzer, product development manager at Shukla Medical.

The metal 3D printed prototypes have the look and feel of the final product, vastly from the prototypes the surgeons were used to testing.

“The Metal X has let us print more complicated parts to conform to implant geometry that would have otherwise been very expensive to machine,” Gosik-Wolfe says. “I think we are at the tip of the iceberg with what we will be able to make with the Metal X in the coming years.”

With Markforged technology, Shukla is able to minimize time spent in the operating room, as well as increase safety and reduce recovery time for patients. “We’re going to bring a lot more products to market faster with our Markforged printers, and we finally have the design freedom to do it,” says Sweitzer.