Today’s 3D printing news Sliced features updates from Materialise, Additive Industries, Precision AMD, WASP, 4WEB Medical, TU Wien, TreeD, Keene Village Plastics, Powder & Heat, Elephab and AMUG.
3D Printing life-changing prosthetics and implants
Two surgeons at the CHU Dijon, France, Prof. Narcisse Zwetyenga, and Dr. Brice Viard have used a 3D printed Materialise shoulder implant to reconstruct the shoulder of a shotgun blast victim.
Nathalie Dufaut Danjon was left with a deformed humerus bearing no proximal articular surface and shards of bone lodged in the muscle.
With standard implants not fitting and a lack of bone to fix a normal prosthesis to, Danjon requested a 3D printed implant from the Dijon doctors. The surgeons worked with Materialise engineers to produce a set of custom implants, correcting the precise gap between the bones and reconstructing the shoulder.
4WEB Medical has released the latest in its range of additive manufactured spine implants. The Anterior Spine Truss System is specially adapted to anterior lumbar spine procedures, and uses 4WEB’s own pioneered geometry. The spine truss system features improvements on hyperlordotic functions and insertion functionality.
Precision ADM, a 3D design and 3D printing bureau based in Winnipeg, has received ISO 13485:2016 Quality Management System certification. With the certification Precision AMD can 3D print non-active orthopaedic implants. Precision AMD is the first to receive ISO 13485 certification in Canada.
TreeD, an Italy-based filament manufacturer has launched HealthFil, a range of medical grade filaments for 3D printing medical models and orthotics. Six varieties 3D printing filament are available ranging from Fortis LL a polyolefin matrix-based material retaining elastic memory and is suitable for body support, to Elasto A, a hard material ideal for printing elastic joint implants.
Microscopic structures and stylish frames
Scientists at the Vienna Technical Institute (TU Wien) have published research into the role of initiator molecules in 3D printing fine structures at microscopic sizes.
The research group, led by Aliasghar Ajami, has developed a method of using short bursts of laser light channeled into a sheet like spectrum to see how SLA resin reacts.
The test is designed to identify photo-initiator molecules, then it will be able to absorb two photons simultaneously. The research aims to improve SLA 3D printing by creating even finer structures.
German eyewear manufacturer, Powder & Heat has announced that it has begun 3D printing custom made multicolour frames. The eyewear company also states that using nylon-based material makes the frames 30% lighter than traditional acetate ones.
Business booming worldwide
The Keene Family, an Ohio based construction materials supplier, has bought PLA filament producer Village Plastics from 3D Systems. Under its new name of Keene Village Plastics, the business will begin offering 3D filament to retail customers.
Elephab is a Nigerian 3D printing startup with a special focus on 3D printing replacement parts, and received funding from Beta.Ventures earlier this week. The company’s founders Anjola Badaru and Damilola Akinniyi have stated that they wish to bring manufacturing capability back to Africa.
Additive Industries, the Eindhoven based manufacturers of the MetalFAB1 3D metal printing system, has announced a US expansion, and a planned North American Process & Application Development Center in Camarilo, California. Heading up U.S. operations will be former CalRAM director Shane Collins.
Euractiv, a pan-European consortium for individuals and businesses to influence EU policy and promote scientific research, has published a special dossier on additive manufacturing as “The Engine of Industrial Revival”. The full report can be found here.
The devil is in the detail
Finnish 3D printing software developer Deskartes has released version 3.0 of its 3DEditPro software. The software is optimized for printing objects in colour on 3D Systems ProJet x60 3D printers, and features advanced texturing capabilities.
Italian 3D printer manufacturer WASP has 3D printed the scenery for a staging of opera “Fra Diavolo” (“Brother Devil”). Scenery for Daniel Auber’s 1857 opera, on the life of Italian guerrilla leader Michele Pezza, was printed from white PLA on a DeltaWASP 3MT, in 223 different pieces.
Events
Registration is now open for the Additive Manufacturing Users Group’s (AMUG) 2018 Education & Training Conference in St Louis, Missouri. Coinciding with the AMUG’s 30th anniversary, the conference will feature technical sessions, workshops and networking opportunities. The AMUG conference runs from 8-12 April 2018, and a registration link can be found here.
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Featured image shows microscopic Titanium structures used in Precision Metal’s implants. Image via Precision ADM.
