© Colin Cramm - stock.adobe.com
MEDICAL
TITANIUM:
THE HARD
STUFF
The combination of additive
manufacturing and titanium has
the potential to disrupt medical
implant production.
3D printing is delivering
customisation options
that make it possible to
create almost any shape
using additive
manufacturing (AM)
technology. In fact, the
possibilities of 3D printing are so
game-changing, it is even possible to
24 » JANUARY 2021 » WWW.MADEIN.IE
create carbon copies of our own skulls.
Sandvik’s additive manufacturing and
metal powder specialists are exploring
the potential of AM in the medical field,
and are preparing for the future of
medical implants.
Life-threatening accidents, vertebral
damage, chronic osteopathic conditions
and side-effects from medical treatment
can all cause irreparable damage to
patients. The consequences can be
painful, debilitating and even fatal, so
we must develop solutions to help the
human body overcome challenges,
enhance the healing process and
improve patient prognosis. Medical
implant technology has developed vastly
over the years, and one of
manufacturing’s most disruptive
technologies is set to transform the way
we treat patients.
Medical implant developers require a
manufacturing technology that delivers
speed, individualisation and the ability
to produce complex designs. 3D
printing, paired with bio-compatible
materials like titanium, is demonstrating
its evident potential as the medical
industry’s manufacturing technology of
choice for life-changing solutions.
In the past, surgeons used metal mesh
to replace areas of the body such as
skull bones, which tended to be weak
and lacked precision. 3D printing
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