3D ADEPT MAG · March / April 2024

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When you know that an application or solution can change someone's life, every explanation can be a real puzzle to demystify. Yet, this time it's different, and that's probably because we've been out in the field. We talked with users, and a few times, we met patients who were benefiting from 3D-printed solutions. In this issue of 3D ADEPT Mag, it's this feedback from the field that we wanted to convey.

We wanted to share these benefits: through industrial machine tests, the use of specific materials or AM solutions, feedback from doctors and medical experts, and even key information on the approval of 3D printed medical products and their access to the market. For once, the words to explain all these things easily came to us.

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Exclusive features

DOSSIER | Approval of medical 3D printed products and their market access

When does a 3D printed product qualify as a medical device? What is a point-of-care (POC) 3D printing solution? Medical professionals also need to understand the legal framework for each approach. This dossier addresses these questions.

AM Shapers | Current possibilities of Additive Manufacturing in the cranio-maxillofacial field

The cranio-maxillofacial field ranks seventh among 13 fields benefiting from Additive Manufacturing in reconstruction surgery. This raised basic questions: which AM processes, how and why? However, few European hospitals use these technologies for reconstruction surgery. We therefore spoke with Prof. Florian M. Thieringer from University Hospital Basel. His experience could help other healthcare providers explore AM and improve their practice.

Post-processing | Volkmann GmbH on the concept of closed circuit in powder handling for 3D-printed parts

Our exploration of powder-handling solutions led us to Volkmann GmbH. The company advocates fully automating this process.

Materials & Software | The potential of metamaterials for (medical) Additive Manufacturing

Remember when we said that the true success of an application usually depends on an underappreciated component: material? Well, the more AM advances, the more we realize that the array of opportunities materials offer are yet to be discovered. In this specific case, I am thinking of opportunities that necessarily intertwine innovative design methods and AM to ensure that optimum functionality and target behaviors are built into a new range of specialized materials. While a lot is being done at the research level, a Swiss startup gives hope for future commercialization of metamaterials.

Opinion | Going beyond healthcare needs with 3D printing

Some healthcare providers seek creative ways to reduce costs and make better use of their 3D printing equipment. As a result, professionals outside healthcare can also benefit from Additive Manufacturing. The example of the France-based hospital CHU de Brest is one that’s worth mentioning here.

Software | The digital manufacturing stages of 3D printed patient-specific devices

At 12, Joe Johnson lost his leg in a motorcycle accident. He faced initial challenges with a basic prosthetic until he discovered how AM could help produce a tailor-made and more comfortable 3D-printed prosthetic. Johnson’s story could have ended after he got his first prosthetic, but he didn’t see anyone willing to take the risks to help amputees.

His journey therefore led him to found Quorum Prosthetics. The company makes prosthetic arms and legs, custom bracing and Quatro adjustable 3D printed sockets. It also explores digital manufacturing technologies to give amputees the right fit. Johnson’s experience helps explain the digital manufacturing stages of patient-specific devices.

Focus |  Lithoz discusses the use of ceramic 3D printing for surgical tools and the importance of the right AM factory

If you’re a regular reader of 3D ADEPT Media, the name Lithoz should probably already ring a bell to you. With more than a decade of activities in the AM field, an acquisition, and three proprietary technologies (LCM, LIS, LSD Print), Lithoz’s work has been validated across three main vertical industries: medical, aerospace & space, and semiconductor. Of all these fields, the company has demonstrated that its market-leading LCM technology has become a promising production candidate in the healthcare & medical industries. The latest advancements in this article tell you why.

Focus | Solukon | The effect of piezoelectric excitation in an automated depowdering process: the case of medical 3D printed parts.

As the market advances, new features emerge and customers’ requirements become more demanding. A depowdering test can therefore help customers compare machines and assess their suitability for an application. To understand the testing process, we asked Solukon Maschinenbau GmbH something unusual: share insights into a depowdering test performed for one of their customers active in the medical and healthcare industries.

Events | Reflecting on two decades of Rapid.Tech 3D | Additive Manufacturing Hub

Here we are today, in 2024, reflecting on the opportunities that Messe Erfurt GmbH, the organizer of Rapid.Tech 3D, has been creating for the AM community over time.