PEEK Archives - Perfect 3D Printing Filament

INTAMSYS: First Distributor of New PAEK 3D Printing Filament from Victrex

The world of 3D printing materials alone is vast, wondrous, and inspiring—and it continues to expand in parallel with the exploration and innovation of users who often refuse to accept limits for their designs. High-performance polyetheretherketone (PEEK) and polyaryletherketone (PAEK) polymer solutions are materials being used more often for industrial applications too in additive manufacturing, adapted from their initial uses in traditional technology like machining and injection molding.

Now, the UK-headquartered Victrex, a leader in developing and supplying both PEEK and PAEK, has announced the release of VICTREX AM 200 filament. This PAEK filament will be distributed by INTAMSYS, China, as they continue to widen their range of offerings to customers engaged in using 3D design software and AM processes. As a manufacturer of 3D printers centered around using materials like PEEK and PAEK, INTAMSYS will be the first company to play a role in the Victrex filament fusion network.

INTAMSYS is known for working with clients in a variety of applications, to include the following:

Automotive
Aerospace
Oil and gas
Medical sector
Jigs
Fixtures
Education

The new PAEK filament is meant to be versatile and able to hold up in rigorous environments, featuring:

High-wear resistance
High-temperature resistance
Fatigue resistance
Corrosion resistance to fluids and chemicals
Design freedom
Greater efficiency and affordability in production

Although Victrex has been a leader within the materials industry for almost 30 years, we have followed their dynamic process in research, enormous investment into new technology, and ongoing development of stronger PAEK materials. Over time, their goal has been to produce a new line of materials able to stand up to the needs of customers creating parts (not just prototypes) for critical applications where there often is no room for error.

“This new generation of Victrex additive manufacturing PAEK filament represents an important step forward for Victrex and we are excited now to work closely with INTAMSYS,” said Jakob Sigurdsson, Victrex CEO. “Due to excellent cooperation with companies and institutions that pursue innovation in additive manufacturing, such as INTAMSYS, as well as Victrex´s continued research, we have been making sustained progress toward creating truly innovative components based on the design freedom of additive manufacturing, combined with the high performance of PAEK polymers.”

Specifically optimized for AM processes, the PAEK material is meant for high-performance parts. And while previously PEEK material meant for injection molding may have presented challenges with bonding and adhesion, the new filament offers up to 80 percent greater strength and impressive FFF 3D printing adaptability.

“Our test results to date have shown that the VICTREX AM 200 filament has a better interlayer adhesion than other PAEK materials on INTAMSYS´ machines. Compared with unfilled PEEK, it is designed with slower crystallization, lower melt temperature, and a viscosity finetuned to the filament fusion process, such as easier flow in the build chamber after leaving the nozzle. Higher flow in open air (low shear rates) also promotes interlayer bonding and stability during printing,” said Charles Han, Founder and CEO at INTAMSYS.

“All of this contributes to an improved interlaminar adhesion, easier printing (less shrink and warp), and a better suitability for FDM 3D printing, compared to other similar options, based upon the testing we have done at INTAMSYS up to this point.”

Testing has been performed by INTAMSYS engineers on a variety of 3D printers, including the smart dual nozzle FUNMAT PRO 410 3D printer—able to print with PEEK, PEEK-CF, PEKK, PC, PC-ABS and other high-performance materials. See the data from the tests below.

[Source: Victrex/INTAMSYS; Images courtesy of INTAMSYS]

The post INTAMSYS: First Distributor of New PAEK 3D Printing Filament from Victrex appeared first on 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing.

Evonik Launches FDM PEEK Filament for Implants

PEEK polyether ether ketone is a high-performance thermoplastic with high continuous service temperatures, strength, and low flame smoke and toxicity. Due to this, it is an oft sought material by engineers in applications such as automotive under the hood parts or aerospace parts. But, PEEK is considered to be a wonder material by many not just because it meets a lot of high tech engineering requirements. One can also use PEEK in the body for implants. Several spinal screws, suture anchors, orthopedic implants, and other long term in the body implant products have come to the market recently and in things as diverse as CMF and spine, PEEK is in high demand.

Generally, PEEK implants are made through CNC or if they are printed they are made with SLS (powder bed fusion, sintering). SLS is a tried and true technology that has won approvals for surgical guides and implants. SLS’s high productivity, reliability, and predictability make it a good technology to manufacture things with, especially if they are small and require precision. SLS PEEK powders are expensive however. With SLS a laser, sinters some lose polymer powder on a bed of spread out powder. A new layer is then spread out and the process repeats itself. Unsintered powder acts as a support material and once a big block or cake has been built this is removed from the printer and parts are sieved out and brushed out to remove the loose powder. This remaining powder can then to a certain extent be mixed in with new virgin powder and used again. The recycling rate depends on the powder and the build.

Essentially, if a printer uses a metric tonne of powder a month we end up recycling a third per build and ultimately end up throwing away half a tonne of powder for every 500 Kg’s of built parts. Nota Bene: this is just a general example meant to make people understand the economics of SLS a bit better, with different materials and parts, spot, spacing etc. you’ll get different results. This is still way more efficient than cutting away material for CNC for example, but is quite a waste. If you’re paying $100 a kilo for PA, then this is quite expensive on a monthly basis. And this is for a medium machine working at full production. $50,000 per machine per month, ouch. Imagine you’ve got ten or more.

But, PEEK powder is way way more expensive than that. You’ll be paying five to nine times more per Kilo for PEEK depending on the certification. And it gets worse, because the recycling rate of PEEK powder in SLS machines is effectively 0. We toss out all of it. All of it. Everything that is not a built part is thrown away. So depending on the utilization, specific grade, and machine; you’re tossing out a pair of Ferrari’s per month in powder, per machine. Imagine you’re an entrepreneur with your own service bureau and you walk by some bins every day with 4 911’s worth of powder in them, that you will then toss out that day, that’s got to hurt.

This explains the rationale for Evonik’s launch today of a PEEK Filament for implants. 3D4Makers, 3DXtech, Appium, and other firms have offered PEEK filament for a number of years now. Solvay has a healthcare grade PEEK filament that you can buy as well which is ISO 10993 and suitable for limited contact applications for 24 hours and less. PEEK leader Victrex has sold medical PEEK for implantology to a select few also. Alternative materials such as PEKK from Arkema are available but often not with the certifications and approvals to use long term in the body. Now Evonik has an FDM grade suitable for implants specifically.

Polymer companies are reticent to allow for the use of polymers in the body long term because of the suitability of the material for that purpose and also legal liability. DowCorning a huge joint venture went bankrupt over liability related to breast implants that “never represented more than 1 percent of our business” and yet forced the company to set aside $2.35 billion for claimants. Many polymer firms, therefore, consider possible medical implant polymer revenue not sufficient for a possible headshot for their firm.

In this case, Evonik has done its homework on its ASTM F2026 compliant PEEK filament. The business case is clear, with FDM you print only the material that you use (plus extra possible support). This means that you will end up using a lot less material per part than if you fill a full SLS machine. Especially with larger implants, FDM does have an advantage in time in the machine and time to part as well. Besides Kumovis and Vshaper, there has been little development of medical part-specific high-temperature printers for FDM. I think that this can be a fantastically profitable niche that would be difficult from which to dislodge a reliable supplier from. Evonik’s launch of this FDM material can serve as an impetus for the development of more medially capable high-temperature FDM printers that one would need in order to use the filament.

With a surgical implant PEEK material the VESTAKEEP i4 3DF, 1.75 mm, on 250 or 500 gram spools is based on VESTAKEEP i4 G with good “biocompatibility, biostability, x-ray transparency, and easy handling.” X-Ray transparency is a great advantage of polymer medical implants since it allows doctors to check if the implant is placed correctly after implantation and lets them do CT scans especially those with contrast die, after or even during implantation or scans which can let them adequately see bone or tissue healing progress. In CT’s and MRI’s metal implants cause artefacts on some scans, or may block surgeons from seeing important details through shadows or opacity. Magnetic implants and MRI’s are also not an awesome combo.

Marc Knebel, of Evonik Medical Devices & Systems,

“For modern medical technology, the development of our first 3D-printable implant material opens up new opportunities for customizing patient treatments. Orthopedics and maxillofacial surgery are examples of areas where this could be applied. Innovative high-performance materials like Evonik’s VESTAKEEP PEEK—along with highly complex hardware and software, and the perfect match between materials and machines—form the basis for a sustainable 3D-printing revolution in medical technology. Therefore, we will successively expand our product portfolio of 3D printable biomaterials.”

In order to make you less gun shy on taking the leap for PEEK Evonik has released a testing grade,

“The term refers to a class of material having the exact same product properties as the implant grade, but without the documentation needed for approval in medical technology applications. This offers a cost-effective way of adapting the processing characteristics of the high-performance plastic to a given 3D printer.”

This is a great idea that other companies should look into adopting as well as it would make research and product development into high-performance polymers much more cost-effective.

The post Evonik Launches FDM PEEK Filament for Implants appeared first on 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing.

Essentium and LEHVOSS develop PEEK and HTN materials for FFF 3D printing

Essentium Inc., the Texas-based 3D printer manufacturer behind High Speed Extrusion (HSE) technology, has announced a partnership with chemical and mineral materials specialist LEHVOSS Group to develop high-performance materials for additive manufacturing. The materials, comprising a line of PEEK and High-Temperature Nylon (HTN), were created specifically for production-level extrusion-based 3D printing processes. They are designed […]

AON3D Launches the AON-M2 2020: Large Volume 3D Printer Built for High-Performance Thermoplastics

AON3D announces the launch of their AON-M2 2020, the latest industrial 3D printer in their flagship product line. The AON-M2 2020 has been designed to print a continuously expanding array of melt-processable thermoplastics, including PEEK, ULTEM, PEKK, polycarbonate, and hundreds of other materials.

Customers can realize the most demanding applications, since the extensive material compatibility offers the opportunity to 3D print parts that can resist harsh chemicals, stand up to extreme temperatures, and withstand intense mechanical stress.

The AON-M2 2020 is ideal for fabricating parts for a wide range of applications, including tooling, jigs and fixtures, end-use parts, or rapid prototyping.

Open Materials 3D Printers Unlock More Applications

Since its founding, AON3D has committed to the open materials standard in contrast with many 3D printing companies that restrict customers to a limited selection of costly, proprietary materials.

In addition, AON3D has focused its materials engineering expertise on developing optimized process parameters for vendors that provide the highest quality materials on the market. These include notable brands such as Solvay, SABIC, Kimya, DSM, Infinite Material Solutions, and many others.

Designed for Part Accuracy and Repeatability

The AON-M2 2020 industrial 3D printer improves upon the original design with its focus on part accuracy and repeatability, as well as reliability. “From the all stainless-steel frame to minimize thermal expansion, to the chamber heater redesign that offers precise control of the thermal environment and heats up in less than 15 minutes, the AON-M2 2020 is an exciting step-up for AON3D,” said CEO, Kevin Han. “We are thrilled to continue offering customers the widest range of material options for their applications and materials expertise that goes well beyond the machine design.”

Parts made on the AON-M2 2020 using SABIC ULTEM AM9085F filament and AMS31F support material.

Reach the Maximum Potential for Your Material

With its higher chamber temperature of 135°C (275°F), and bed and hot end temperatures of 200°C (392°F) and 470°C (878°F) respectively, the AON-M2 2020 unlocks an even wider range of high-performance materials that are in demand by industries such as aerospace, defense, R&D, and manufacturing. Operators can achieve better mechanical properties for printed parts with its precision thermal control, enabled by the innovative chamber heater design and engineered convective flow path. Also, its huge 454 x 454 x 640 mm (18 x 18 x 25 in) build chamber accommodates larger parts, and its dual independent tool-heads can print support material for complex designs with ease.

AON3D pairs its industrial 3D printing platform with a comprehensive process expertise offering; application engineers, trainers, and PhDs combine forces to support users in achieving exceptional part outcomes.

“We are seeing a growing demand for an additive manufacturing platform that can print the strongest thermoplastics, as well as an increasing recognition that reaching the maximum mechanical property potential for any part-material combination is a challenge best met with expert support,” said Director of R&D, Andrew Walker. “The AON-M2 2020 is the bedrock of a complete solution we offer customers for getting from CAD file to end-use parts, without sacrificing affordability.”

The AON-M2 2020 is already shipping and you can get a quote today.

A part made from Solvay KetaSpire® AM FILAMENT CF10 LS1 – a carbon fiber-loaded PEEK material.

The post AON3D Launches the AON-M2 2020: Large Volume 3D Printer Built for High-Performance Thermoplastics appeared first on 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing.

FossiLabs offers enhanced PEEK medical devices with 3D printed porous bone-like structures

FossiLabs, a US-based medical 3D printing start-up, has announced the launch of its FFF 3D printed bone-like scaffolding structures using a porous PEEK material. Reportedly the first ‘fully’ porous 3D printed PEEK porous medical implants, the bone-like structures are designed to be used within implantable devices using Fossilabs’ proprietary hardware and software. Todd Reith, Founder […]

3ntr launches Spectral 30 PEEK 3D printer – Technical specifications

3ntr, an Italian 3D printer manufacturer, has introduced a new FFF 3D printer at Formnext 2019: the Spectral 30. Capable of 3D printing at high temperatures, the Spectral 30 is designed for use with high-performing polymers like PEEK, Ultem, PEI and PEKK. Development of the Spectral 30 was borne out of the Clean Sky project, […]

Formnext 2019, ROBOZE Innovations are Ready to Revolutionise the Additive Manufacturing World

ROBOZE, an international player that designs and produces the most precise 3D printers in the world for industrial applications, is getting ready to amaze Formnext 2019’s visitors with its new 3D printing solutions that will revolutionise the Additive Manufacturing world.

A constant investment in the materials engineering field and in the development of new technologies has allowed ROBOZE to introduce in the market, since the beginning of its activity, a wide range of 3D printing solutions, capable to offer real advantages in terms of precision, performance, flexibility and personalization for those companies working in extreme sectors like Aerospace, Motorsport and Oil & Gas.

Product innovations from ROBOZE over the last few years have included our Beltless System, which removes belts from FFF 3D printing – and the HVP extruder – a mechanical gem able to print successfully high viscosity super polymers like PEEK, Carbon PEEK and ULTEM AM9085F. Today ROBOZE aims to become the leader for the production of finished parts with composite materials and high temperature super polymers thanks to continuous product innovation, result of the R&D team’s hard work.

Additive Manufacturing has a key role in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, that will drive us to the development of those smart factories capable to benefit from the technological advantages resulting from the integration of machines, production processes, and final products; this has the aim to create new business models and increase the productivity of the involved companies. ROBOZE constantly analyses the global market’s changes in order to meet the real needs of the final customers.

At Formnext 2019 in Frankfurt, ROBOZE portfolio will get wider with a new printer in the Production line, having a 350X300X300mm build plate: ARGO 350.

A controlled heated chamber, capable to reach 180°C in just over an hour, allows ARGO 350 to reduce the thermal shock of the material it is extruding and to cool it down more slowly in order to attenuate the mechanical stress and any residual tension, caused by the thermal treatment.

The HVP Extruder, designed to reach 450°C for the extrusion of composite materials and high-temperature super polymers, in ARGO 350 presents a double gear system to better dissipate heat, reduce wear phenomena, get the feeding system stronger and optimize the pressure on the filament.

Like in the ARGO 500, here the Beltless System has a positioning precision of 10 microns and guarantees continuous movement repeatability. The ARGO 350’s build plate presents an automatic leveling system that, in addition, to eliminating any external interventions, increases the repeatability of the parts even if they are produced in different cycles or times. Moreover, the introduction of the double extruder system lets you print more complex parts thanks to the use of a support soluble material, available on the Production systems.

These innovations, provided by ROBOZE R&D team, include the recent introduction of the Heat Treatment Process, a system developed to manage the entire manufacturing process – from pre-printing procedures to post-processing finishing – on those systems that are not equipped with heated chamber like the Desktop series (Roboze One and Roboze One+400) and the Desktop/Production series (Roboze One Xtreme and Roboze One+400 Xtreme). This approach is definitely focused on the management of the entire manufacturing process of high-temperature super polymers and composite materials, in order to guarantee great advantages in terms of processing time and costs for those companies using ROBOZE solutions. However, ROBOZE has in store even more news for Formnext, in fact declares that they are going to launch, very shortly, a new revolutionary solution in the materials engineering field, demonstrating its extreme innovation nature.

“We are proud of contributing to the continuous innovation in the 3D printing technology market, thanks to the hard work of our engineers’ team and our global partners in research and development activities”, states Alessio Lorusso, Roboze CEO & Founder. “Our presence at Formnext in Frankfurt will give us the chance to showcase our new 3D printing solutions to the global manufacturing market. The innovations we will showcase during this edition address the needs of all those entrepreneurial realities aiming at increasing their productivity thanks to high temperature super polymers and composite materials for the production of finished parts with the highest precision.”

Production optimization and competitive advantages for the final customers are the added values that ROBOZE will demonstrate during Formnext 2019, from 19^th to 22^nd of November, at Messe Frankfurt in Frankfurt.

ROBOZE team will be ready to print strong like metal at booth 12.1-C61.

#PrintStrongLikeMetal

roboze.com

The post Formnext 2019, ROBOZE Innovations are Ready to Revolutionise the Additive Manufacturing World appeared first on 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing.

WASP Bringing PEEK Pellet 3D Printer, and Others, to formnext 2019

Italian company WASP (World’s Advanced Saving Project) always manages to surprise me with the multitude of unique 3D printers it develops. At last year’s formnext event, the company introduced its Industrial 4.0 line, and this year, at formnext 2019, WASP will once again amaze visitors to the huge trade fair with something new: the Delta WASP 2040 TECH, which can print PEEK pellets.

PEEK, or polyetheretherketone, is notoriously difficult to print with, and requires a nozzle temperature of at least 380°C to properly extrude the high-strength thermoplastic. But WASP has never been one to back away from a challenge, as it’s always on the lookout for new ways to approach additive manufacturing. In fact, the company introduced its first pellet 3D printer three years ago, but it certainly wasn’t capable of working with PEEK, which it refers to as a ‘super polymer.’

“Peek pellet printing is undoubtedly a revolutionary application and the impact of this innovation on the entire WASP-printers-line is extraordinary,” the company stated in a press release.

The Delta WASP 2040 TECH 3D printer is the first of a new line that comes with a high-precision HD extruder for pellets. The company says it’s a novel machine because of the fully insulated, stainless steel, high-temperature chamber that makes it possible to print PEEK pellets.

Prosthesis from peek pellet Delta WASP 2040 TECH

“Healthcare has always been a huge branch of the applications for additive manufacturing since its beginning. This sector is showing us how tangibly 3D printing can improve our lives but also challenging every new technology and inspiring innovation,” WASP’s Giulio Buscaroli wrote on the WASP website.

“In this context, WASP is proud to unveil the results of its work on printing medical-grade PEEK from pellets with a brand new line of 3D printers: Delta WASP Tech line.”

The company has been busy researching in the medical field, and the new Delta WASP 2040 TECH is the culmination of all this hard work. The purpose of this pellet 3D printer is to fabricate implantable prostheses, in certified PEEK, at a more affordable cost. Neurosurgeon Dr. Villiam Dallolio has been helping WASP to develop the process, and the Delta WASP 2040 TECH will be showcased next week at formnext.

Delta WASP 3MT concrete 3D printing

But that isn’t the only new system WASP is bringing to the trade fair in Frankfurt. The company has been gaining experience in the architectural field as well as the medical, and will be showcasing its Delta WASP 3MT CONCRETE 3D printer – another novelty, which is capable of 3D printing large, fluid, dense materials. The company wrote that the new 3D printer “optimized the previous LDM system with a certified one,” which makes it possible to print materials like concrete through a continuous feeding method.

Finally, WASP will also be presenting its new Delta WASP 3MT INDUSTRIAL 4.0 3D printer at formnext. The printer features a continuous feeding system and optimized extruder so that it can print 100% recycled pellet polymers.

“It’s a solution for increasingly advanced medical applications but not only: WASP has identified in the pellet printing the answer to the increasingly essential needs of recycling plastic materials and also to the need of producing furniture tailored pieces,” the company wrote.

To see these three new 3D printers for yourself, you can visit WASP at formnext, November 19-22, at Stand B79 in Hall 11.0.

[Images provided by WASP]

Discuss this story and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts in the Facebook comments below.

The post WASP Bringing PEEK Pellet 3D Printer, and Others, to formnext 2019 appeared first on 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing.

Romania: Comparing Additively and Conventionally Manufactured Patient-Specific Cranial Implants

A trio of researchers from Bucharest, Romania completed a multi-centre cohort study, entitled “3D patient specific implants for cranioplasty,” about 50 patients from 10 hospitals with a variety of cranial defects.

A cranioplasty is performed to repair these defects after congenital anomalies, growing skull fractures, surgical decompression, trauma, or tumor surgery, which can result in aesthetic, functional, and psychological implications. We’ve seen 3D printing used in this type of procedure before.

The abstract states, “In all patients the neurosurgeon repaired the cranial defect using 3D printed and CNC milling and drilling grafts or Patient Specific Implants, from two world known manufacturers, custom made in accordance with the data obtained from the patient’s 3D CT reconstruction.”

Of the 50 patients between 5-68 years old, 16 were female and 34 were male, while 22 were from urban areas and 28 from rural. 31 patients presented with trauma, while 16 were decompression and three had a tumor. The neurosurgeons used a scanning protocol, coupled with data from patients’ 3D CT reconstruction, to determine whether 3D printing or CAD-CAM manufacturing should be used to fabricate the patient-specific implants.

The procedure was the same for nearly all the cases – DICOM data files were collected, archived into a ZIP file, and sent in an encrypted message through a secure platform to keep the information confidential. Once the files are extracted, they’re verified to make sure the scan protocol was followed, and to see if they can be transformed to STL files in order to clearly see the bone defect and compare it “with standard anatomic models, with contra-lateral side of the same patient” in order to develop a 3D dynamic model of the cranium with the defects included.

“The 3D model (pdf file with 3D media option activated) is sent and presented by manufacturer directly to the surgeon with several comments regarding: surrounding soft tissue, sizes, distances, thickness and a lot of other parameters, including material together with an approval letter that has to be stamped and signed by the surgeon,” the researchers explained. “The surgeon will reply (in written) to the manufacturer with its comments regarding all of the above and in some steps will conclude if he agrees or not, on the proposed 3D model. If the response is affirmative and all legal and financial issues are agreed upon by all parts, the manufacturer will start to produce the implant, respecting all safety and regulations of EU, regarding Patient Specific Implants. That will be delivered in the country of the surgeon, directly to its hospital OR during a period of 5-15 days. In some emergency cases, the implant can be delivered within 48 hours, with a set of legal documents and a passport for the implant; the passport contains all of the important info that patient has to have, after surgery. If the Implant came unsterile and very well packaged, it will be sterilized to 134 °, 1-2 cicles 20 minutes, 24-48 hours prior the day of surgery.”

Surgeons used factors like anatomical area, risk of infection, and position and size of the defect to determine which material to use – 45 implants were made with PEEK, while four were created out of a titanium alloy and one was made from the ceramic glass material Bioverit. These same factors were taken into consideration when determining the best type of fixation system, such as bio-resorbable craniofix implants that use a special tool for anchoring and fixation, titanium holed plates, non-locking or locking screws, or non-resorbable sutures.

The presented case was for a 23-year-old female whose cranial trauma was caused by a car accident. Upon arrival, she had a Glasgow (coma state) score of 3 and intracranial pressure with a peak of 80 mmHg – the standard value is 20 mmHg. The surgeon observed a cerebral edema post-trauma malign, and chose to fix it using a cranial resection with dural plasty. Three days later, the surgeon performed “a large craniectomy FTPO (fontal-temporal-parietal-occipital) and dural plasty with temporal muscle and periosteum.” The cranioplasty was performed 44 days later.

FIGURE 3. CT scan images done respecting above scanning protocol.

The manufacturer received and analyzed the patient’s CT DICOM files, and created a 3D model that the surgeon then had to approve.

FIGURE 4. Presentation of 3D model proposed by manufacturer using Adobe Acrobat 3D pdf file where model can be visualized in motion. (A) right view with implant; (B) proposed model of implant; (C) left view; (D) frontal view with implant into defect; (E) right view without implant; (F) below view; (G) rear view with implant; (H) above view with implant in place.

“There are cases when CT DICOM files are rejected, because they are not done as required by the protocol and they are not accurate enough and cannot be used for 3D model and also for implant construction,” the researchers explained.

“A team of specialists in cranial reconstruction communicate to the surgeon (in writing): any possible complications, details regarding sizes of implants, remaining bone, distances and surrounding soft tissues, options for manufacturing materials, fixation systems (Titanium Alloy, Peek, Bioverit–ceramic glass) (9,10) to help him take the most efficient decision.”

The surgeon asked for the implant to be fabricated from PEEK-Optima, in case any intra-op adjustments were needed, and also requested 1 cm suture holes.

In this particular case, the patient-specific implant was not 3D printed; rather, CAD-CAM manufacturing was used.

“Regarding the general study: There were a total of 50 patients treated with Patient Specific Implant that proved significant aesthetic, functional and psychological improvements after the cranioplasty surgery,” the researchers explained. “Minor complications occurred in several cases, that were related to cranioplasty fixation systems and scalp complications (related to initial trauma), and two cases of wound infection (one related to the type of suture used and the otherwound contamination without suture defect). There were no fatalities and no long-term complications.”

The team concluded that a custom 3D printed patient-specific implant can result in better aesthetics and “good functional outcomes,” making this cranial reconstruction option “a safe and viable solution.”

FIGURE 6. Patient Specific Implant made from PEEK in protective case; (B) Inferior image of implant

“Nevertheless, the financial aspect of using such an implant is the main factor that negatively influences the addressability of such a technique to the general public,” the researchers wrote. “At this time Patient Specific Implants in Romania are paid by patients and are expensive, but very reliable and effective at the same time.”

Discuss this story and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts in the Facebook comments below.

The post Romania: Comparing Additively and Conventionally Manufactured Patient-Specific Cranial Implants appeared first on 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing.

Evonik leads funding round for Chinese 3D printing medical startup

German industrial chemical corporation Evonik has led a “high single-digit million-euro” round of funding for Meditool, a medical device start-up in Shanghai, the company’s first direct investment in China. Meditool manufacturers 3D printed neuro and spine surgery implants using Evonik’s polymer PEEK instead of metals. For patients, this technology enables faster recovery and fewer post-operation checks. […]