China3D printingNet, March 3, metallurgical expert Heraeus Amloy is cooperating with the University of Graz to3D printingA new type of medical device made of amorphous metal.
As part of the Clinical Additive Manufacturing (CAMed) project for medical applications, this research will enable partners to develop and test new alloy powders for end-use implants and prostheses.Due to the extraordinary mechanical properties of amorphous alloys, the new3D printingThe equipment is expected to significantly improve performance over existing equipment made of steel or titanium.
Jürgen Wachter, head of Heraeus Amloy, said: “As part of the CAMed project, we are currently testing the AMLOY-ZR02 alloy. Its main component is high-purity zirconium and has been proven to be biocompatible.”
3D printing
Radius plate implants” alt=”a group made of amorphous metal
3D printing
Radius plate implant” width=”620″ height=”465″ />
A group made of amorphous metal3D printingRadius plate implants. The picture is from Heraeus.
Limitations of conventional medical implants
To date, most metal-based medical implants are made of stainless steel, cobalt-chromium alloy or titanium.Although most of these alloys can work, even if they are customized3D printing, They are also difficult to adapt to the changing forces in the patient’s body.
For example, a titanium costal arch is forced to endure approximately eight million breathing exercises each year. The body temperature titanium material cannot provide sufficient elasticity. Therefore, if the implant is not fixed to the surrounding bone in an optimal way, the implant may be difficult to place in the patient’s chest cavity. Although the minimum force is applied for each breathing cycle, the sheer number of cycles will eventually lead to fatigue fractures, especially over a longer period of time.
3D printing
Titanium rib implants” alt=”Anotomics, an Australian medical device company, has previously performed
3D printing
Titanium rib implants” width=”620″ height=”351″ />
Australian medical device company Anotomics has previously conducted3D printingTitanium rib implants. Filmed by Anotomics.
Why use amorphous metals?
Amorphous metal or metallic glass is formed by shaking and freezing a molten metal pool, which means that the atoms in the material do not have enough time to form a lattice structure. Instead, the atoms solidify in an irregular and disordered (amorphous) structure similar to glass. This gives the resulting alloy an excellent set of physical properties, including corrosion resistance, excellent strength characteristics and high elasticity. It is this combination of strength and elasticity that makes this material category very suitable for permanent load applications (such as medical implants).
The Heraeus project ultimately aims to improve the machinability of these amorphous metals so that they can be performed on most industrial laser powder bed fusion systems3D printing.pass through3D printingWith implants, medical professionals will be able to create next-generation patient-specific equipment that suits each wearer’s physique. This is expected to be particularly convenient when dealing with accidents and injuries caused by tumor resections, since implanting implants after these events can be a complicated process.
Valeska Melde, Head of Marketing and Sales at Heraeus Amloy, concluded: “Amorphous metals have many advantages over steel and titanium: this material has both strength and elasticity. It adapts perfectly to bones, promotes recovery, and is very resistant. Sex because it can be implanted without causing cell deformation.”
Although the company has attracted people’s attention for some time, Heraeus has produced the world’s largest3D printingKnown for amorphous metal parts. The gear was printed in 2019 and is made of the company’s proprietary AMZ4 metal powder with a diameter of 110 mm.
Recently, Heraeus has also cooperated with machine tool manufacturer TRUMPF to promote the3D printingAmorphous parts are used in engineering applications.By improving3D printingTime material cost efficiency, the partner’s goal is to establish additive manufacturing of amorphous metal parts as a standard production method in the workshop.
China3D printingNet compile article!
(Editor in charge: admin)
0 Comments for “Heraeus and the University of Graz collaborate to develop 3D printed amorphous metal medical devices”