FUNMAT PRO 610HT Archives | INTAMSYS

Empowering PEEK Implant Surgeries: INTAMSYS 3D Printer Leading the Way

INTAMSYS — Fri, 30 Jun 2023 07:19:13 +0000

The application of PEEK (polyetheretherketone) in 3D printing of human hard tissue substitutes has drawn extensive attention in recent years. With excellent biocompatibility and chemical stability, and density and mechanical properties close to those of human bone, PEEK is an ideal material for bone substitutes and has become a leading candidate material to replace metal implants and prostheses in orthopedic, spinal, and craniomaxillofacial surgeries. Combined with 3D printing technology, PEEK is expected to be widely used in the field of orthopedic implants. The advanced medical application project of PEEK 3D printing conducted by INTAMSYS in collaboration with Tangdu Hospital of Air Force Medical University is a pioneering practice in this field.

PEEK 3D printed implants in the treatment of skull, thoracic ribs and nutcracker syndrome

Skull reconstruction surgery

In conventional skull implant procedures, hard and lightweight titanium mesh is commonly used to repair damage or fill voids. Meanwhile, the medical community is in constant pursuit of new medical implant materials to improve surgical outcomes and post-operative patient experience.

Skull implant protocol

What kind of technique can best meet the surgical requirements?

A patient at Tangdu Hospital of Air Force Medical University had a head tumor and needed skull implant to repair the damaged area. Based on the patient’s CT scan data, the surgeons designed a “tailor-made” skull piece structure using CAD software. They printed customized skull pieces by FDM (fused deposition modeling) using high-performance PEEK material with the help of the 3D printing technology of INTAMSYS. During the surgery, the surgeons successfully repaired the damaged area of the patient’s skull by precisely implanting skull pieces according to the protocol. The postoperative examination showed that the skull pieces fitted perfectly with the patient’s natural bone without artifacts, and the patient recovered well after the operation.

Versatile application in surgical implants

In 2018, the Department of Urology at Tangdu Hospital and the 3D Printing Research Center of the Air Force Medical University jointly performed the world’s first surgery treating nutcracker syndrome with 3D printing technology, adopting PEEK human bionic material to make the human implants.

Nutcracker PEEK implant 3D printed by INTAMSYS equipment

The 3D Printing Research Center of the Air Force Medical University made breakthroughs in several thoracic rib PEEK replacement surgeries by creating new implants with the help of the FDM/FFF 3D printing technology of INTAMSYS.

PEEK thoracic rib implant 3D printed with INTAMSYS FUNMAT PRO 610

Hundreds of PEEK implant procedures have already been performed with the help of 3D printing technology, and the patients recovered well after the operation.

3D printing technology unleashes new potential of PEEK materials

As the medical implant production switches from the conventional standard mass production to patient-specific customized implant production, 3D printing is taking on an increasingly important role in the medical implant manufacturing industry, making it possible to realize batch production of patient-specific and small-scale customized PEEK implants.

FDM/FFF 3D printing technology based on material extrusion process is one of the more economical and efficient production approaches for small-batch production compared with the traditional manufacturing approaches. For example, in the aforementioned skull reconstruction surgery at Tangdu Hospital, the medical team “tailored” PEEK implants for the patient based on the FDM/FFF 3D printing technology of INTAMSYS, and the skull pieces were perfectly embedded with the patient’s natural bone, contributing to quick post-operative recovery.

Taking the advantages of additive manufacturing/3D printing technology in fabricating complex structures, the bioactivity of PEEK materials can be improved at the design level. For example, 3D printing technology can construct interconnected and integrated porous structures to facilitate osseointegration of PEEK implants, improve x-ray accuracy, and achieve elastic modulus that closely matches human cancellous bone.

PEEK Filament

Challenges of PEEK FDM/FFF 3D printing

The manufacturing equipment and process stability are the prerequisites for the commercialized application of PEEK 3D printed medical implants. Due to its high melting point, PEEK requires high-temperature heat treatment. The combination of elevated processing temperatures and the high crystallization rate of PEEK leads to excessive thermal stress (uneven distribution between printed layers) and may result in thermal cracking, as well as poor interlayer adhesion and warpage in 3D printed PEEK parts. Therefore, PEEK FDM/FFF 3D printing is far more complex and challenging than the processes using engineering and general purpose plastics. In order to develop high-quality PEEK 3D printed parts, specialized manufacturing techniques, as well as FDM 3D printing equipment dedicated to PEEK materials, are required.

In essence, the 3D printing of high performance materials is a thermal processing of polymer materials. The thermal design of the chamber of the 3D printing equipment and the suitable chamber temperature will enhance the bonding strength between layers of polymer materials, while reducing the shrinkage and deformation due to cooling and residual stress. Different materials have different requirements for chamber temperature during the material extrusion 3D printing process, and the chamber temperature required for 3D printing of high-performance PEEK materials should achieve 150-250°C.

Taking INTAMSYS FUNMAT PRO 610HT 3D printing equipment for high-performance materials as an example, it has a fully enclosed molding chamber, the temperature of the 3D printing platform and the chamber can be controlled in a range from room temperature to 300°C, the equipment controls the heating of the chamber through the double-side circulation hot duct while synchronously heating the printing bed, which is equipped with thickened insulation layer externally to reduce heat dissipation. After reaching the preset temperature and stabilizing for a period of time, the temperature field inside the whole chamber is highly homogeneous, with the temperature controlled accurately within the range of 300°C ± 2.5%. Due to its excellent high temperature performance, INTAMSYS FUNMAT PRO 610HT 3D printing equipment is mainly used for additive manufacturing with high value-added materials such as PEEK, ULTEM and PPSU, and meets the 3D printing requirements of most FDM/FFF materials in the market. Unlike ordinary 3D printers that are heated only by the printing platform, FUNMAT PRO 610HT can further ensure that the first layer of 3D printed parts maintains a high-strength adhesion with the printing platform, and the material is heated at a uniform temperature in all parts during the 3D printing process, which facilitates large-size sample molding while preventing warping and other defects, providing a reliable guarantee for high-quality 3D printing of PEEK materials.

Whether it is for the treatment of skull, sternum or nutcracker syndrome, customized implant protocols will be more precise and efficient to provide a better treatment experience and recovery for patients. And the 3D printing technology also keeps on providing more innovations and breakthroughs in other medical areas such as bone reconstruction and prosthesis manufacturing. We firmly believe that the medical world in the future will be witnessing infinite possibilities brought by 3D printing technology.

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Industrial 3D Printing With High Performance Polymers Can Replace Traditionally Made Metal Parts

INTAMSYS — Wed, 08 Feb 2023 07:18:23 +0000

It is certainly no secret that 3D printing is being integrated into more and more sectors. This includes more traditional manufacturing industries, where additive manufacturing is increasingly being adopted as a complementary technology to produce more lightweight yet still strong parts. Or at least that is the case for Société Parisse, a French company based in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, that has adopted industrial 3D printing with high-performance polymers through their work with INTAMSYS and CADvision.

Société Parisse was founded in 1981 and moved to Donzy in 1985, where the street where it is located now bears the name of the founder, Gerard Parisse. It specializes in mechanical precision engineering, including the creation of special machinery and assembly control.They are well-known for their know-how and high production quality. This has enabled them to work in a variety of sectors including in Formula 1 and motorsport racing, professional cycling, pharmaceuticals and even the aerospace sector, notably providing parts for the Ariane rocket.

he company has a long history of using traditional processes. At its facilities, Société Parisse has four machining centers (2, 3, 5 axes), four CNC lathes (3 and 4 axes), single-spindle and dual-spindle turning, two EDM (Electro Discharge Machining) wire erosion machines, a surface grinder, a cylindrical grinder, conventional turning and milling, a metrology control laboratory, a laser engraver and a design office. Now, they have also decided to move into industrial 3D printing thanks to growing demand from their customers, who are both French and international.

3D Printing With High-Performance Polymers for Production-Grade, Lightweight Parts

But why did Société Parisse turn to additive manufacturing? And how has the company adopted the technology? Well, the answer to the first question is one that we have certainly heard before: the need for more lightweight parts. More specifically, according to Laurent Parisse, the head and owner of the company who bought it from his father Gérard Parisse in 2003, they were interested in making lighter parts, namely those that could no longer be manufactured by machining due to their weight. AM allowed for a greater freedom of shape and design. However, Parisse knew that he needed to keep the original properties of the metal parts even when switching to AM. To achieve this, he turned to INTAMSYS and CADvision, a reseller of AM solutions with 15+ years of experience that is also based in France. transport, and more.

Parisse was searching for a printer with an open material system that could help them to produce high-quality, 3D printed parts. After he searched independently, CADvision’s final recommendation was that the INTAMSYS’ FUNMAT PRO 610HT 3D printer would best suit Société Parisse’s needs. This FFF machine is known for being open-system and its ability to print with high-performance materials and Parisse claims it was the answer to at least 99% of the company’s concerns when adopting 3D printing. This is thanks to a number of features that were especially important for their work. Notably, he pointed towards the chamber which is capable of reaching up to 300˚C, ideal for printing with high-performance “super” polymers like PEEK and PEKK as well as extruders which can reach up to 500°C with an all-metal hot end. Moreover, he mentions the large build space of 610x508x508mm (24x20x20in) which allows for either the printing of very large parts or multiple small parts for low volume production.

Indeed, high-performance polymers were the key to Société Parisse’s adoption of 3D printing. These so-called “super polymers’ include materials like PEEK (polyether ether ketone) and Ultem and are known for their ability to replace even metal thanks to their high strength and rigidity and high heat resistance. Beyond this they are also chemical, corrosion and heat resistant, making them useful in even the most extreme environments. This while all still being much lighter, an ideal especially for Société Parisse. Although the company had actually already used high performance plastics, INTAMSYS allowed them to use them with additive manufacturing in order to take advantage of AM’s many benefits.

How Has Société Parisse Used the INTAMSYS FUNMAT PRO 610 HT?

Of course, one of the ways that Société Parisse has adopted industrial 3D printing has been through prototyping which is often costly and ineffective with CNC Machining. But additive manufacturing is also being used for end-use parts including the production of spare parts but also for direct use in the aeronautic, railway and pharmaceutical industries. One example of a part was a frame made by the company that could be used like a remote to test a wagon that would be part of a train. Although normally to make this part, it is necessary to create 17 separate parts, all of which are u-shaped, thanks to additive manufacturing it was possible to print it entirely in one part.

Speaking about the choice to use the FUNMAT PRO 610 HT 3D printer, Laurent Parisse concludes, “For us everything was a go: the price, the size of the chamber, the features and more. We are always seeking new innovations and avoiding the mainstream and with INTAMSYS and high-temperature polymer 3D printing we have achieved that.” You can find out more in the link HERE or in the video below.

Read the full article here.

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Solving challenges in the construction industry with innovative architecture and 3D printing

INTAMSYS — Thu, 17 Nov 2022 09:34:21 +0000

Globally, over 50% of waste comes from construction and demolition work. Buildings and construction projects are responsible for 40% of greenhouse gas emissions, with the largest share of this emission coming from manufacturing raw materials, with packaging and transportation following closely.

As a manufacturing company, we at Richter Lighting Technologies GmbH are clear with our responsibilities and have been driving our main innovations, toward sustainable development of industrial solutions to meet the challenges of the construction sector

Bernd and Marion Richter, founders of RiCHTER Lighting Technologies GmbH

These challenges are characterized by the following points:

Reduce the environmental footprint of the construction sector
Holistic consideration of the materials used over entire product cycle (selection of recyclable materials, reduction of materials used).
Reduce construction cost and completion times
Reduce arduous and risky physical labor.

RiCHTER USE CASES

Discover Richter Lighting Technologies GmbH; their project use cases range from creating parts that combine profiles into complex shapes to hold fabrics in our ceiling systems, to using 3D-printed parts to integrate into standardized architectural structures while maintaining the overall strength of the entire structure.

SUSPENDED CEILING SYSTEMS

An example is their most recently completed project was the suspended ceiling systems in the lobbies of the 50 Hudson Yards building in New York City. They drew from their expertise in multiple fields, their experience from past projects, and leveraged some of the most innovative technologies to meet clients’ requirements.

For this project, RiCHTER’s team needed to create complex components to combine multiple profiles for architectural structures and to hold their fabrics in the ceiling systems. To achieve this goal, they needed a material with specific properties, and a 3D printer that can get the best out of the materials.

The material that had the required properties was the ULTEM 9085 filament, a polyetherimide (PEI) plastic and the 3D printer used to achieve this task was the INTAMSYS FUNMAT PRO 610HT. It also has a controlled heated chamber, that was set to about 200 °C, which is necessary in order to achieve strong layer bonding for the ULTEM 9085 filament because of its glass transition temperature of 186° C. The printer has a nozzle temperature that goes up to 500 °C, adequate for this material because of its high melting point.

The result was:

Very complex integrable shapes, that the concept of milling could not even be considered.
Very durable components with strong layer bonding.
Lightweight and highly flame-retardant components.
Reduced materials with infill structure.

3D printed parts with
ULTEM 9085 for architectural use.

UNIQUE ARCHITECTURAL COMPONENT

Another example is when they use the BASF Ultrafuse® PC/ABS FR for their high-end architectural projects.

The major challenge for some projects was achieving a combination of different materials, assembled as a single piece, and shipped for easy, on-site installation.

This component had to have the following requirements:

Remain invisible
Excellent surface quality to act as a frame for fabric systems.
High durability & flame retardant

They achieved this unique architectural component using innovative technologies like (3D printing, 3D engineering, etc.) and thanks to the philosophy at Richter Lighting Technologies GmbH.

3D printed parts with
BASF Ultrafuse® PC/ABS FR for architectural use.

RICHTER PHILOSOPHY

Richter Lighting Technologies GmbH, now a global manufacturer and supplier of modular lighting and acoustic ceiling systems, uses a philosophy – the 90-10 philosophy – which at the highest level is that RLT does 90% of the work and clients do 10%.

The 90-10 philosophy consists of carefully curated synergetic elements that enable RLT to provide ‘clear cost, clear lead-time, clear quality throughout the lifecycle of a project.

Some of these key elements are:

A team with very diverse skills, experience, ages, and cultures from over 30 different countries.
A growing knowledge base and set of reusable technical parts derived from decades of experience and over 250 successfully completed projects.
A preplanned, predefined kit premanufactured with industrial precision that the customer assembles to an integrated product customized for him.
Assembled, packaged, and shipped in a numbered order for easy on-site installation that can be done by any professional.
A custom plenum space that can be implemented on demand and anywhere within the entire system to meet the customers’ needs

This philosophy is implemented primarily to

1) understand the challenges of the customer and the respective project during planning and construction and

2) develop and provide clients with the best solution that perfectly fits their needs and requirements

Richter lighting technologies GmbH

Address: Im Morgen 1

D-73540 Heubach

Website: https://richter-lt.de/
Phone: +49 (0)7173 71440 0
Mail: info@richter-lt.de
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/richter-lt/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Richter-lighting-technologies-GmbH

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