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Apium Additive Technologies GmbH Siemensallee 84 76187 Karlsruhe, Germany http://www.apiumtec.com/
Contact Mr Philipp Renner +49 721 68030870

3D printing for medical applications

(PresseBox) (Karlsruhe, )
Additive manufacturing is an inherent part of industrial manufacturing. In the fields of prototyping, fabricating individual parts and complex geometries, or research and development can be found various procedures like 3D printing technologies, which enrich those fields.

Due to the various technologies, additive manufacturing is on the way to be utilized in the medicine sector. Besides special designed medical tools, prostheses and implants are the most desired products for medical 3D printing. Craniofacial surgery takes a prominent place in this context. Individual implants take a decisive role in those fields. In dental applications, custom-made tooth replacements are one of the possibilities given by 3D printing technologies. The choice of the materials to be used for the implants is crucial and comes hand in hand with the technology that should be selected.

One of the materials that is known for its use for implants and in dental technology, is the high-performance polymer poly ether ether ketone (PEEK). A polymer that qualifies as a material for medical applications due to its chemical stability, biocompatibility and tolerance towards radiation, as well as through outstanding wear resistance because of its mechanical properties, PEEK has a tear resistance of 98 MPa. In addition comes a very low specific weight of 1,30 g/cm³. In dental context, PEEK benefits from low plaque attachment, a desired property for materials for tooth replacement.

A 3D printing technology, which meets the requirements of individual parts and processes the high-performance polymer PEEK with zero material waste, can be found with the Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF). During manufacturing the material as a filament, a kind of polymer strand, will be melted through the printhead by up to 500 °C and laid down in different layers to build up the part. Controlling the solidification process of the semi crystalline polymer is crucial for a good product quality. A printer that meets the prerequisites is the Apium P155, developed by Apium Additive Technologies GmbH. Till now the printer is only designed for industrial applications.

Cooperation with Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin and Evonik Industries AG to make medical 3D printing possible

Apium Additive Technologies GmbH has started a cooperation with the Center for Dental and Craniofacial Sciences of Charité Berlin, directed by Prof. (UH) Dr. W.-D. Müller. Goal of this cooperation is a study to determine the printing performance with PEEK compounds in dental applications. The high-performance polymer 3D printer Apium P155 with its Fused Filament Fabrication technology delivers the hardware for this 3D printing study. In a first step the 3D printer is used to fabricate different structures to test their tensile strength in comparison to extruded samples. In the next step, after satisfying results are achieved, single crown frameworks will be manufactured and compared regarding their quality. Crucial properties are the dimension precision and liability. The scale is set by CAD CAM milled structures. The Center for Dental and Craniofacial Sciences will receive assistance by Apium’s 3D printing engineers at the beginning to understand the 3D printing technology and run first sample prints. The outcome of this is the first step to develop a 3D printer for dental applications.

Besides this cooperation, Apium Additive Technologies GmbH intentions are to develop filaments for the use in medical applications as implant material. For this, Apium cooperates with Evonik Industries AG. With testing the possibilities of Evonik‘s high-performance polymer VESTAKEEP® PEEK – a biomaterial for medical applications – the goal is to find out how this material can be processed with FFF technology to be used as a material for 3D printed implants. The different VESTAKEEP® classes will be examined and possibly modified to achieve the desired results.

With both cooperation, Apium Additive Technologies GmbH is on the way to become the leader for FFF based medical 3D printing and will to revolutionize the way of manufacturing accurate and individual implants.

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Homepage Apium Additive Technologies GmbH

Apium Additive Technologies GmbH

We research, develop and produce Fused Filament Fabrication 3D printing filaments made from high performance polymers along with 3D printers to process them. After intensive research, we became the first company worldwide able to make PEEK (poly ether ether ketone) printable with the FFF 3D printing technology. As pioneers, we assure the best and most reliable print quality on the market. With our expertise and experience in practical applications, together with basic research, we have a unique competence center for small and medium enterprises from industries that use high performance polymers for the most demanding environments and applications.

With our strong core-competencies we strive to become the largest technology supplier of high performance filament materials and 3D printers for FFF 3D printing technology within the European market. Our goal is to set the industry standard in terms of quality and reliability at FFF 3D printing of high performance polymers. As a competence center we claim on the legitimacy to be present on the market and to take over a long-term leading role. Through our know-how and our expertise in the field of FFF 3D printing we assure our customers the highest quality and the best service.

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The publisher indicated in each case (see company info by clicking on image/title or company info in the right-hand column) is solely responsible for the stories above, the event or job offer shown and for the image and audio material displayed. As a rule, the publisher is also the author of the texts and the attached image, audio and information material. The use of information published here is generally free of charge for personal information and editorial processing. Please clarify any copyright issues with the stated publisher before further use. In case of publication, please send a specimen copy to service@pressebox.de.