Page 10 - 3D Metal Printing Fall 2019

3D TECH UPDATE
More Metal Printers Enable Production of Unique Spinal Impants
Nexxt Spine, a medical-device compa- ny in Noblesville, IN, is set to take deliv- ery of its fourth and fifth Concept Laser Mlab 100R machines, from GE Additive, as it scales to tap further into the growing global spinal-implant market.
“Additive is booming,” says Alaedeen Abu-Mulaweh, director of engineering at Nexxt Spine, which focus- es on designing, manufacturing and dis- tributing innovative spinal-implant prod- ucts. The company only began its metal additive manufacturing (AM) journey two years ago, and with this investment, can take ownership of the entire design, pro- duction and distribution process inhouse. This eliminates the need for contract manufacturers, thereby acceler- ating the speed of development and commercialization at Nexxt Spine, according to company officals.
Established in 2009 and initially pro- ducing speciality spinal screws, rods and plates using conventional subtractive manufacturing techniques, Nexxt Spine’s first investment in metal AM was the acquisition of its first Concept Laser Mlab 100R in 2017.
The 100R, powered by a 100-W fiber laser, produces fully dense parts, report- edly with excetional surface finishes. The smaller build volume, available from 50 by 50 by 80 mm to 90 by 90 by 80 mm, is ideal for high-value materials as it allows users to work with smaller powder batches. System size lends well to a pro- duction or lab environment, where the footprint can be very limited, and the system requires less ancillary equipment than most of larger systems. And, modu- larity of the build chamber allows for rapid and simplified material changes, with a semi-automatic sieving station enabling powder re-use.
“We used the first Mlab primarily for R&D purposes, but we soon realized that further investment in additive technolo- gy could add value not only to our over- all growth strategy, but also at a clinical
Nexxt Spine’s metal AM machines enable production of the company’s implants, which feature intricate micro-geometries designed to maximize healing.
application level with the ability to develop implants with very intricate micro-geometries that could maximize healing,“ Abu-Mulaweh says. “Over the past two years, we have made a seam- less jump from R&D to serial production and in doing so have significantly accel- erated the time from concept to com- mercialization.”
Nexxt Spine has pioneered the design and development of spinal-fusion implants that incorporate interconnected micro-lattice architectures with the goal of promoting osteoconduction, osteoin- tegration and boney fusion. One of its flagship products, launched in 2017, is the Nexxt Matrixx system, a collection of porous, titanium spinal-fusion implants that interweave highly differentiated sur- face textures with novel 3D printed cellu- lar scaffolding.
While other medical manufacturers
By adding more metal printers, Nexxt Spine, a medical-device company in Noblesville, IN, can scale to serial pro- duction of unique spinal implants.
have used AM to develop devices that directly mimic bone’s trabecular geome- try, Nexxt Spine chose to deviate, instead blending cellular porosity, inspired by natural bone biology, with core engineer- ing fundamentals to develop structurally sound devices, optimized for fusion.
“Titanium—porous or otherwise—is physically incapable of biological remod- eling, so using additive to directly mimic the structural randomness of bone doesn’t make a whole lot of sense,“ Abu- Mulaweh says. “Rather than simply look- ing like bone, Nexxt Matrixx was designed with functionality in mind to fulfill our vision of actively facilitating the body’s natural power of cellular healing.”
With design, manufacturing and dis- tributions functions inhouse, combined with the shift to serial AM production, Nexxt Spine is well-placed to service and scale, as needed, to meet the growth in demand for spinal-fusion devices.
“We are seeing ongoing adoption of AM in the orthopedic industry and an exciting shift from research and develop- ment to serial production,“ says Stephan Zeidler, senior global and key accounts
8 | 3D METAL PRINTING • FALL 2019
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