3D Metal Printing Newsletter
December 2016
Thursday, December 1, 2016
3D Metal Printing - Monthly Newsletter
German Manufacturer of
Biocompatible-Titanium
Spinal Implants Coming to the United States
Emerging Implant Technologies (EIT), a German company that employs 3D metal printing to manufacture orthopedic devices, has received a significant investment from private equity company SHS mbH to support its international expansion efforts, including to the United States. EIT uses selective laser melting to create its proprietary Cellular Titanium structures, which it says provide favorable properties—80-percent porosity and diamond pores measuring 650 μm, mimicking trabecular bone structure and helping to promote natural bone growth.
Learn more here.
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Aluminum-Infused 3D Metal Printer
Targeted for Space Duty
Scientists from the University of Birmingham, in the UK, have developed an aluminum-based 3D metal printer that can work in zero gravity. The printer, tested recently at the European Space Agency (ESA) facilities, overcomes the issue of weightlessness by using aluminum wire in lieu of powders, similar to how a plastic filament would be used for 3D printing. As the printed aluminum cools, the layers are fused together by surface tension.
The next big step in the project will be to test the setup on the International Space Station. Here's more detail on the project.
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