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nents,” Zehringer said. “Te way you print them can make them stronger.” Several materials and printing orientations were tested for


strength using load tests. In all, four different sets of compo- nents were tested until failure. Te first set of parts was built in a flat orientation. Te second set was built with default parameters in an alternative orientation to better handle the forces acting on the component. Te third set was built us- ing parameters optimized by Stratasys’ Insight soſtware. Te fourth set was built in the same manner as the third set but with a new material, ULTEM 9085. “One of the critical factors is the orientation and so just


by changing the orientation of the part, you can get different properties,” Zehringer said. “It’s all geometry-dependent.” One way to think of strengthening a part through build


orientation is to think of building a pen horizontally (X axis) or vertically (Y axis). An object built with additive methods is weakest where the layers are joined together. So a pen would be easier to, say, snap in half if it is built vertically rather than horizontally or in some other alternative axis. In the component tests, Zehringer said, “Simply chang-


ing the orientation yielded a 48% increase in strength.” Using Insight soſtware to optimize the toolpaths yielded a strength increase of another 47%, for a total 117% increase in strength from the original part. Changing ABS to ULTEM 9085 yielded a strength increase


of 124%, or a total of 387% over the original part. ULTEM 9085 has a high strength-to-weight ratio and has an FST


More Information White Paper:


Precision Additive Manufacturing of Medical Device http://tinyurl.com/rapidmedical


(flame, smoke, and toxicity) rating. Te material’s preexisting certifications make it an excellent choice for the commercial transportation industry—especially aerospace, marine and ground vehicles. Te only Stratasys systems that build with ULTEM 9085 are the Fortus 400mc and 900mc. Te ULTEM 9085, a material that is manufactured by


SABIC Innovative Plastics (Pittsfield, MA), was almost as light as the ABS, too, with a specific gravity of 1.34 compared to 1.04 for the ABS. “It’s very similar in weight,” Zehringer said. “It’s slightly heavier, but much stronger for its weight.” Ultimately, Emma, now about five years old, ended up with


a strong, light WREX to help her navigate the world like a normal child. Today, nearly 50 children use custom 3D-printed WREX


devices. When Emma grows out of a part or breaks a piece of her


WREX, Sample said, “I don’t have to worry about lead time to machine something.” In fact, Nemours just purchased a Stratasys Fortus 400mc.


Sample uses the Dimension for his prototypes and the Fortus for actual parts. “I’m going to be using them both out the wazoo,” Sample said. Once only able to do three–four WREX devices a year


made out of aluminum and steel, he now does about one a week in ULTEM 9085. Te difference in workload and pro- ductivity, Sample noted, is “scary.”


AM’s Growing Role in Medicine With a fast-growing list of additive manufacturing materi-


als that are certified for medical use, additive manufacturing is expected to continue its fast growth in the medical field. While Emma’s WREX is an exoskeleton and has different


requirements than a Class III medical device, Zehringer said Stratasys has two biocompatible thermoplastic materials, ABS- M30i and PC-ISO. Other additive manufacturing machine makers are also


adding to their material lists all the time. Eventually, Terry Wohlers of Wohlers Associates (Fort


Collins, CO), an independent consulting firm specializing in additive manufacturing, said that the 3D printing of living tissues and biodegradable structures will replace defective and damaged body parts. Sample said additive manufacturing has been a godsend


Custom cranio-maxillofacial implant.


in his field. Said Sample: “Tis is one of these industries that matches perfect with 3D printing—additive manufacturing— because we need custom everything.”


Medical Manufacturing 2014 49


Courtesy of Arcam AB


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