Posts Tagged ‘Insights’

Being able to create accurate medical devices that are closely matched to a patient’s unique anatomy requires precision imaging, measurements, and design. A critical part of PrinterPrezz’s unique medifacturing™ workflow is our process of turning magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) scans into a 3D CAD image that can be manipulated and used…

When one shops for a new sweater, one expects that the sweater should fit. If the sweater is too big, it’ll sag, and if it’s too small, it’ll feel tight. Producing high-quality surgical tools and medical devices requires precision akin to that of making products for aerospace components and semiconductors. Small irregularities invisible to the naked…

In Chapter 3, we mentioned the need for an inert atmosphere when printing with metal powders to avoid combustion and eliminate oxygen from the environment. In this chapter, we will talk a bit about our favorite gas, argon. Our atmosphere is composed of 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen and less than 1% argon. Nitrogen seems like a good…

Most people don’t think twice about their home vacuum. Others have a preferred vacuum, maybe a Dyson or a Miele.  At PrinterPrezz, we have our favorites: Ruwac, Tigervac, and Nilfisk explosion proof vacuums. As we spoke about in chapters 1 and 2, printing in metals, particularly titanium alloys, have unique strengths and advantages over other…

Printing with metal is a complex procedure, requiring specialized machinery and source materials. Setting up an operation to be able to print titanium, however, requires an order of magnitude more expertise. Titanium is strong. Its strength to weight ratio is the highest of all metals and has properties that make it suitable for a wide…

In the world of medical device manufacturing, several common methods exist for working with metal. They are: casting, forging or forming, and milling. Other sub-categories also exist, such as turning, sand casting and electrical discharge machining (EDM).  Each method of manufacturing has strengths and weaknesses, and different applications may call for one approach over another.…