Fraunhofer Institute for Casting, Composite and Processing Technology IGCV
Fraunhofer Institute for Casting, Composite and Processing Technology IGCV

MAIA | Powder quality in medical technology

Additive manufacturing as a key technology in medical technology

Additive manufacturing currently represents a potential key technology for the production of geometrically highly complex components in numerous industrial sectors. Laser-based Powder Bed Fusion of Metals in particular holds great potential for the manufacturing of patient-specific implants in medical technology due to its freedom in geometry design and cost-effectiveness for small quantities.

In this context, the control and monitoring of the raw material, i.e. the powder materials to be processed, is of particular relevance in terms of quality assurance of the implants. According to the current state of the art, not all interrelationships along the powder process chain are fully recorded, which is why the potential of the manufacturing technology is not fully exploited.

Permanently ensure quality characteristics of the laser beam melting process

Model of the human skull with an additively manufactured implant of the zygomatic bone and part of the temporal bone
© Fraunhofer IGCV
Model of the human skull with an additively manufactured implant of the zygomatic bone and part of the temporal bone

In the MAIA project, recommendations were developed to produce and process powders of the medically relevant materials Ti6Al4V, steel 316L, and CoCr in the laser beam melting process. The quality requirements for the manufacturing of medical products with regard to process stability were the main focus of the MAIA project. Important quality characteristics of the laser beam melting process, such as tightness, surface roughness, or design features, were to be ensured permanently and over several processing cycles.

Above all, recommendations for process control during powder production were developed concerning resulting oxygen limits, powder morphology, and particle size distribution. In addition, recommendations for technology applications were formulated concerning how often and after which processing steps the powders under consideration can be returned to the process.

Project partner MAIA

  • Fraunhofer Institute for Casting, Composites and Processing Technology IGCV
  • Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS
  • Nanoval GmbH & Co. KG
  • IMM electronics GmbH
  • Yonsei University
  • Solid Freeform Systems Co., Ltd.

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