According to the “Global 3D Printing (3D Printer) Medical Devices Market Analysis Report 2022” released by GLOBE NEWSWIRE on May 28th, 2022, the 3D printing medical devices market is growing at a CAGR of 20.4% and is expected to grow to $4.49 billion in 2026, which includes the sales of medical 3D printers and related services. In order to enhance company’s innovation and realize the serial production of customized products, WEGO ORTHO purchased the BLT-S310, a metal 3D printing machine from Xi’an Bright Laser Technologies (BLT) in 2020.
The use of 3D printing technology in the medical industry has revolutionized the way healthcare professionals approach the treatment of various conditions. One area where this technology has made a significant impact is in the production of spinal cages, which are normally used to treat conditions such as degenerative disc disease, spondylolisthesis, and other conditions that have an effect on the stability of the spine.
Traditionally, spinal cages were made using standard sizes and shapes, which meant that patients would often have to make do with a device that was not perfectly suited to their specific needs. However, with the advent of 3D printing technology, spinal cages can now be customized to fit the exact dimensions and specifications of each patient’s spinal column.
The spinal fusion cage developed by WEGO ORTHO is a complex porous structure with high precision and many overhanging parts, which has high requirements for the product process parameters and the addition of support structure during forming.
In response to the above problems, BLT and WEGO ORTHO conducted several technical seminars and successfully developed a full set of solutions from product design, production, printing materials, printing process to product testing, and finally, both parties joined hands to overcome the technical problems. BLT also provided nearly two weeks of specialized training to the staff of WEGO ORTHO to help them master the operation of the machine, and assisted WEGO ORTHO to successfully print products with surface quality, mechanical properties, and dimensional accuracy that can reach medical grade.
With more than 25 years of experience in the metal 3D printing equipment and application, BLT continues to output value for customers in terms of long-term stability of equipment, simplification of production process, cost control, printing efficiency improvement, and high printing accuracy.
The cooperation between BLT and WEGO ORTHO has boosted the scientific research pace in the field of metal 3D printing medical products, and it is expected to conduct in-depth exploration and innovative research in the direction of metal 3D printing of titanium alloy, tantalum, cobalt chromium molybdenum, magnesium alloy and other medical materials, and promote the innovative research and application of relevant products in the field of metal 3D printing.
In the future, BLT is willing to explore with more medical customers and keep forging ahead, and continue to provide more medical 3D solutions with equipment as the core, accelerating the pace of “metal 3D printing technology + medical” research.
This is yet another awesome use of metal 3D printing, which is helping to make the lives of patients less painful, while providing researchers a stepping stone for future applications within the field of spinal medicine.
