by Industrial Print Magazine Staff
Companies operating in the medical manufacturing space rely on three dimensional (3D) printing technologies to create very specific products. Additive manufacturing (AM) allows for this with agility and accuracy.
Above: SAMAPLAST uses an ARBURGadditive freeformer to meet its AM needs in the medical field.
Familiar with 3D
Based in Switzerland, SAMAPLAST AG produces high-quality plastic injection molded parts used for medical components and implants worldwide.
The company is familiar with 3D printing technologies, but once it discovered a biocompatible material ideal for some of the products it manufactures, it began looking for a 3D printer capable of processing plastic granules. Its research led it to ARBURGadditive. With particular interest in its freeformer printers and ARBURG Plastic Freeforming (APF) technology.
“We are driven technology leaders. We have a long history of success in medical device manufacturing and were looking for an opportunity to differentiate ourselves in the market,” explains Thomas Moesli, plastics engineer, SAMAPLAST AG.
With experience in the space, SAMAPLAST needed to figure out whether APF was suited to process medically approved implant materials such as the Evonik RESOMER portfolio of bioresorbable polymers or DSM Biomedical’s Bionate PCU family. After the investigative phase concluded, the SAMAPLAST team determined that the freeformer would fit its needs.
“The freeformer is ideal for additively processing absorbable and implantable materials in granule form that are typically used for injection molding. The ability to iterate with these materials even before serial production provides a significant advantage,” shares Moesli.
Working Out
The freeformer is an open 3D printing system, it allows up to three different materials to be combined using the APF process. A support material that is washed away afterwards can be used as the third component to help create complex geometries.
SAMAPLAST wished to develop a replacement meniscus component. With APF, it manufactured a multi-material meniscus from different types of polyurethane in just a few days. The customer was able to begin testing the product immediately.
Without the freeformer, the part would have been manufactured using injection molding, which could take months due to waiting for the appropriate mold.
Another medical-related product SAMAPLAST regularly produces are plastic spinal rods, which are long-term implants developed for orthopedic surgery that can remain in the body for longer than 180 days. Using the freeformer, parts of these implants are produced in advance, in several different variations, both quickly and cost effectively.
Satisfied with Results
Moesli and his team are impressed with the ARBURGadditive freeformer. “I see this impacting several industries—patient-specific parts in healthcare, veterinary applications, pet orthopedics, and low-volume production in aerospace. The opportunities are endless,” he concludes.
Apr2025, Industrial Print Magazine
