Customized Ti6Al4V implants by EBM : design, manufacturing and surface treatments

• Subtractive manufacturing methods such as machining have been conventionally used to produce standard metallic implants for bone replacement in materials such as Co-Cr and Ti-based alloys. The production of a customized implant with complex geometries using conventional machining techniques such as CNC requires specification equipment (5 or 6 axes), where the manufacturing process is difficult, limiting the mass production of customized products. New advanced metal additive manufacturing (AM) methods allow patient-specific implants obtaining, in which the Engineering for Transformation implant geometry can be designed to fit to a specific patient from the information of a CT scan. Besides this flexibility in the design, AM offers a cleaner production with less generation of scrap, low energy consumption and lower CO2 release. Electron Beam Melting (EBM) is one of the most used AM methods in the implant industry. In EBM, an electron beam is used to melt metal powder layer by layer in a vacuum protective environment, following a digital 3D model. Titanium alloys, specifically Ti6Al4V, have been the most widely used biomaterial in biomedical applications of orthopedic implants. In general, implants for biomedical applications require postmanufacturing surface modification to improve their performance, biocompatibility and fixation with the surrounding tissues in the area where they are implanted. Formation of anodic layers is one of the surface modifications that have become essential due to the high demands of implant applications and in order to enhance chemical and mechanical properties of the surface specimen. The most common anodizing developments were performed on Ti6Al4V alloy surfaces manufactured by conventional technologies such as forging and conventional machining. The project explores the feasibility of EBM of metal implants prototypes manufacturing for the Colombian healthcare market. 3D implant models were obtained, and then manufactured using EBM in Ti6Al4V alloy. A PEO process to surface modification with the aim to improve the biocompatibility of the manufactured implants by EMB process were demonstrated.

Subject headings

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Materialteknik -- Bearbetnings-, yt- och fogningsteknik (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Materials Engineering -- Manufacturing, Surface and Joining Technology (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Additive manufacturing (AM); Electron Beam Melting (EBM); Ti6Al4V implants

customized; PEO process.

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

kon (subject category)