Renishaw Showcases AM Capabilities at RAPID + TCT 

To share its expertise in medical device manufacturing, Renishaw is returning to RAPID + TCT, May 21-23, 2019, in Detroit, MI. Renishaw can be found at Booth 827 at the Cobo Center in Detroit, MI. 

On Tuesday, May 21, at 3:30 p.m. (EDT), Marc Saunders, director of AM Applications at Renishaw and Alexis Dang, MD, chief medical officer at PrinterPrezz Inc., will give a talk explaining the clinical and manufacturing considerations when additively manufacturing spinal implants, as part of the AM Technical Insights Forum. The talk will explore the capabilities of additive manufacturing technologies and how they can be used in the medical sector to improve productivity when manufacturing customizable implants.

Renishaw will also exhibit its latest AM system, the RenAM 500Q, which includes four 500 W lasers in the most commonly used platform size. Renishaw will also demonstrate its QuantAM build preparation software, developed for use with Renishaw additive manufacturing systems. The software tool has an intuitive workflow and navigation to allow users to rapidly prepare models for the AM process.

“Additive manufacturing enables the design and manufacture of more complex medical devices,” explains Saunders. “By reducing design constraints, clinicians and medical device manufacturers can dedicate their time to catering for more complex conditions, match devices to an individual’s anatomy and, in many cases, promote osseointegration.” 

“Our presentation will explore the clinical benefits of spinal implants that have been designed with the patient in mind,” adds Dr. Alexis Dang. “When clinicians and engineers collaborate to utilize advanced AM technologies, designs are optimized for improved patient fit and enhanced osseointegration, for additive manufacturing and optimal post-processing. Our aim is to bring more advanced medical devices to market more quickly.”

Saunders has over 25 years’ experience in high tech manufacturing. At Renishaw, Saunders manages a global network of Solutions Centres for metal additive manufacturing.

Dr. Alexis Dang is a board-certified orthopedic sports surgeon. He is a clinical associate professor at University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). Along with his brother, Dr. Alan Dang, he started the Orthopaedic Rapid Intelligent Fabrication (ORIF) program at UCSF/San Francisco VA and is a founding member of the UCSF Center for Applied 3D+ Technologies.