By Christian Nölke, Matthias Gieseke, Ronny Hagemann and Stefan Kaierle

Using two step laser additive manufacturing (LAM), commonly known as Selective Laser Melting, offers the opportunity to manufacture three dimensional (3D) parts. This manufacturing technique has gained a lot of attention and interest during the recent years and is of particular interest because prior computer tomography investigations allow an easy providing of the required patient individual dataset. This way offers a completely digital process chain until the required implant is produced. Manufacturing of steel and titanium implants with adapted surface structures and adapted mechanical properties is already within the scope of industrial research. Continue reading →