UNL uses Optomex system to manufacture dissolvable metal components for medical applications

Optomec, a global supplier of production-grade additive manufacturing (AM) systems for 3-D-printed metals, has unveiled details of how the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) is using a LENS Hybrid Controlled Atmosphere System to develop dissolvable magnesium components for medical implants. These 3-D-printed, patient-specific implants will have a controlled time to dissolve, eliminating the need for second surgeries.

“Our research is focused on advancing the performance and functionality of dissolvable devices,” said Dr. Michael Sealy, assistant professor, mechanical and materials engineering at UNL. “Using LENS, we are applying a hybrid additive manufacturing process to control the disintegration of medical fasteners and plates so they stay intact long enough to serve their purpose and then degrade away once the bone is healed.”

The machine enables Sealy and his team to couple LENS deposition technology with layered surface treatments to print 3-D metal components in magnesium with controlled degradation. The ability to control disintegration of a structure is a useful design capability not only for medical applications but also for lightweight aerospace and automotive structures.