Additive Manufacturing of Biomedical Devices in Ti-6Al-7Nb

题为Ti-6Al-7 Nb生物医疗器械的增材制造的研究项目已提交给联合呼吁2019 - M-ERA.Net，该项目为魁北克省和一些特定国家-德国（萨克森地区）之间的合作研究项目提供资金。M-ERA.Net呼吁针对所有应用领域的技术，包括：（1）工程和材料加工建模，（2）创新表面，涂层和界面，（3）高性能复合材料，（4）功能材料，（5）健康应用中先进材料技术的新战略，以及（6）增材制造（AM）材料。该拟定项目与领域1、4、5和6一致。该研究项目的目的是开发一种整体方法，用于设计、制造和测试由Ti-6Al-7 Nb制成的承重骨科植入物，据报道，与传统使用的Ti-6Al-4V相比，Ti-6Al-7 Nb是一种毒性较低（无V）且耐腐蚀性提高的金属合金。本项目将解决几个知识空白，如缺乏植入物的多层次设计平台，粉末表面尺度对铺展过程中粉末行为的影响，该合金的激光粉末床熔融（LPBF）和电子束熔化（EBM）可制造性和性能以及AM加工时的耐腐蚀性。来自魁北克（麦吉尔和AP&C）的研究团队将研究生物医学增材制造设计（DFAM）指南和策略的基本方面，LPBF和EBM的粉末工程以及使用LPBF制造试样和原型，其表征和测试。由来自弗劳恩霍夫IMAF和德累斯顿医院诺伊斯塔特的AM专家组成的德国团队将处理EBM任务（包括多层次设计的确认）和根据DIN ISO 10993进行的研究，以模拟生物医学植入物使用条件AP&C，GE Additive公司，是与该项目相关的加拿大工业，并已进入研究计划，以提高他们的知识和竞争力的各个方面的目标。AP&C有兴趣在其产品组合中添加Ti6 Al-7 Nb合金。他们希望更好地了解其基本特性（粉末特性和LPBF和EBM中的可制造性）及其潜在的市场用途，以在医疗器械领域为其流行的Ti-6Al-4V提供补充产品。GE Additive是植入物和医疗器械领域的关键参与者。该项目将允许通过开发新的DFAM解决方案来进一步加强他们的地位，这些解决方案将超过目前可用的产品。

The research project entitled Additive Manufacturing of Biomedical Devices in Ti-6Al-7Nb is submitted to the Joint Call 2019 - M-ERA.Net, which funds collaborative research projects between Quebec province and some specific countries - Germany (Saxony region) for the present project. The M-ERA.Net call targets technologies in all areas of application including: (1) Modelling for engineering and materials processing, (2) Innovative surfaces, coatings and interfaces, (3) High performance composites, (4) Functional materials, (5) New strategies for advanced material-based technologies in health application and (6) Materials for additive manufacturing (AM). This proposed project is in line with areas 1, 4, 5 and 6.The objective of this research project is to develop a holistic method to design, fabricate and test weightbearing orthopedic implants made out of Ti-6Al-7Nb, a metallic alloy that was reported to have lower toxicity (no V) and improved corrosion resistance compared to the traditionally used Ti-6Al-4V. Several knowledge gaps will be addressed in this project, such as the lack of platform for multi-hierarchal design of implants, the influence of the powder surface scale on the powder behavior during spreading, the laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) and the electron beam melting (EBM) manufacturability and properties of this alloy and its corrosion resistance when processed by AM. The research team from Quebec (McGill and AP&C) will study the fundamental aspects of biomedical Design for Additive Manufacturing (DFAM) guidelines and strategies, powder engineering for LPBF and EBM and fabrication of coupons and prototypes using LPBF, their characterization and testing. The German team composed of AM experts from Fraunhofer IMAF and Dresden Hospital Neustadt will be tackling the EBM tasks (including the validation of the multi-hierarchal designs) and the studies according to DIN ISO 10993 to simulate the biomedical implant service conditions (e.g. corrosion, mechanical stability).AP&C, a GE Additive company, is the Canadian industrial associated with the project and has entered the research program with the goals of improving their knowledge and competitiveness on various fronts. AP&C is interested in adding the Ti6Al-7Nb alloy in its portfolio of products. They desire to better understand its fundamental properties (powder characteristics and manufacturability in LPBF and EBM) and its potential market use to open a complementary offering to their popular Ti-6Al-4V in the medical device field. GE Additive is a key player in the field of implants and medical devices. and This project will permit to further strengthen their position by developing new DFAM solutions to implants that will surpass the currently available products.