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

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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.