No Results Found
The page you requested could not be found. Try refining your search, or use the navigation above to locate the post.
Additive manufacturing and 3D printing are cutting-edge processes revolutionizing how we conceive and produce industrial components. One of the crucial stages in this innovative process is 3D scanning, a key element in ensuring the quality and compliance of the produced parts.
3D scanning and analysis through specialized software are not merely tools for dimensional verification; they play a crucial role in identifying potential non-conformities. These may arise from behavioral variations in printing technologies or the characteristics of the materials used.
The 3D acquisition systems at Prosilas stand out for their exceptionally high resolution, capable of reconstructing details that escape the human eye.
This advanced technology, combined with the expertise of our professionals, allows us to ensure high-quality standards in all our productions
The use of structured light 3D scanning technology allows us to precisely capture geometries of both small and large dimensions with remarkable resolutions. These systems also empower us in the field of reverse engineering, enabling the acquisition of data from existing components and generating new designs.
Thanks to our qualified personnel, we can perform 3D scans on physical geometries, creating new mathematical foundations useful for advanced design or production through our Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) additive technologies.
At Prosilas, all processes of acquisition, analysis, and 3D printing are conducted internally following certified procedures. This ensures the highest quality standards in our productions.
Dimensional control is an integral part of this approach, ensuring the accuracy and consistency of the produced components.
The present article outlines a successful case study arising from the collaboration between Prosilas, a leading 3D printing company, and DUEPì Automazioni Srl, a company specializing in the design and manufacturing of industrial automation.
The shared objective? Harnessing the capabilities of 3D printing in PA2200 to create molds in short timeframes and at affordable costs, revolutionizing the production process of silicone components.
The two companies collaborated on the production of molds in PA2200 using Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) technology.
The choice of PA2200 as the printing material was based on its excellent mechanical and chemical properties, combined with biocompatibility (certified according to EN ISO 10993-1 and USP/level VI/121°C).
DUEPì handled the design of the mold geometries, while Prosilas took care of their 3D printing using SLS technology.
The synergy between the two companies allowed for the optimization of the mold geometries, significantly reducing production times and costs.
Prosilas’ industrial 3D printers, based on SLS technology, ensure the production of individual parts and batches of ready-to-use products.
Laser sintering on polymeric powders currently stands as the most efficient solution for the production of industrial applications.
PA2200, or polyamide 12, stands out as an excellent choice among 3D printing materials. Its characteristics make it a versatile and high-performance material, suitable for a wide range of applications.
PA2200 boasts high mechanical and chemical resistance, making it ideal for the production of robust components resistant to impacts, wear, and tension. Its rigidity and toughness make it suitable for bearing heavy loads and for use in various industrial environments.
The biocompatibility of PA2200, certified according to EN ISO 10993-1 and USP/level VI/121°C regulations, makes it safe for contact with the human body. This makes it an ideal material for the production of medical and food components, where safety and hygiene are fundamental requirements.
The versatility of PA2200 extends to 3D printing. The material can be used for printing complex and intricate geometries, offering high resolution and a premium surface finish. The ability to print in a variety of colors further expands creative and applicative possibilities.
3D printing of molds in PA2200 offers a series of significant advantages compared to traditional technologies. Firstly, it allows for a drastic reduction in production costs, up to -180% compared to CNC machining or vacuum casting. This is achieved through the optimization of mold geometries and the reduction of material waste.
Secondly, 3D printing enables the production of molds in significantly shorter timeframes compared to traditional technologies. The speed of production allows for the creation of prototypes and finished products in a short time, ensuring greater flexibility and responsiveness to market needs.
Design flexibility and sustainability
3D printing in PA2200 provides extensive design freedom, allowing for the creation of complex and customized geometries. This results in molds optimized for specific applications, with the possibility of integrating various functionalities into a single mold.
Furthermore, 3D printing in PA2200 aligns with sustainability goals, thanks to the reduction of material waste and the production of lightweight and durable components.
Additive manufacturing and 3D printing technologies are emerging as effective alternatives to traditional CNC industrial systems.
In the following case study, we will explore how the use of our Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) 3D printing systems has allowed for the redesign and improvement of the performance of an industrial application.
The goal was to design a new gripping and handling component based on the principle of the suction pad with differentiated vacuum chambers, intended for the automatic machinery sector.
During the development process, we set several objectives, including improving the production performance of the automated line, reducing the weight of the component, addressing assembly challenges, and shortening the time to market.
We have embraced the principles of design for additive manufacturing and 3D printing, focusing on optimizing conventional geometry. This approach has allowed us to fully leverage the capabilities of 3D SLS systems, achieving innovative solutions that would be impossible with traditional techniques.
Throughout the redesign process of the application, we achieved significant results, including the optimization of integrated channel flows for air depression, weight reduction of the component while preserving its mechanical properties, elimination of two air depression grip points, and the integration of threaded metal inserts.
The printing of the application was entrusted to Prosilas’ Selective Laser Sintering machines.
During the process, advanced materials such as polyamide PA2200 (biocompatible according to EN ISO 10993-1 and USP/level VI/121°C regulations, approved for food contact) and reinforced polyamides (e.g., alumide, PA12GF, PA2210 FR…) were employed.
It is possible to choose the optimal printing material for each specific need.
Through a meticulous redesign and optimization process, SLS 3D printing has allowed for a drastic reduction in the weight of the component while maintaining structural integrity and required performance. This lightweight characteristic opens up new possibilities in terms of energy efficiency and dynamic performance.
The design freedom offered by SLS 3D printing has enabled the realization of complex geometries optimized to enhance the fluidodynamic performance of the component. This ability to create intricate and functional shapes has revolutionized how we conceive and implement engineering solutions.
One distinctive feature of SLS 3D printing is the ability to consolidate multiple complex parts into a single monolithic structure. This not only reduces the total number of components in the system, simplifying assembly but also contributes to greater overall efficiency and durability.
SLS 3D printing has allowed for the elimination of the need for complex seals, simplifying the component’s architecture and improving overall reliability. The machinery connection interface has been optimized, reducing grip points and enhancing overall integration into the automated line.
With the adoption of SLS 3D printing, there has been a significant improvement in the overall performance of the automated line.
Additionally, delivery times are considerably reduced compared to traditional machining, allowing for greater flexibility and responsiveness in the industrial context.
The evolution towards SLS 3D printing has proven to be a strategic choice, redefining the paradigms of engineering and industrial production through continuous innovation and unprecedented optimization.
In 2017 Prosilas, already a leading company in additive manufacturing, received a request from a researcher from the Bambin Gesù Hospital in Rome for the realization of a polycaprolactone stent.
Firmly believing in the project, the company decided to invest in research and development and, after two years of experimentation produces – in just 6 months from the first tests – the first bio-compatible and absorbable stent, making possible the first transplantation of a 3D bronchus in Europe.
Prosilas was founded in Civitanova Marche in 2003 as a company that offers rapid prototyping services through the use of additive technologies and 3d printing.
It is active in the automotive, motorsports, aviation, medical, footwear and industrial sectors.
Its production system includes more than 10 additive manufacturing systems with SLS and SLA (Stereolitography) technologies.
Within the company there is a pre-process design and optimization department, an area dedicated to aesthetic and functional post-process treatments, a metrological station for quality control and an area dedicated to research and development.
A creative “corpus” that makes it able to provide consulting and service for additive manufacutring production.
Bronchomalacia is a relatively rare disease. It consists of a congenital or acquired anomaly affecting the large respiratory tract. It most frequently involves the left main bronchus and manifests itself with a yielding or narrowing of the cartilaginous rings that support the bronchial wall, preventing the normal flow of air in the lung and, in the most severe cases, making patients unable to breathe independently.
A 5-year-old boy was affected and the doctors of the Bambin Gesù Hospital were looking for a way to save his life without having to use lifetime a respirator.
The child’s bronchus was squeezed between the left pulmonary artery and the descending thoracic aorta. This compression had generated the narrowing of the respiratory duct and the yielding of the cartilage rings that support the wall of the bronchus.
The fundamental problem was constituted by the material and shape of the stents which are usually metallic and are implanted inside the hollow organs.
There was a need for a stent that could act as an external structure, which would support the bronchial walls and allow them to regenerate.
It also had to grow with the child’s body – without breaking or causing hemorrhages – to be absorbable and to facilitate breathing.
Hence the researchers request all European companies that deal with 3D printing for the creation of a biocompatible bronchus, a request that none was able to provide.
“In 2017 we received the first request for a polycaprolactone stent from a researcher of the Bambino Gesù Hospital of Rome. Until then we had never heard of Polycaprolactone. Believing in the project, we decided to invest in research and development working on the properties of the material and buying a new machine entirely dedicated to the project”, says Vanna Menco, CEO of the company, because «we realized that we were faced with something so extraordinary that it was worth trying”.
The stent was made by combining hydroxyapatite – already an elective material for the construction of devices intended for bone regeneration – and polycaprolactone, a biocompatible polymer that can be completely bio-assimilated within a couple of years and which, up to now, had never been printed in 3D.
The creation of the stent is the result of work that involved various players in the additive manufacturing process. It took 6 months to go to the idea to the realization.
The geometries were created starting from the two-dimensional images (CT) made in the Department of Diagnostic Imaging by dr. Aurelio Secinaro and then co-designed by Dr. Luca Borro of “Unità di Innovazione e Percorsi Clinici.”
For the mechanical resistance tests, we cooperate with the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia and numerous experiments were necessary, especially in terms of sterilization of the device.
«The geometry allows both the cells not to sink to the bottom where they are unreachable by nutrients, and to guide their
proliferation and growth»» Vanna Menco, CEO Prosilas
The creation of the stent with additive manufacturing technologies is a clear example of the very evolution of traditional 3D printing technologies in the so-called 4D printing or bioprinting.
A fourth dimension is added to the three dimensions to represent the transformation of materials over time. A very challenging evolution that can represent a physiological passage for those who have believed in and worked in the additive manufacturing
field since the very beginning.
The experience and determination of Vanna and Giulio Menco and of all the Prosilas staff have been fundamental to the success of the project which projects Italy among the world leaders in 3D printing.
“Soon other kinds of stents will be completely replace: the easily dislocatable silicone stents and metal stents which, once incorporated into the wall of the airway, are no longer removable and can interfere with the growth of the child’s respiratory system.
The 3D “bronchus” implanted on our little patient, on the other hand, will disappear from the body within a couple of years. It is reasonable to think that, in the meantime, it will have induced the generation of a peribronchial fibrous reaction which will somehow “replace” the function of the damaged cartilage: the bronchus will thus be able to support itself and will have the possibility to develop and continue to grow”. Explains the heart surgeon Adriano Carotti.
The surgery was performed on October 14, 2019 by Dr. Adriano Carotti, head of the “Unità di Funzione di Cardiochirurgia Complessa con Tecniche Innovative,” ‘, in collaboration with the airway surgeons of the Laryngo-Tracheal Team, directed by Dr. Sergio Bottero.
The implant in the child was possible thanks to the authorization by the Ministry of Health for compassionate use and Prosilas created the device pro bono.
The child was able to go home one month after the surgery and will
have a normal life.
“We are happy to have won an enormous challenge: saving a child’s life. We make our experiences and our process available to the medical world so that they can be a useful tool for improving the lives of people”.
Vanna Menco, Ceo Prosilas
Il Sole 24 Ore – Prosilas cresce con stampi in 3D nel settore biomedico di Michele Romano – 25/7/19
3D4Growth – Prosilas: ritorno alla vita grazie alle tecnologie di Additive Manufacturing di Francesco Puzzello – 3/12/19
Ospedale Bambino Gesù – Blog – Impiantato primo “bronco” 3D su bimbo di 5 anni – 3/12/19
Ansa.it – Bronco riassorbibile in 3D restituisce il respiro a un bambino di 5 anni – di Silvana Logozzo 3/12/19
Rai News – Bronco riassorbibile in 3D ridà il respiro a un bimbo – 3/12/19
Cronache Maceratesi – Bronco in 3D salva la vita ad un bambino – 3/12/ 19 di Laura Boccanera
TGcom24 – Bambino Gesù, bronco riassorbibile in 3D ridà il respiro a un bimbo – 3/12/19
01Health – Stent biocompatibile stampato in 3D per un bambino– 9/12/19
“We will continue to work on the development of this type of application by trying to stimulate the scientific community to a greater use of additive manufacturing materials and technologies, we make available to the world of Medical our experiences and our process so that they can be a useful tool to improve the lives of other people”
Prosilas has leveraged the capabilities of additive manufacturing to design and 3D print a prototypical and functional tank in PA2200 intended for laboratory testing or trials.
This tank is engineered to contain corrosive liquids such as gasoline, diesel, ethylene glycol, brake fluid, and ATF.
Polyamide (PA2200) is a 3D printing material commonly known as Nylon, used with Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) technology.
Characterized by excellent mechanical and chemical properties, it complies with biocompatibility standards. It is employed in manufacturing of components and medical devices and industrial parts, and in the automotive industry.
Its versatility in SLS printing makes it suitable for mass production. Printed parts can undergo various finishes, such as metallization and painting.
To ensure a personalized functional finishing, Prosilas has implemented a waterproof surface treatment.
This treatment has been developed to seal the microporosities of polyamide, eliminating the release of dust particles commonly associated with SLS artifacts, without altering weights and dimensions.
Following the thorough validation of the process and the optimization of the surface treatment, the application has entered mass production, enabling the production of an entire batch of tanks.
Thanks to advanced additive manufacturing technologies and new materials, Prosilas has achieved the creation of an “as-built” product, meaning it is ready for use without compromising functional aspects.
The adoption of Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) technology has enabled the creation of complex parts without the need for support structures, contributing to faster production times and reduced manufacturing costs. The production process has been carefully optimized to accommodate the part geometries and post-processing operations necessary to ensure the waterproofing of the final product.
This innovative tank, developed at the Civitanova Marche facility, has been designed considering the specific needs of the automotive, motorcycle, moped, heavy-duty vehicle, heavy transport vehicle, and agricultural machinery sectors.
The material used for its construction is PA2200; tanks and similar applications can also be produced in Alumide, PA12 GF, PA2210 FR.
Furthermore, we provide customized finishes to meet any specific customer requirements.
The objectives of this project were waterproofing, eliminating the release of dust particles, and minimizing added material layers (to preserve weight and dimensions). The achieved benefits include a significant increase in production speed and a notable improvement in mechanical performance, demonstrating the validity of the strategy implemented by Prosilas.
3D printing not only accelerates production but also adds immediate flexibility. By reducing development times, we can quickly respond to customer needs. Just-in-time production eliminates waiting for expensive molds, improving overall efficiency.
Product updates are rapid and readily adapt to customer feedback. On-demand production reduces waste and optimizes inventories. Additionally, the ability for real-time customization enables production aligned with market needs.
The solutions offered and the speed of execution have steered the choice towards mass production.
This outcome is a source of pride for us: it underscores the effectiveness of our proposals and our ability to meet customer needs with efficiency and timeliness.
The page you requested could not be found. Try refining your search, or use the navigation above to locate the post.