Biocompatible material for 3D printing: Polycaprolactone

Biocompatible material for 3D printing: Polycaprolactone

Jul 30, 2021 | Case History, News Prosilas

Case History – Medical

Application in the Medical sector realized through the use of biocompatible and absorbable materials – Polycaprolactone – processed with 3D printing technologies and additive manufacturing SLS – Selective Laser Sintering.

 

Polycaprolactone – PCL: biocompatible material for 3D printing

Our team of experts has perfected a particular formulation of material capable of producing functional parts implantable in the human body.

In this specific case we produced a biocompatible and absorbable material composed of Polycaprolactone and Hydroxyapatite. The chemical composition of the material made possible the realization of a special stent that was implanted in a 5 year old child suffering from bronchcomalacia at the Bambino Gesù Hospital in Rome.

Bronchial stent in 3D printing:  design and implementation

The process of producing the stent was the result of 3 years of research and development that Prosilas has faced pro-bono in order to realize the part in question. The realization was possible through a design phase and a production phase.

The design phase of the geometries was performed on the basis of a computed axial tomography (CT) showing the area to be reproduced. The acquired images were useful to create a new geometry completely customized on the patient.

The case study is the first and only in Europe.

Once the geometry was validated, hundreds of tests on 3D printing (SLS) technologies and materials were performed. The right balance between process parameters and chemical composition of the material led to the creation of the stent. 

Carbonmide drone chassis and 3D printing

Carbonmide drone chassis and 3D printing

Jul 2, 2021 | Case History, News Prosilas

Case Study: Topological Optimization and 3D Printing for a Lightweight and Durable Drone Frame

 

Drones that are increasingly high-performing and lightweight demand cutting-edge components.

Prosilas presents a case study showcasing the utilization of topological optimization and SLS 3D printing for the production of a drone frame using carbon fiber-reinforced polyamide.

The challenges:

  • Reduce the weight of the frame to enhance the efficiency and autonomy of the drone.
  • Ensure the frame’s strength against stresses and vibrations during flight.
  • Create a complex and optimized geometry that is unattainable with traditional manufacturing methods.

Design and Optimization

The drone frame was designed using topological optimization software.

This software analyzed the stresses and constraints to which the frame would be subjected during flight and generated an optimal geometry that utilizes only the necessary amount of material to meet strength requirements.

Production

The frame was manufactured using Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) 3D printing technology with carbon fiber-reinforced polyamide.

This material was chosen for its high mechanical strength, lightweight properties, and resistance to high temperatures.

PA603CF materiale caricato con fibra di carbonio per la stampa 3D
Data Sheet

Results

The drone frame produced with carbon fiber-reinforced polyamide was found to be 50% lighter than a frame made with a traditional material such as aluminum.

Furthermore, the frame in this material demonstrated superior mechanical strength and better vibration absorption capabilities.

Benefits

The utilization of topological optimization and SLS 3D printing led to a series of benefits for the drone frame:

 

  • Weight Reduction: The frame is 50% lighter than an aluminum frame, improving the efficiency and autonomy of the drone.
  • Increased Strength: The carbon fiber-reinforced polyamide frame exhibits superior mechanical strength and better vibration absorption, enhancing the drone’s durability and reliability.
  • Design Freedom: The use of 3D printing allowed for the creation of a complex and optimized geometry that would not be achievable with traditional manufacturing methods.
  • Cost Reduction: 3D printing helped reduce frame production costs, making it more accessible for a wide range of applications.
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Hyper-Light Carbon: 20% Less Weight

In addition to carbon fiber-reinforced polyamide, Prosilas introduces Hyper-Light Carbon, one of the lightest materials in the world of 3D printing.

The new formulation of PA 12 with carbon fiber provides lightness, strength, and ease of processing. The material features a uniform surface finish, high precision, and an excellent strength-to-weight ratio.

It represents a further evolution for the production of drone frames and components where lightweight is a fundamental characteristic.

Hyper-Light Carbon stands out for its even lower density (0.82 g/cm³), enabling the creation of even lighter and more high-performance frames. This material also offers high mechanical strength, excellent surface finish, and ease of processing.

With Hyper-Light Carbon, you can:

  • Achieve a new level of lightness and performance.
  • Further enhance the efficiency and autonomy of the drone.
  • Attain complex and optimized geometries for improved aerodynamics.
Data Sheet
PA12 ALU jigs with SLS printer

PA12 ALU jigs with SLS printer

Mar 1, 2021 | News Prosilas, PA12 ALU-SLS Material

Innovative Applications in Industrial Tooling:

Custom Mounting Fixtures with PA12 ALU 3D printed

The tooling sector is undergoing a revolutionary transformation thanks to 3D printing technologies and SLS (Selective Laser Sintering) additive manufacturing.

In particular, the combination of freeform design and advanced materials such as PA12 ALU loaded aluminum is enabling the efficient and innovative production of tailor-made equipment for the industrial sector

Freeform Design:

Freeform design represents a crucial step forward, allowing the production of custom parts on demand without the need to maintain a warehouse.

This flexibility is particularly advantageous for the production of dedicated tools for special processes or for complex assemblies.

SLS additive technologies enable the creation of strong and lightweight geometries in a short period, revolutionizing the way industrial tools are conceived and produced.

Practical Application – Assembly Guides:

A concrete example of this innovation can be found in the Prosilas facilities, where assembly guides have been produced using SLS technology.

These guides are crucial for centering and drilling on mechanical parts, enabling more precise and efficient production processes.

dime sls alumide pa12 stampa 3d

Companies can benefit from exceptionally strong and lightweight geometries, contributing to the improvement of efficiency and precision in production processes.

Prosilas remains at the forefront in this continually evolving sector, providing customized solutions through its expertise in the use of advanced materials and industrial 3D printing technologies.

PA12 ALU

PA12 ALU  loaded with aluminum, has established itself as one of the most utilized materials in the manufacturing industry for 3D printing.

Parts produced with SLS technology and PA12 ALU exhibit excellent mechanical performance, high rigidity, abrasion resistance, and good thermal dissipation.

The possibility of surface finishing treatments and post-processing CNC machining provides additional customization options.

Material Characteristics:

  • Good mechanical strength
  • Abrasion resistance
  • Good thermal dissipation
  • Possibility of surface finishing treatments and post-processing CNC machining
L'Alumide, risultato della combinazione di alluminio e nylon nella stampa 3D mediante sinterizzazione laser, trova ampio impiego nella prototipazione industriale e nella produzione di componenti finali. Le sue proprietà uniche, quali resistenza, rigidità e buona conduttività termica, lo rendono adatto a una vasta gamma di settori, tra cui l'industria manifatturiera, l'aerospaziale e l'automotive.
Data Sheet

Scanning, reverse engineering and analysis for 3D printing

Jan 29, 2021 | News Prosilas

Scanning & Analysis: Fundamental Stage in Additive Manufacturing and 3D Printing

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.

The Importance of Scanning and Analysis

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.

High-Resolution 3D Scanners

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

Reverse Engineering and Structured Light 3D Scanning

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.

Scanner Gom per scansione 3d e reverse engineering per stampa 3d

Dimensional Control and Quality Certifications

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.

scansione 3D
Prosilas and Bambino Gesù Hospital: 3D printed bronchial stent for a 5 year old patient

Prosilas and Bambino Gesù Hospital: 3D printed bronchial stent for a 5 year old patient

Nov 8, 2020 | Case History, News Prosilas

Bronchial Stent

Prosilas in collaboration with the Bambino Gesù Hospital of Rome has realized a 3D printed bronchial stent.

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. 

 

 

la produzione Stampe tre d per produzioni e preserie Prosilas

Prosilas: the company

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: what is it?

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.

la produzione Stampe tre d per produzioni e preserie Prosilas

“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”.

Case Study

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

    From 3D to 4D printing

    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

    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

    Press release

    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”

    Vanna Menco

    CEO PROSILAS

    3D Tank in Polyamide

    3D Tank in Polyamide

    Oct 6, 2020 | Case History, Finishing, News Prosilas, Pa2200 - SLS Material

    Design and 3D Printing of a Functional Prototypical Tank in Polyamide

    Printing Material: Pa2200 / Polyamide

    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.

    Un serbatoio funzionale realizzato con il materiale PA2200/poliammide, inizialmente progettato come prototipo per test di laboratorio e collaudi, è stato successivamente incorporato nel processo di produzione. La sua progettazione mirata lo rende adatto per il sicuro contenimento di liquidi corrosivi come benzina, gasolio, liquido glicole-etilenico, liquido freni e ATF.
    PA220o materiale di stampa 3D con la tecnologia SLS.

    What is polyamide?

    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.

    Data sheet
    Un serbatoio funzionale realizzato con il materiale PA2200/poliammide, inizialmente progettato come prototipo per test di laboratorio e collaudi, è stato successivamente incorporato nel processo di produzione. La sua progettazione mirata lo rende adatto per il sicuro contenimento di liquidi corrosivi come benzina, gasolio, liquido glicole-etilenico, liquido freni e ATF.

    Custom Functional Finishing

    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.

    Validation, Mass Production, and “As-Built” Aspects

    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.

    SLS Technology and Optimization of the Production Process

    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.

    Applications in Key Sectors and Materials Used

    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.

    Un serbatoio funzionale realizzato con il materiale PA2200/poliammide, inizialmente progettato come prototipo per test di laboratorio e collaudi, è stato successivamente integrato nel processo produttivo. La sua progettazione specifica consente la sicura contenimento di liquidi corrosivi come benzina, gasolio, liquido glicole-etilenico, liquido freni e ATF.

    Objectives and Strategic Benefits

    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.

    From Prototyping to Mass Production

    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.

    Our Case Histories with Pa2200

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