Additive manufacturing, often referred to as 3D printing, has long since
proven its suitability for everyday use. However, many questions remain
unanswered for use in medicine. Complex melting and hardening processes
take place during the layer-by-layer construction of medical devices
from liquid or solid materials, the physical-chemical modelling of which
is often still pending, so that a discussion forum is to be given at
AMMM on topics relating to the achievable precision and the expected
technical properties of the medical devices produced in this way.
Questions about the precision and interaction of the printed materials
with their future application matrix are important for all industries.
However, these requirements are of particular interest in the medical
environment, where biological compatibility and long-term stability are
of particular importance. Medical technology companies are also faced
with the question of whether this modern manufacturing technology should
only be used in prototype and individualized sample development or also
in series production. Costs and benefits have to be assessed very
individually. AMMM 2019 will focus on these questions, with particular
emphasis on the medical device regulation of patient-specific devices.
