PPprint GmbH, the German specialist offering polypropylene 3D printing solutions for professional, technical and medical technology applications is announcing a partnership with Ascent Fabrication Inc., provide premium prosthetic and orthotic digital design and central fabrication services. This strategic partnership enables US-based 3D printing companies in all industries to order the entire PPprint polypropylene 3D printing solutions portfolio. International shipping costs and extended lead times will be eliminated because of this collaboration.
Ascent Fabrication, based in New York, will not only be one of the authorised PPprint resellers, but will also provide polypropylene 3D printing services to customers across the United States. While their primary focus is on providing digital design and central fabrication services to the prosthetic and orthotic industry, they welcome collaborations and offer printing services to other industries.
Ascent Fabrication is committed to providing innovative patient-centric solutions, and will use PPprint’s polypropylene material in a variety of applications in the United States and in developing countries. Joe Fairley, Founder and Certified Prosthetist, and his team have a diverse background in additive manufacturing, with over six years of experience.
Polypropylene 3D Printing Solutions for Medical Technology Applications
Individuals with physical injuries, mobility limitations, or disabilities can use prostheses and orthoses to live as independently as possible. Medical adaptive aids can improve a person’s mobility, level of function, and ability to perform daily tasks.
Given the wide range of physical limitations that people may face as a result of genetics, illness, or injury, these devices must meet a wide range of needs while being adaptable to user-specific criteria. Medical adaptive aids are well suited for additive manufacturing due to the patient-specific customization.
The above three photos, for example, show a custom 3D printed ankle-foot orthosis with support material that can be removed in a standard oven to produce the finished product. P-filament 721 black was used as the material for the ankle-foot orthosis, and P-support 279 was used as the break-away support material.
3D Printing of Medical Adaptive Aids
For successful extrusion-based 3D printing of medical adaptive aids with polypropylene, three critical components are necessary:
- The printed material itself should have low warpage and high interlayer bonding strength.
- The 3D printing build surface has to allow reliable 3D printing of PP parts and a non-destructive and residual-free removal of the finished part without any additional chemicals.
- A support material is required to print complex structures with overhangs and openings which can be easily removed from the finished part.
PPprint, a polypropylene 3D printing solutions specialist, solved these three problems and offers a complementary product line. The current product portfolio includes the P-filament 721 PP filament product line, which is available in 1.75mm and 2.85mm diameters. ‘P-filament 721’ is commercially available in eight additional colours, in addition to natural, white, and black. Low warpage and high interlayer bonding strength are two advantages of the filaments. Furthermore, ‘P-filament 721 natural’ 3D printed parts have been certified for biological safety according to DIN EN ISO 10993-5.
PPprint also created the ‘P-surface 141’ 3D printing build surface, which allows for reliable and repeatable PP printing. At elevated temperatures, the 3D printed parts can be easily and defect-free removed from the ‘P-surface 141.’
PPprint’s polypropylene 3D printing solutions also include the world’s first break-away support material for polypropylene, ‘P-support 279,’ in 2021, allowing 3D printing of highly complex structures with bridges, openings, and overhangs. At elevated temperatures, support material can be easily and cleanly removed from the printed part after the 3D printing process.
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