LayerWise

The world’s first AM luxury fountain pen

Layerwise — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 12:18:21 +0000

Pjotr, a new innovative Dutch manufacturer of exquisite fountain pens, applies Additive Manufacturing (AM) to incorporate a unique theme as an integral part of every pen. “Thanks to AM’s design freedom, I am able to create functional pens with integrated three-dimensional freeform ‘sculpted’ figures, anagrams or other specific items,” says Rein van der Mast, designer/owner of SOLide/Pjotr. “LayerWise allows me to design and build every single titanium pen differently and accurately, based on customers’ individual preferences.” Click the article icon to read the full story.

Recently, TCT magazine editors featured the Pjotr AM fountain pen under the title ‘Making it personal’. Using the ‘Cavalry’ pen as a proof of concept, Rein van der Mast has been able to demonstrate that selective laser melting in titanium (with the help of other additive and non-additive processes) can be employed to create bespoke high-value artifacts today. With a passion for the project and the ‘subject’ of his pen, Rein was able to overcome some significant technical challenges while developing novel design, production and finishing methods. Click the article icon to read the full story.

ESA investigates ALM for in-space satellite engines

Layerwise — Sun, 16 Dec 2012 11:37:14 +0000

European Space Agency investigates LayerWise ALM parts for in-space satellite engines

In collaboration with the European Space Agency, LayerWise produced injectors, combustion chambers and expansion nozzles representative of a bi-propellant communication satellite engine through Additive Layered Manufacturing (ALM). These parts enable ESA to assess ALM’s potential to further improve the manufacture of current designs. In addition, ESA and LayerWise specialists exploited ALM’s design opportunities to engineer functional separated design alternatives for the aforementioned satellite engine parts; for example a monolithic ALM combustion chamber design incorporating a thin wall pressure vessel with a supporting external structural scaffold.

With ALM, LayerWise saves weight, simplifies assembly, speeds manufacturing, and supports late-stage design adaptation. The collaboration with ESA fits in LayerWise’s strategy to offer its unique ALM know-how in support of space and aerospace manufacturing excellence.

English - ESA investigates LayerWise ALM parts for in-space satellite engines

Francais - L’ESA évalue les pièces ALM de LayerWise pour les moteurs de satellite dans l’espace

Nederlands - ESA onderzoekt LayerWise ALM-componenten voor in-space satellietmotoren

Movie First AM Jaw Tops 90,000 Views on YouTube

Layerwise — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 06:49:28 +0000

LayerWise applied Additive Manufacturing (AM) to produce an award-winning Titanium total lower jaw implant reconstruction, developed in collaboration with project partners from medical industries and academia. To treat a senior patient’s progressive osteomyelitis of almost the entire lower jawbone, medical specialists and surgeons opted for such a complete patient-specific implant the first time ever. AM technology specialists at LayerWise printed the complex implant design incorporating articulated joints and dedicated features. The reconstruction – post-processed with dental suprastructure provisions, polished joint surfaces and a bioceramic coating – has been implanted successfully. It restored the patient’s facial esthetics and allowed her to regain her speech within hours.

The movie posted on YouTube is a hit. So far over 90,000 people worldwide watched the movie. The jaw implant story as well as the move were subject of many international publications news agencies and publications. BBC (UK) - De Standaard (Belgium) - Le Quotidien (Luxemburg) - Libération (France) - NY Daily News (USA) - TCT Magazine (UK) - Tandtechnisch Magazine (The Netherlands) - Toronto Sun (Canada) - ABC News (USA) – and many more.

LEFT: The world’s first patient-specific total lower jaw implant, produced by AM specialist LayerWise. RIGHT: Surgeons replaced the entire lower jaw bone structure with a patient-specific total mandible implant

Complex AM implant produced as a single part

LayerWise in Leuven, Belgium, produced the metal implant structure layer by layer using its dedicated metal AM technology. A high-precision laser selectively heats metal powder particles, in order to quickly and fully melt to properly attach to the previous layer without glue or binder liquid. As layers are built successively, AM hardly faces any restrictions to produce the complex lower jaw implant structure. AM is used to print functional implant shapes that otherwise require multiple metalworking steps or even cannot be produced any other way.

The revolutionary patient-specific implant has been developed and produced under supervision of Prof. Dr. Jules Poukens, in collaboration with specialized industrial and academic parties in Belgium and The Netherlands (see list below). Just recently, the innovative implant was granted the “2012 AM-Award” by the Additive Manufacturing Network in Belgium. The jury members of Sirris and VITO praised the fact that AM played a decisive role in the realization of this revolutionary mandible implant.

LEFT: Titanium and features reduce implant weight. Cavities facilitate muscle diagastic attachment and ingrowth. RIGHT: The team of surgeons and engineers, while implanting the AM-produced patient-specific mandible structure.

A giant leap forward in mandibular treatment

Dr. ir. Peter Mercelis, Managing Director of LayerWise: “Besides a successful track record in industrial sectors, metal AM is gaining importance in medical implantology. AM’s freedom of shape allows the most complex freeform geometries to be produced as a single part prior to surgery. As illustrated by the lower jaw reconstruction, patient-specific implants can potentially be applied on a much wider scale than transplantation of human bone structures and soft tissues. The use of such implants yield excellent form and function, speeds up surgery and patient recovery, and reduces the risk for medical complications.”

Prof. Dr. Jules Poukens of the University Hasselt: “The new treatment method is a world premiere because it concerns the first patient-specific implant in replacement of the entire lower jaw. The implant integrates multiple functions, including dimples increasing the surface area, cavities promoting muscle attachment, and sleeves to lead mandible nerves. Furthermore, the mandible implant is equipped to directly insert dental bar and/or bridge implant suprastructures at a later stage. I led the team of surgeons who implanted the AM-produced structure during a surgery of less than four hours at the Orbis Medisch Centrum in Sittard-Geleen. Shortly after waking up from the anesthetics the patient spoke a few words, and the day after the patient was able to speak and swallow normally again.”

X-ray images showing the AM-produced lower jaw reconstruction implanted into the patient (LEFT: side view; RIGHT: front view).

Check out all LayerWise and DentWise exhibitions

Layerwise — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 16:55:32 +0000

LayerWise

The world’s first AM luxury fountain pen

ESA investigates ALM for in-space satellite engines

European Space Agency investigates LayerWise ALM parts for in-space satellite engines

Movie First AM Jaw Tops 90,000 Views on YouTube

Check out all LayerWise and DentWise exhibitions

Check out the LayerWise and DentWise Exhibition Trail

RapidPro 2013

IDS 2013

Implants 2013

Hannover Messe 2013

Rapid.Tech 2013

Rapid 2013

OMTEC 2013

TCT Show 2013

Euromold 2013