North America's largest annual rapid manufacturing conference and exposition, The Rapid Conference & Exposition (sme.org/rapid), set for May 11-14 at the Schaumburg Renaissance Hotel & Convention Center, Schaumburg, IL, will devote much of its program to medical applications. Launched in 1988, the event is sponsored by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME).

“The goal in bringing our Rapid Implant Manufacturing Forum to the RAPID show is to increase awareness of the importance that custom implants will play in the future of RP and patient care,” says Colleen Wivell, general manager for the sponsoring firm Materialise USA (materialise.com), Ann Arbor, MI. “We have created an opportunity for attendees to learn about the process of custom implant design from the original patient scan through surgery.”

This year, attendees are able to bring a part and have it scanned and converted into a CAD file that they take away with them,” says SME's Gary Mikola. The 3D Imaging Discovery Center on the show floor will be an important stop for visitors. Other “must-see” features:

Mon., May 11: Workshop will walk attendees through the process of manufacturing custom implants. Participants will hear presentations from industry experts that address each step including scanning, data conditioning, implant design, material selection, finite element analysis (FEA) of the design, quality control, and liability. “Advances in rapid manufacturing have opened the doors to exciting new medical applications,” says workshop moderator Karen Weissman from Materialise USA. “Now we must focus on increasing the communication between engineers and doctors so that standard implants can be improved and custom implants can be designed in an efficient manner.”

Tues., May 12: Mike North, cohost of the Discovery Channel's “Prototype This!”, will open the show as keynote speaker. North is credited with memorable contraptions such as a mind-controlled car, and a wearable airbag. He'll share stories about his adventures on the show and discuss how prototyping plays a pivotal role getting inventions done right.

Medical Applications Tech Group meets (9-11 am) to address topics related to the use of additive manufacturing and 3D modeling. The group is part of SME's Rapid Technologies & Additive Manufacturing Community.

Scanning and additive manufacturing in dental will be the topic of an afternoon conference session.

Wed., May 13: The Rapid Implant Manufacturing Forum (RIMF) will bring together several influential players involved in implant design and manufacturing. This day-long session developed by Materialise will go beyond the traditional issues of implant manufacturing to cutting-edge innovation and applications.

The first presenters, researchers from Anna University in India, will tell of their experience developing an implant for a left tibia of an adult male that was designed from a computed tomography (CT) scan. With the help of Mimics by Materialise image-processing software, the researchers were able to reconstruct the exact geometry of the bone using the segmentation functionality. This is done by defining threshold values and converted into an IGES format. The fabricated RP model was then used for design verification and to make an implant. The team will also show how to design a custom implant using FEA and RP to minimize the implant failure and enhance the surgical team's confidence level.

Following, a team from Purdue University will reveal their research and experience with an RP method called Laser Engineered Net Shaping (Lens) for acquisition of porous structures, those that lend themselves to bone ingrowth. The presentation will cover a research study on the influence of process parameters to obtain porous or fully dense structures using Lens.

The pros and cons of several direct metal fabrication technologies used for medical implants will also be addressed. This overview will help potential users choose the system that best fits their needs.

Another informative session will involve the presentation of preliminary results for specimens manufactured by e-beam and SLM. The technologies produced parts made of Ti6Al4V titanium alloy with osteointegrated surfaces in nearly one step. In vitro and in vivo tests assessed the osteointegration potential. The in vitro test investigated friction coefficient of samples against cortical bone.

Following, Andy Christenson will discuss a case in which an e-beam machine produced CE-approved acetabular cups made of Ti6Al4V with network structures. “These network structures,” says Christenson, “allow for the creation of the best surfaces for osteointegration, thereby eliminating need for a porous coating of titanium beads or hydroxyapatite.”

Philip Kilburn of 3T RPD Limited will close the RIMF by investigating the time, effort, and ongoing costs of supplying medical devices to surgeons and the medical industry. “Direct Metal Laser Sintering,” he says, “generates additional issues for the medical industry over and above other sectors.” For example, it requires biocompatibility and mechanical testing of new materials, proving they are comparable with currently accepted materials.

Thurs., May 14: State of the industry report will be presented by rapid expert Terry Wohlers as he delivers the final day's keynote address. He is founder of Wohlers Associates, Inc, and author of The Wohlers Report.

For a complete schedule of the conference see sme.org/rapid.