Stratasys says it installed its first Arcam EBM S-400 rapid manufacturing and prototyping system at Medical Modeling LLC, Golden, Colo. Arcam EBM (Electron Beam Melting) systems manufacture real parts and prototypes from metal.

Medical Modeling will use the system to provide surgeons and medical device manufacturers with titanium models for improved surgical planning and implant development.

EBM technology, patented by Sweden-based Arcam AB, produces solid metal parts from a CAD model. It builds parts in layers of metal powder, each of which is melted by an electron beam to the exact geometry defined by the CAD file. Because the process needs a high vacuum, parts are completely solid, without imperfections caused by oxidation. EBM works faster and costs less than machining or investment casting, and it makes more complex parts. “EBM technology lets manufacturers of medical devices transform designs to functional metal parts,” says Medical Modeling president Andy Christensen. His company provides rapid prototyping services for the medical industry.