For many years, FMI Instrumed, a well-known contract manufacturer in the global medical device and implant manufacturing industry, has been expanding its 3D printing capabilities to meet the growing needs of customers in the orthopedic industry. FMI Instrumed has launched two types of powder bed metal 3D printing equipment, selected laser melting and electron beam melting, into the production of spinal implants.
Since 2012, FMI Instrumed has applied 3D printing technology. Through its own research and development and cooperative investment, FMI Instrumed foresaw the development trend of implant additive manufacturing and formulated a 3D printing business strategy accordingly.
To date, FMI Instrumed's implant additive manufacturing portfolio includes two metal 3D printing technologies, electron beam melting (EBM) and selective laser melting.
In 2016, FMI purchased a Concept Laser M2 multi-laser 3D printing device, and in 2017 purchased a second Concept Laser M2 device. These devices are installed at the FMI Instrumed facility in Schiedam, north of Rotterdam, the Netherlands, for the mass production of titanium spine implants.
3D Scientific Valley learned that during this period, FMI Instrumed also purchased three Arcam EBM Q10plus electron beam fusion 3D printing equipment and worked with a US partner to produce 30,000 spinal implants in another plant.
For FMI Instrumed, 3D printing of implants is not a separate process, but a part of the entire production process. FMI Instrumed All metal 3D printing equipment in the two factories are parallel to CNC milling machines and other post-processing tools. These technologies work together under the same roof to complete the additive manufacturing, machining, and cleaning of spinal implants. And other links, they are all integral parts.
Of course, in addition to manufacturing, FMI Instrumed has established a quality assurance process, and currently they have passed ISO 13485, ISO 9001 certification and FDA medical device registration. FMI Instrumed's entire process for manufacturing spinal implants is proven and all products are traceable.
FMI Instrumed provides customers with more flexible products through additive manufacturing technology, which are often products that cannot be achieved by previous manufacturing technologies, such as implants with complex geometries and porous structures.
FMI Instrumed will also continue to work closely with customers in the medical industry to develop next-generation orthopedic implant products and solutions, such as hip and knee implants. This plan will further expand the application of 3D printing technology.
In addition, 3D Scientific Valley learned that implant manufacturing is one of the four business units of the FMI Group, and the remaining three businesses of FMI are: industrial automation, food manufacturing systems, and mold tools. FMI's accumulated 3D printing experience in implant manufacturing will also promote innovation in other business units.