EnvisionTEC
3D-Bioplotter
Leading metal 3D printing developer EnvisionTEC has announced the launch of a newly re-engineered additive manufacturing technology for medical applications.
The Michigan-headquartered industry leader announced the launch of the 3D-Bioplotter for researchers. The Developer Series supports the needs of tissue engineering and institution such as universities and teaching hospitals, who may not need all the options on the 4th Generation Manufacturing Series that an advanced operator might require.
The EnvisionTEC 3D-Bioplotter has been used since 2000 for a range of medical applications, with the vast majority of this work taking place in a pre-clinical setting. Much research has come from this technology, including various publications by pre-eminent scientists from the materials science, imaging and toxicology disciplines. In the clinical setting, patient CT or MRI scans are used to create STL files to print solid 3D models which can then be used as templates for implants.
The EnvisionTEC 3D-Bioplotter 3D printing technique may be described as the deposition of materials in three dimensions using air pressure. Materials range from polymer melts, through viscous pastes to liquids, and are inserted into syringes to be used in individual printing heads with individual needle tips. Air pressure is applied to the syringe, which then deposits a strand of material for the length of movement and time the pressure is applied. Parallel strands are plotted in each layer. In each layer, the direction of the strands is turned over the center of the object, creating a fine mesh with good mechanical properties and mathematically well-defined porosity. By permitting the use of pastes, hydrogels, melts and any other liquid, which may be quickly solidified, this technology enables a wide range of 3D printing applications.
With the addition of the Developer Series, the 3D-Bioplotter now comes in two versions to match the needs of varying users and budgets.
CEO Al Siblani stated: "The 3D-Bioplotter Developer Series is the ideal choice for the basic needs of educational institutions, while the 3D-Bioplotter Manufacturer Series offers all options needed by advanced tissue engineering research or production."
Please click here to see a breakdown of the differences between the Developer Series and the Manufacturer Series.
