3D Printing in Orthopedics: Lima Corporate Orders Five Arcam Q10 EBM Machines

In the world of industrial additive manufacturing, Sweden-based Arcam just announced receipt of an order for five of their electron beam melting machines to be delivered to Lima Corporate in Italy.

Lima Corporate and Arcam have been working together for a number of years now and Lima has the largest inventory of electron beam melting machines known anywhere. The two companies are a logical match for working together, as Lima — with 60 years in the business of manufacturing prostheses for knee, hip, shoulder, and small joints — is also known for its Trabecular Titanium technology. Lima Corporate is a substantial and global provider to the medical field in orthopedics, with multiple subsidiaries around the world.

“This investment will help us grow our production for Trabecular Titanium even faster. Arcam is the leading supplier of titanium additive manufacturing systems and we turned to them with confidence, having used several of their products for serial production for years”, says Luigi Ferrari, CEO of Lima Corporate.

Arcam, founded in 1997, uses  EBM technology which works in a high temperature vacuum system with a powerful electron beam that induces melting and allows for maintenance of several melt pools at once. The system is an improvement on the traditional casting method and offers parts that are built affordably and efficiently, and are free of residual stresses.

With the new order for five Arcam Q10 machines, Lima will be able to step up manufacturing supplies for their global client base, with the new generation additive manufacturing machine designed specifically for the production of orthopedic implants. The Q10 replaced the A1 system to include additional features like:

• A new EB gun for better productivity all around
• Arcam LayerQam, which is a camera-based monitoring system
• Closed powder handling

“This deal confirms the potential of the Arcam Q10 as a volume production system for the medical implant industry. We truly look forward to help Lima Corporate further grow their production of implant products,” says Magnus René, CEO of Arcam.

With over 50 patents to their name, Arcam specializes in machines that print with metal The company offers a variety of services and products to the additive manufacturing industry, with an emphasis on their EBM machines, which service sectors involved in production mainly of orthopedic implants, as well as those producing aerospace components like turbine blades and structural airframe components. Arcam has a dedicated client base that is able to use their machines to provide innovative devices to their own customers, while experiencing faster production times and lower costs.

Arcam offers EBM systems through Arcam AB in Sweden, powder metals through AP&C in Canada, and implant contract manufacturing through DiSanto in the U.S.

What are your thoughts on the impact additive manufacturing is having on the medical field? Tell us about it in the Lima Corporate EBM Machines forum over at 3DPB.com.