Orion Medical enables 3D printing with thermal radiation heating for precision medicine
Orion Medical, founded in Cham, Switzerland in March 2022, is a manufacturing solutions provider for the medical devices industry. The company is closely linked to Orion Additive Manufacturing (Orion AM), an established manufacturer of 3D printing systems for high-performance polymers based in Berlin, Germany.
The key advantage of Orion Medical’s additive manufacturing technology is its Thermal Radiation Heating (TRH) system, which enables the 3D printing of customized medical devices on demand with injection moulded strength and 100% density.
In preparation for using its technology in the medical field, Orion Medical’s founding team engaged in an 18-month-long preparation period for the MedTech qualification of Orion AM’s technology prior to founding the company.
To make TRH technology available to the MedTech industry and enable medical industry players – hospitals, point-of-care centres, legal manufacturers and MedTech suppliers – to participate in the growing market segment of precision medicine, Orion’s technology has been adapted to MedTech and regulatory requirements. This includes the conversion of the print chamber as well as the conversion of all support systems of the 3D printer according to aspects and requirements of relevant regulations, standards, and norms.
Orion Medical observes the specifications of ISO 13485 as well as the requirements
stipulated in MDR (EU) 2017/745 for the manufacturing of medical devices.
Extrusion-based printing technologies like Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) typically suffer from weak bonding between layers, delamination, and deformation as the material cools after deposition. Orion’s proprietary technology applies continuous Thermal Radiation heating (TRH) to the part during 3D printing to effectively bond the printed layers together, resulting in injection moulded strength and 100% density. This makes Orion Medical’s solution extremely competitive with injection moulding and CNC machining to produce personalized medical devices on demand.
Orion Medical’s M-Series additive manufacturing systems use this technology to enhance the properties of medical-grade polymers such as PEEK and PPSU, enabling
best-in-class results in functional end-use parts in medical device applications, including load-bearing implants.
“With thermal radiation, the heat penetrates the material so that the layers really fuse together. The result is parts with more uniform strength, higher density, and stability. Orion’s technology solves the anisotropic nature of FFF 3D printing, even for difficult-to-print aerospace materials like PEEK and PEI. This results in fully isotropic properties,” explained Christoph Koslowski, managing partner, Orion Medical.
Orion Medical offers its customers and all parties interested in 3D printing of medical devices additional services besides the medical printers of the M-Series. These include design support, design transfer of implant concepts for 3D printing, and regulatory assistance.
