Scanner housings for HT VET

• Client: HT Bioimaging
• Parts printed: 3 devices
• Printing technology: MJF
• Materials used: nylon 12
• Finish: super fine
• Additional services: sanding and paint

About the project:

The client came to us after looking for a production facility for a medical product they wanted to make. Since they were at an early stage and could not commit to quantities, flexibility in production mattered a great deal to them.

Another point that mattered to the client was the quality of the paint, and after testing and trials we reached the exact shades they had asked for.

Following a conversation with the client and an understanding of what they needed, we chose MJF and nylon 12 for a number of reasons, among them: the need for a durable product at a finished quality level, accuracy of at least 80 micron, and the ability to take several different paint colours.

At the start of the project we printed one set of products, which took 16 hours of printing and another 16 hours of cooling.

The parts then went through cleaning, sanding and finally paint and packing.

We later printed three more sets, which also took 16 hours of printing, but with a longer cooling time of 24 hours.

The result is a veterinary device currently in clinical trials in the United States. We are also developing similar products for cancer detection in humans.

Why MJF and nylon 12

The client’s requirements dictated the choice: a durable product at a finished quality level, accuracy of at least 80 micron, and the ability to take several different paint shades. MJF in nylon 12 meets all three – it gives high dimensional accuracy, an even surface that takes paint well, and mechanical strength that lets the part be used rather than only displayed.

What is particular about producing a medical product at an early stage

A client in development cannot commit to quantities, and that is exactly where additive manufacturing wins: there is no start-up cost, so three devices cost what three devices cost. When the product matures it can move to mass production – but nothing has to be committed to in advance.

See 3D printing in medicine.

A similar project of your own?

Send us a file or a description of the problem and you will get a recommendation on technology, material and timescale – talk to an engineer. See also product design and development and 3D printing production.