Case Studies IMR & Renishaw Streamline the Additive Manufacturing of Spinal Implants

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	IMR & Renishaw Streamline the Additive Manufacturing of Spinal Implants

IMR & Renishaw Streamline the Additive Manufacturing of Spinal Implants

Technology Category	Analytics & Modeling - Generative AI Functional Applications - Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) Functional Applications - Product Lifecycle Management Systems (PLM)
Applicable Industries	Healthcare & Hospitals
Applicable Functions	Product Research & Development Quality Assurance
Use Cases	Additive Manufacturing Predictive Maintenance
Services	Software Design & Engineering Services System Integration
Challenge	The engineers of the Irish Manufacturing Research (IMR) and Renishaw aimed to develop an additively manufactured Anterior Cervical Interbody Device (ACID) using nTopology. The goal was to create a device that could help restore intervertebral height in patients suffering from conditions such as degenerative intervertebral disc disease, vertebral fusion, spondylolisthesis, herniated disc, osteoporosis, and spinal stenosis. The challenge was to design a spinal implant with a porous lattice that promotes osseointegration and vascularization while matching the mechanical properties of bone. This required precise control over design variables and efficient design cycles to ensure the implant's effectiveness and safety. Read More
About Customer	Irish Manufacturing Research (IMR) is a leading research organization in Ireland focused on advancing manufacturing technologies. They collaborate with various industry partners to develop innovative solutions that enhance manufacturing processes and product development. Renishaw, a global engineering and scientific technology company, specializes in precision measurement and healthcare solutions. Together, IMR and Renishaw leveraged their expertise to develop advanced spinal implants using additive manufacturing techniques. Their collaboration aimed to address the needs of patients with spinal conditions by creating implants that promote osseointegration and match the mechanical properties of bone. Read More
Solution	IMR and Renishaw utilized nTopology's design optimization capabilities to develop the Anterior Cervical Interbody Device (ACID). nTopology enabled the engineers to control all design aspects of the ACID throughout the development process. They varied design parameters in a spatially precise manner and used physical fields, such as pressure and strain across the implant volume, to optimize the design. This allowed them to arrive at an optimum osseointegration lattice pore size. IMR developed seven concepts that went through the complete design cycle, with multiple iterations in each cycle. nTopology's software facilitated quick and effective design parameter adjustments, expediting the design cycles. The engineers also sliced their designs in nTopology and exported the data directly to Renishaw’s build preparation software, streamlining the manufacturing process and reducing the risk of errors and inconsistencies. Read More Log in to view content
Contents

Technology Category

Analytics & Modeling - Generative AI

Functional Applications - Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES)

Functional Applications - Product Lifecycle Management Systems (PLM)

Applicable Industries

Healthcare & Hospitals

Applicable Functions

Product Research & Development

Quality Assurance

Use Cases

Additive Manufacturing

Predictive Maintenance

Services

Software Design & Engineering Services

System Integration

Challenge

The engineers of the Irish Manufacturing Research (IMR) and Renishaw aimed to develop an additively manufactured Anterior Cervical Interbody Device (ACID) using nTopology. The goal was to create a device that could help restore intervertebral height in patients suffering from conditions such as degenerative intervertebral disc disease, vertebral fusion, spondylolisthesis, herniated disc, osteoporosis, and spinal stenosis. The challenge was to design a spinal implant with a porous lattice that promotes osseointegration and vascularization while matching the mechanical properties of bone. This required precise control over design variables and efficient design cycles to ensure the implant's effectiveness and safety.

About Customer

Irish Manufacturing Research (IMR) is a leading research organization in Ireland focused on advancing manufacturing technologies. They collaborate with various industry partners to develop innovative solutions that enhance manufacturing processes and product development. Renishaw, a global engineering and scientific technology company, specializes in precision measurement and healthcare solutions. Together, IMR and Renishaw leveraged their expertise to develop advanced spinal implants using additive manufacturing techniques. Their collaboration aimed to address the needs of patients with spinal conditions by creating implants that promote osseointegration and match the mechanical properties of bone.

Solution

IMR and Renishaw utilized nTopology's design optimization capabilities to develop the Anterior Cervical Interbody Device (ACID). nTopology enabled the engineers to control all design aspects of the ACID throughout the development process. They varied design parameters in a spatially precise manner and used physical fields, such as pressure and strain across the implant volume, to optimize the design. This allowed them to arrive at an optimum osseointegration lattice pore size. IMR developed seven concepts that went through the complete design cycle, with multiple iterations in each cycle. nTopology's software facilitated quick and effective design parameter adjustments, expediting the design cycles. The engineers also sliced their designs in nTopology and exported the data directly to Renishaw’s build preparation software, streamlining the manufacturing process and reducing the risk of errors and inconsistencies.

Impact #1	De-risking product development: The use of nTopology's software reduced the risk of human errors by creating reusable and automated design processes.
Impact #2	Develop advanced products: The collaboration between IMR and Renishaw enhanced the viability of high-value products by achieving future-proof design optimization.
Impact #3	Reduced time-to-market: The engineering team was able to develop revolutionary products quicker by reducing the time spent on manual design tasks.

Impact #1

De-risking product development: The use of nTopology's software reduced the risk of human errors by creating reusable and automated design processes.

Impact #2

Develop advanced products: The collaboration between IMR and Renishaw enhanced the viability of high-value products by achieving future-proof design optimization.

Impact #3

Reduced time-to-market: The engineering team was able to develop revolutionary products quicker by reducing the time spent on manual design tasks.

Benefit #1	Reduced design cycle time by 50%.
Benefit #2	Increased design iterations by 30%.
Benefit #3	Reduced time-to-market by 40%.

Benefit #1

Reduced design cycle time by 50%.

Benefit #2

Increased design iterations by 30%.

Benefit #3

Reduced time-to-market by 40%.

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Overview

IMR & Renishaw Streamline the Additive Manufacturing of Spinal Implants

Operational Impact

Quantitative Benefit