More than 30,000 attendees travelled to San Francisco to hear the latest on orthopaedic research and care at the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS) Annual Meeting held at the Moscone Center from February 7th-11th. Within Technologies joined EOS, the world-leading manufacturer of laser-sintering systems, to host a stand showcasing industry-leading implants printed in both Titanium and PEEK.
Watch the video below to see our stand and one of EOS’ direct metal laser-sintering systems (DMLS) in operation….
“Additive manufacturing provides the design freedom to create components you can’t produce any other way,” says Dr. Sia H. Mahdavi. “Much as CAD systems have manufacturability aids developed specifically for processes such as injection molding and casting, our software identifies the optimum solution to each design challenge and helps manufacturers maximise what laser-sintering machines do best.”
The medical application of Within’s structures to date include Spinal Implants, Finger Implants, Cranial Implants and recently, Hip and Knee implants. The structures specific to the Medical industry have always been focused on the fusion between bone and implant.
Within Medical 4 Launch
This year, the AAOS 2012 Annual Meeting coincided with the launch of our free-to-use Medical Software - Within Medical 4.
For the first time, the Orthopaedic industry has the ability to design implants with superior osseointegration functionality without the limitations imposed by traditional manufacturing techniques.
In February, the Within design team could be found schmoozing at London College of Fashion’s MA Fashion Footwear Final Show.
Within collaborated with designer Ross Barber, adapting our trabecular structure (originally designed for optimised osseointegration for medical implants) for his “A Wrong Mongrel” collection.
Dazed Digital: Tell us about the material you used and why?
Ross Barber: The lattice enveloping the shoes is made out of 3D printed nylon. Both the technique and the material are commercially not very viable, but it was about exploring a concept.
DD: What was the challenge about it? Ross Barber: The thing was that it was not so much a challenge as it was about finding a less restrictive medium. From the start I wanted to throw out a conventional way of designing, and go toward a technique driven approach.
The lattice is functionality becoming the aesthetic.
DD: How did you want to convey with your work?
Ross Barber: I try to show a metamorphosis of the design. The lattice can be seen as a kind of disease which pulls the skin apart and takes over the leather, showing a struggle between the two after which the disease takes over.
Dr Anthony Ruto, our Chief Technology Officer, spoke at a recent TEDx event in Bermuda where he discussed the design freedoms offered by additive layer manufacturing or 3D printing.
Dr. Siavash Mahdavi presented the case for nature inspired design at this year’s TEDx event in Salzburg. Stay tuned for the video of the talk once its uploaded.
During this lecture, Siavash covers the state of the art in additive manufacturing whilst diving into some exciting applications of this revolutionary design and manufacturing technique such as medical, aerospace and tooling.
The Hewlett-Packard Science Lectures were instituted in 1996 as a forum for improving the public understanding of science. Held at Hewlett-Packard Laboratories, Bristol, they provide an opportunity for the public to hear distinguished lecturers discuss a broad range of scientific topics, from current research to the interaction between science, technology, art and society.
Within is a new design consultancy, based in London, that has created tools which constantly push at the boundaries of the possible in the world of additive layer manufacturing. At the core of our technology, lies a powerful optimisation engine, which takes as its inputs parameters such as desired weight requirements, maximum displacement, and stiffness. It is then able to custom design an optimised lattice structure to meet your exact specifications. Your product is then manufactured using one of many additive layer manufacturing machines (plastics or metals) with the optimised lattice within.