ProMED: Production Optimization for Additive Manufacturing of Medical Devices

Abstract

In metal 3D printing, and in particular in the production of dental implants and prosthodontics, a careful geometric analysis of the parts is key to maximize the overall throughput and minimize fabrication costs. Herewith we describe the main results obtained within the European Project DIGITBrain/ProMED, whose objective is to optimize the production of customized metal medical devices. ProMED delivers a digital twin of an existing production pipeline and allows for the quick simulation of a large number of fabrication scenarios. This is achieved thanks to a clever geometric analysis driving the optimal orientation of the part in the platform combined with a geometry-based process simulator that makes it possible to estimate fabrication time, material consumption, human labour, and other useful information that greatly supports users in the task of optimizing the overall fabrication performances from many meaningful points of view. Compared to standard simulation software provided by printer vendors, our approach can be orders of magnitude faster: this makes it possible to analyze and compare a great number of scenarios to support companies in their day-by-day decisions for real productions.