Solidifying the Business Case for Additive Manufacturing of Large Joint Implants

In part 1 of our Additive Manufacturing webinar series with GE Additive, we explored how to solidify the business case for additively manufactured large joint implants. While still a relatively new technology, metal additive manufacturing has been evolving to become a key manufacturing tool in the medical device industry. Is the technology ready for large joint implants? How do you know if (and when) additive manufacturing is the right solution for products in your portfolio?

Takeaways from this webinar:

• Orthopedic OEMs need to provide cost competitive and cementless solutions to best serve patients. As design complexities increase along with the cost of implants and inflation, the supply chain needs to evolve.
• Additive manufacturing can reduce costs when compared to traditional methods, but just because you can use additive, doesn’t always mean you should. The technology needs to be the right fit for the product type and use case, and the business case needs to be solid.
• Additive manufacturing has become the standard method of manufacture for spine implants. The business case to use laser (Direct Metal Laser Sintering, DMLS) additive technology for spine implants makes a lot of sense.
• Large joint implants haven’t seen the same adoption rates of additive manufacturing technology. There hasn’t been a solid business case for utilizing additive manufacturing for large joint implants (acetabular cups, tibia trays and femoral components), until now.
• Electron Beam Melting (EBM) is the best technology fit for large joint implants, and the newest technology has unlocked the potential to make it scalable and cost effective.

Orchid is on the path to use additive manufacturing to produce 400,000 large joint components annually.

To watch Scott Reese (VP, Business Development, Orchid) and Lauren Thompson (job title, GE Additive) discuss why EBM and Spectra-L are the answer to the cost pressures in large joints, click here to view the full on-demand webinar.

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