Stratasys, a leading global provider of 3D printing and additive manufacturing solutions, has collaborated with design and product development company Worrell to accelerate medical device development through the use of 3D printed injection moulding.

Since 3D printing injection mould tools for medical devices, the company is producing injection moulded prototypes using final production materials in 95 per cent less time and at 70 per cent less cost compared with traditional aluminium moulds, said a statement.

In a bid to promote the significant cost savings of 3D printed injection moulds for medical device manufacturers, as well as the huge reductions in product development cycles, Stratasys and Worrell will jointly attend international tradeshows and host a series of workshops to educate the medical industry on the innovative process and its radical impact on manufacturing.

Nada Sella, senior manager of manufacturing tools at Stsratasys, said: ”We have recognised a significant under-utilisation of the 3D printed injection moulding process in medical device development and we're working with Worrell to help fill this gap.

"Worrell is a leading design firm with the expertise and infrastructure necessary to integrate injection moulding and 3D printing within the product development cycle. In an industry where products have the potential to save lives, we want to use this collaboration to demonstrate how medical device manufacturers can bring their products to market significantly faster than ever before."

Medical device manufacturers traditionally face two main obstacles in getting medical devices to market: tooling costs and the FDA regulatory process, said the statement.

The traditional tooling is both costly and time-consuming, as new moulds must be created every time a prototype is refined before manufacturing, it said.

To reduce potential iteration risks and tooling costs, Worrell will use Stratasys PolyJet-based 3D printers to create injection moulding tools and then inject the same materials that will be used in a finished medical device, creating higher-fidelity prototypes.

Kai Worrell, CEO at Worrell, said: ”We were recently approached by medical device start-up, MedTG, to design and engineer a dual-flow needleless blood collection system that reduced the need for multiple injections, thereby increasing patient comfort and hospital efficiency.

“Utilising 3D printed injection moulds to prototype the device, we were able to reduce the costs associated with traditional tooling by approximately 70 per cent, as well as cutting times by 95 per cent.”

"Using 3D printed injection moulds, we are able to create a prototype for a fraction of the cost and in a matter of days compared to the eight-week lead time associated with traditional tooling processes. This revolutionary manufacturing process enabled by Stratasys PolyJet technology is now an integral part of our product development cycle, allowing us to provide better prototypes for care providers, while saving our clients considerable time and money,” he added. - TradeArabia News Service