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Within the healthcare and medical sector, it is the orthopedic sector that continues to adopt additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, at an astonishing rate.

Industry analyst SmarTech estimates that the orthopedic segment of the additive manufacturing (AM) market generated almost $200 million in 2016 and it is forecast to grow by around 30 percent CAGR until at least the middle of this decade.

Additive technology is expected to play a growing role in the ongoing evolution of more personalized medical treatment. Today, it is used for a wide range of orthopedic implants, helping designers and specialists to reimagine medical instruments and increasingly being incorporated into other types of medical equipment.

Using additive technology, an implant is built layer-by-layer using a high-powered laser or electron beam to selectively melt titanium alloy powder according to computer aided design data. Complex geometries, such as porous structures, or windows can be produced in one manufacturing step.

This offers the opportunity to increase the value of implants without adding cost or manufacturing time, due to the ability to design, and manufacture, unique and smart geometries with multiple design features.

By using powder bed fusion additive technologies, such as Direct Metal Laser Melting (DMLM) and Electron Beam Melting (EBM), implants of all kinds have been significantly improved.

AM is a relatively new process for many companies and, as with any new technology, there are different design, production and regulatory issues to be taken into consideration.

Once companies create the necessary knowledge, and experience, to take full advantage of the benefits of additive technologies, there are only opportunities.

These include freedom of design, the ability to embrace product complexity without increasing production steps or costs, high productivity and minimal waste for both volume and customized medical production.

Most importantly, AM allows for the development of medical devices with added value and increased clinical performance, because in the end it is all about making better products that lead to better care.

Stephan Zeidler is medical sector business development leader for GE Additive