Non-Assembly Additive Manufacturing of Medical Devices

Abstract

Additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, offers a new paradigm for the way functional products are designed, manufactured, and assembled. Its additive nature provides the ability to create complex-shaped parts, without an increase in production time or costs, which would be difficult to produce with conventional manufacturing. In addition, integration of different functions and materials allows for the production of completely functional assemblies or mechanisms that can be produced in a single production step, known as non-assembly additive manufacturing. These mechanisms are functional immediately after 3D printing, without requiring additional assembly steps. Non-assembly mechanisms have some advantages over traditional assembly-based mechanisms, as they reduce the processing time and costs, and allow for an increase in complexity....