The technology of orthopaedic implants is constantly evolving to improve the interaction with surrounding bone tissue in order to ensure better implant outcomes for patients. The successful biological response between the implant and surrounding bone depends on a combination of mechanical, physical, and topological properties. Therefore, Ti6Al4V microporous structure becomes the most effective solution to solve and improve traditional orthopedic implants. This paper introduces a series of solutions to improve the design of SLM manufacturing Ti6Al4V microporous structure. The elastic modulus of the microporous structure was evaluated by three point bending. Morphology analysis results are used to evaluate the difference between CAD design dimensions and SLM actual manufacturing dimensions. Finite element analysis (adjusted CAD) USES the dimension data obtained from experiments to accurately reproduce the properties of the SLM fabricated structures. A linear regression equation is established with the designed CAD model as a function of the measurement SLM size. This regression equation is obtained by measuring the relationship between the actual porosity and the designed CAD dimensions. The measured data can be further used as a reference for FE analysis and design, thus further helping engineers to manufacture near-net-formed SLM-made microporous Ti6Al4V structures. In addition, the Ti6Al4V microporous structure surface after polishing and sandblasting can obtain appropriate performance compared with the obtained original manufacturing surface, both in terms of surface roughness and wettability. Capillary tests show that all the Ti6Al4V microporous structures analyzed can transfer liquid along their surface structures. The cell activity test structure showed that the Ti6Al4V microporous structure produced by SLM did not release toxic substances. This suggests that the structure ensures the right environment for cell proliferation and attachment. This research result also proposes a design strategy for Ti6Al4V microporous structure. In other words, it not only has appropriate mechanical properties, but also has appropriate porosity, roughness, wettability, capillarity and cell survival rate, all of which are closely related to the performance of orthopedic implants. Finally, the PROTOTYPE of Ti6Al4V microporous hip implant was fabricated using SLM technology, and the appropriate features of the implant were also obtained during the manufacture of SLM.
Tag: Ti6Al4V
