Discover our cases

Shell Brings Robotic Inspection to the Global Energy Industry

Employing robots to conduct equipment inspections is a longstanding focus for Shell – one with potentially huge safety and efficiency benefits. To avoid transporting its large and valuable robots to promotional events, Shell asked Materialise to create smaller models to serve as demonstrators. Through a bespoke combination of 3D Printing technologies, materials and finishing techniques, Materialise produced two precise replicas that look exactly like the original machines.

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Shoulder Surgery Helps 60-Year-Old Fulfill Daily Activities Again

A 60 year old lady was suffering from shoulder pain and limited range of motion. Analysis of the medical images indicated a devastating shoulder arthrosis with severe medialization and erosion of the glenoid. Due to a complete loss of the glenoid vault, implantation of a classic pegged baseplate for reverse total shoulder was not an option. In addition, interposition of a massive bone graft would have little chance for ingrowth and survival, hence little chance to offer sufficient stability.

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Life-transforming hip surgery makes 81 year old sing and whistle again

At the age of 81, the patient was suffering from a Paprosky type 3B defect and already underwent hip revision surgeries prior to seeking the help of Mr. Dunlop. He is not alone, because data from joint registries show that 27% of the revisions is not an initial one and those re-revisions have a 3 times higher chance of failure compared to initial revisions.

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Restoring Hip Biomechanics with Cemented Femoral Hip Implants: A 3D Templating Study Using Scripting

Total hip replacement is widely considered a very successful surgery to relieve pain and restore mobility to patients. Since the shape of every patient's femur is different, the femoral offset, anteversion angle and length can vary widely between patients. Therefore, to achieve good functional results, an accurate restoration of hip biomechanics with appropriate implant and sizing options is essential.

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Automating Key Components of Finite Element Research

In total hip replacement surgery, short hip stems are presumed to reduce proximal stress shielding compared to traditional, long stems. Belgian researchers virtually implanted a commercially available calcar-guided short stem in a series of bones with deviating proximal geometry and performed finite element analyses. Given the large number of FEA models that had to be created, they used an automated methodology. 

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Orthopedic Device Manufacturers Turn to Workflow Automation to Accelerate Knee Development

Patellofemoral joint complication is among the leading causes for the failure of primary total knee replacement. When the joint wears down and a total knee replacement surgery is recommended, one of the goals of the femoral component is to restore the trochlear groove in such a way that the patella follows its natural pathway during knee movement. Exactech performed a study to understand the native, healthy trochlear groove.

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Smoothing the Flow: How Sambon Saves 3 Hours on Data Prep per File

Sambon Precision & Electronics manufactures audio devices (earphones, headphones and speakers) and keypads for distribution in South Korea and oversea. When developing a new product, producing a prototype is a mandatory step in the development process. Sambon 3D prints the prototypes since it’s a fast and flexible method. Unfortunately, their 3D printing workflow wasn’t that smooth, and took up a lot of time for the data preparation team. Using Materialise Magics software, they were able to reduce file repair and platform preparation time significantly.

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Midwest Prototyping Reduced the Weight of SLA Molds by 42% Using Honeycomb Structures

The new honeycomb structure in Materialise Magics²²  allows companies to reduce material usage and printing time. As a beta tester of Materialise Magics²², Midwest Prototyping was one of the very first to try out the new feature.

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Volum-e Reduces Metal Support Removal by 50% Using Materialise e-Stage

Automation, speed, quality and cost reduction are all important drivers for improving the 3D printing process. Discover how volum-e increased their efficiency of their highly complex metal production. 

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QualiCal’s METRO puts 3D Printing in the Limelight

Italian engineering company QualiCal saw an opportunity for innovation in lime production, and asked — could 3D printing help eliminate the single biggest cause of production downtime? It could and it has. Partnering with us, QualiCal developed a shaft level indicator that offers the potential for increased revenue of up to €1,400,000.

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AM Simulation: A Guide to the Best Part Orientation and Support Configuration

In this case study, we investigate different part-support configurations of a patient-specific CMF implant, and determine which configuration is most suitable for the AM process. We do this by simulating deformations via inherent strain method and comparing the final deformations of the parts after support removal. 

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Tata Motors Improves the Efficiency of Their Prototype Production

With over 9 million manufactured cars, buses, trucks and other vehicles, Tata Motors is leading the automotive industry in India. And by producing the majority of their output in their own country, they contribute to the ‘Make in India’ policy of the Indian government, launched to stimulate the country’s growth. As drivers of the Indian automotive landscape, they ventured to intensively apply 3D Printing as a new technology for their prototype development, using both Laser Sintering and Stereolithography machines. But how do they make sure they use these technologies in the most efficient way?

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