New production approaches for complex medical device components

3D-printed multi-material parts, functionally integrated components, and programmable monomaterials demonstrate how production and material concepts are evolving within the industry. The focus is on processes that allow different material properties to be combined within a single manufacturing process, such as hard and flexible structures or different functional zones within a single part.

Such approaches are becoming increasingly important, particularly in the medical technology sector, where the goal is to manufacture complex components industrially using as few production steps as possible, with less material complexity and reproducible processes. New manufacturing processes and material systems are thus gaining attention from OEMs and suppliers working on scalable production processes for high-performance medical devices.

As part of the "CeraMMAM" project, the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) is working on an additive manufacturing process that allows different ceramic materials and, in the future, ceramic-metal composites to be combined within a single production process.

This is made possible by a newly developed binder system for multi-material 3D printing. This allows for the production of components with different properties, such as flexible internal structures combined with hard surfaces. Additionally, complex and delicate structures can be manufactured with precision.

In medical technology, these approaches are particularly relevant where compact designs, functional integration, and precisely reproducible manufacturing processes converge. At the same time, combining multiple properties within a single component can reduce assembly and process costs.

Material development itself is also increasingly becoming part of new production strategies. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence Programmable Materials CPM are collaborating with the sporting goods manufacturer Puma to develop programmable monomaterials in which different functional properties can be created within a single material.

In the "ZiProMat" project, this approach is being used to create a sole made of a thermoplastic copolyester elastomer, whose different functional zones are created not by different materials, but by specific structures such as ribs or ridges. At the same time, the researchers aim to manufacture the sole and upper from compatible polyester-based materials to simplify material systems and recycling processes.

Even though this development does not stem directly from medical technology, it reflects a trend that is gaining increasing importance: materials and production processes are being developed more closely together to simplify product architectures, reduce material diversity, and make processing steps more efficient.

These examples demonstrate how closely material development and modern manufacturing technologies are linked. Additive manufacturing, functional material integration, and new production approaches lay the foundation for complex, precise, and reproducibly manufacturable components.

As a result, the focus in medical device production is gradually shifting from individual materials toward integrated material and manufacturing systems, particularly in areas where high demands on functionality, scalability, and industrial process reliability converge.

Source: Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Fraunhofer Gesellschaft