3D Systems Creates Certified Partner Program for Medical Device Manufacturing

3D Systems Corporation (Rock Hill, SC) announced a new certified partner program for medical device additive manufacturing companies to offer secure and premium services for medical device companies. rms Company (Minneapolis, MN) is the first to join this new quality supply network and will focus on design, development and manufacturing of medical implants using 3D Systems’ Direct Metal Printing (DMP) technology.

This first-of-its-kind partnership combines the equipment, process and materials expertise of 3D Systems with the manufacturing expertise of rms and enables medical device companies to efficiently source the development and production of FDA-cleared medical devices under one roof. “We want customers to be able to choose among multiple partners with the same level of medical device manufacturing expertise as us,” said Kevin McAlea, the executive vice president and general manager of Metals and Healthcare at 3D Systems. “With our new certified partner program and our ability to insource models for large medical device companies at our certified facilities in Denver, CO, and Leuven, Belgium, we are able to offer the same quality experience to a broader set of customers.”

As part of the new certification process, rms has validated its ProX® DMP 320 printer, the materials and critical support processes. The company is already engaged with several of its orthopedic customers to develop and manufacture implants using titanium powder. “This partnership provides our mutual customers with access to the 3D printing, machining and secondary processing capabilities of two market leaders,” said Lee Zachman, the president of rms. “Working together, we have created a world-class service center for the manufacture of medical implants. With the support of our parent company, Cretex, we will have the resources to rapidly invest and grow our capacity to meet the increasing needs of our customers. The ability to print parts, add machined features and perform secondary processing in one location provides our customers with a speed to market advantage that is hard to parallel.”

www.3dsystems.com