successful operation took place at the Animal Care Center in Ipiranga near Sao Paulo. An interdisciplinary team effort The artificial beak was created thanks to the cooperation of three specialists. The team, dubbed the ‘Avengers’, comprised veterinarian Roberto Fecchio, 3D designer and facial-reconstruction specialist Cicero Moraes and veterinary dentist Paul Miamoto. The Avengers are pioneers in the use of 3D printing technology for saving the life of wild animals, having previously made a new shell for Freddy the turtle and a beak for an injured toucan. These prosthetics were made of plastic. In the case of Gigi, plastic was not suitable. Macaws use their beaks to open seeds and break other hard shells, meaning that their beaks need to be extremely long-lasting and strong. This being the case, the team decided on the extremely hard material titanium. Titanium presented itself as the perfect solution, as it is biocompatible, lightweight and corrosion-resistant. Many prosthetics for people are produced using titanium today, so why not try using the material to help a wild bird? First LaserCusing, then a successful operation Mr Miamo to began by taking a series of photographs of the malformed beak. From these, Mr Moraes created a digital 3D model for the perfectly fitting prosthetic. The beak was then laser melted at the Renato Archer Technology and Information Center (CTI). Gigi’s artificial beak was created using a Mlab cusing R from Concept Laser, with which especially delicate parts with high surface quality can be manufactured. The smallest system model from Lichtenfels proved to be the right choice for saving Gigi’s life. The operation then took place at the Animal Care Center in Sao Paulo. Veterinarians Roberto Fecchio, Sergio Camargo, Rodrigo Rabello and Methus Rabello participated. The 3D-printed prosthetic was secured in place with bone cement and orthopedic screws. Just 48 hours after the operation, Gigi was able to try out the beak. She made a fantastic recovery at the Center for Research and Screening of Wild Animals (CEPTAS) at Unimonte University. Gigi is currently awaiting placement at a zoo, where visitors can marvel at the bird’s one-of-a-kind beak secured in place with colorful rhinestone-styled screws. The other birds are going to be seriously jealous. Bottom line All’s well that ends well. Examples like Gigi show that 3D-printed medical technology isn’t just capable of providing greater quality of life to people. The unlimited geometric freedom of the process enables the manufacture of perfectly fitting implants ideally suitable for each respective application. Ultimately, it was able to help a magnificent wild bird overcome injuries and deformities, so there is good news in our often uncertain and sometimes unsettling world. The patented LaserCusing process from Concept Laser is used to create high-precision mechanically and thermally resilient metallic components. The term ‘LaserCusing' was coined from the ‘C’ in Concept Laser and the word ‘fusing’, describes the technology: the fusing process generates components layer by layer using 3D CAD data. In this process, fine metal powder is melted locally by a high-energy fibre laser. The material solidifies after cooling. The contour of the component is created by redirecting the laser beam using a mirror redirection unit (scanner). The part is built up layer by layer (with a layer thickness of 15 – 500 μm) by lowering the bottom of the build chamber, applying more powder and then melting again. What makes systems from Concept Laser unique is stochastic control of the slice segments (also referred to as 'islands') which are processed successively. This patented process ensures a significant reduction in stress when manufacturing very large components. www.engineeringnews.co.nz 41 Top left: Gigi the macaw undergoing the operation at the Animal Care Center in Sao Paolo
EN-Jul16
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