https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/141118-ITBA-Inauguración-Lab-digital_016-1-1080x675.jpg
Latin America Just Got Its First Stratasys J750 3D Printer https://ift.tt/2SWEWit The 3D printing community in Argentina has recently pushed forth into new horizons with the acquisition of the first Stratasys J750 in Latin America.The state-of-the-art model arrived in December of last year at one of the top engineering universities in Argentina and will aid researchers in medicine and industry related endeavours. The machine is part of an ongoing effort at the country’s top engineering university, the Technological Institute of Buenos Aires (ITBA), to incorporate 3D printing to its programme. Students, faculty and staff now have access to eight 3D printers in a facility that is open every day. Officially inaugurated in 2009, the University’s Digital Manufacturing Laboratory promises to place ITBA in a privileged position in the use of this technology throughout Latin America. The Stratasys J750 PolyJet 3D printer is designed to carry out surgical simulations, medical preparations, surgical guides and development of final products for industrial use. Both faculty and students have access to the lab’s additive manufacturing equipment housed at the university’s main building in the City of Buenos Aires which also includes two Fortus 250mc, a Fortus 450mc, an Objet Alaris30, a CNC machine and two desktop printers.
According to Leporati, in the future they hope to build bone parts, prostheses that will be inserted inside the body, and surgical simulations.
It took 10 years for the Lab to get to where it is now, but with 3D printing becoming more popular and prevalent in industry and medical procedures, having access to this technology is important. The use of the lab and its facilities are currently being integrated into the Engineering and Industrial Design programmes. The laboratory will support joint research, materials development, testing of 3D printing technologies and new processes. Two applications that will be worth highlighting in the Lab’s future are impressions of pre-surgical models and 3D bioprinting. The development of realistic simulators for surgery, will allow the doctors to know exactly what they will encounter during a procedure, increasing safety and reducing costs, as well as facilitating the development of manual medical skills for students of medicine or professionals who are starting out in their careers, and it will also rule out the use of corpses and real tissue. The University is focused on fostering new product development and innovation with business and industry while providing sophisticated parts for customer companies that are interested in the learning opportunities that this technology brings. Working closely with some of the most interesting R&D departments in industry -such as steel tube manufacturer giant Techint– to develop the design of the prototypes that they want.
The Lab has a wealth of new opportunities.
3D printing in Argentina is getting a bigger thrust from the academic community. While quite a few companies are starting to develop this type of equipment for industrial and commercial use, the machines are mostly aimed at making prototypes and not at manufacturing high-end products. In the future, they will play a more important role in production processes and in the manufacturing of small parts. Still, Argentina is one step behind compared to the rest of the world and the Latin American region, especially when measured against Brazil or Chile. The expansion of this type of technology is hindered by regulations, a lack of investment in technology and an economic recession. Additionally, we cannot forget that the certifications, costs, requirements and training in 3D printing make implementations slower in Argentina. Local universities and other academic institutions are becoming quite prolific in 3D printing (especially in the health sector) but this success still cannot be replicated within the entrepreneurial community. This creates lag in 3D printing adoption. Furthermore, a lot of different rules exist at the local, state and federal level. In Argentina, rules and rates are subject to frequent adjustments and legislative changes, especially during periods of economic stress, making the production and development of these printers quite a risky endeavor. All of this makes “made in Argentina” printers very rare indeed. It seems for now that importing the world’s best is the best way forward for 3D printing in Argentina. Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://3dprint.com February 22, 2019 at 01:06AM
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Categories
All
Archives
April 2023
|