Heraeus Amloy, a German-based company that specializes in metals and materials manufacturing, is rethinking the way medical implants are created and structured. By creating new and innovative materials using cost-effective 3D printing technology, the medical industry will benefit from higher-grade materials, lower costs and easier access to these life-saving devices.

Radius plate implants produced with a 3D printer adapt to the movement of the bones. Source: Heraeus Amloy Technologies

While medical implants are not a new technology, both the materials and the creation process are changing rapidly. Amorphous metals have a unique ability to mimic the strength of human bones while also being highly elastic, all thanks to the way it is engineered. The metal is rapidly cooled from a molten state, which leaves it rather "elastic" and unable to form an inner crystalline structure that would otherwise force it into rigidity. The final product is ideal for medical implants and other tools that require a sturdy material that is also, importantly enough, biocompatible.

On top of the versatility of the material itself, the company is also researching ways to lower cost and manufacturing time by exploring 3D printing. Because of the material's lightweight properties and requirements for low heat, the 3D printer is able to cater to a very small and quick heating time; this means that the inner structure of the metal never crystallizes and remains a viable product throughout manufacturing.

Read the full study here to learn more about the metal's properties, potential use cases and research initiatives that are underway and are sure to disrupt the medical industry.