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The purpose of this paper was to present how customized implants could be made with specific properties, by setting different values of the laser power, within the selective laser melting (SLM) process. A detailed case study was undertaken and a new multi-structured femoral prosthesis was designed and analyzed, to simulate its behavior for a specific case study.

The materials and manufacturing methods are presented, with details regarding the SLM process, using the Realizer 250 machine. The laser power was varied between 50 and 200 W, thus obtaining samples with different physical and mechanical characteristics. All those sample parts were characterized and their properties were measured.

A practical methodology was found to produce multi-structured implants by SLM. Significant changes of the porosity and properties were found, when modifying the laser power at the SLM machine. The studies have indicated an open porosity varying between 24.810.83 per cent. Tensile tests of the samples showed Young’s modulus values varying between 13.5 and 104.5 GPa and an ultimate stress between 20.2 and 497.5 MPa.

There is no Additive Manufacturing (AM) machine available, to work with different laser power values, in different regions of the same section of the implant. Hence, a multi-structured implant cannot be obtained directly.

The prosthesis should be specifically designed to contain separate models/regions to be made with appropriate laser power values.

This paper presents a new method to design and manufacture a multi-structured implant, using the existing AM equipment. A detailed case study is presented, showing the design procedure, the way to simulate its behavior and the methods to produce the implants by SLM.

The purpose of this paper was to obtain by means of selective laser melting and then characterize biocomposites of medical-grade Ti6Al7Nb with hydroxyapatite (2 and 5 vol.%) and without hydroxyapatite, as reference.

Rectangular samples were manufactured with the same scanning strategy; the laser power was between 50 W and 200 W. Processed samples were analysed by means of optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and microhardness.

The results showed that despite the very short processing times, hydroxyapatite decomposed and interacted with the base Ti6Al7Nb material. The decomposition degree was found to depend on the applied laser power. From the porosity and bulk microstructure point of view, the most appropriate materials for the purposed medical applications were Ti6Al7Nb with hydroxyapatite processed with a laser power of 50 W.

The originality of the present work consists in the study of the behaviour and interaction of hydroxyapatite additive with the Ti6Al7Nb base powder under selective laser melting conditions, as depending on the applied laser power.