Exploring 3D printing with magnetic materials: Types, applications, progress, and challenges

3D printing, also known as Additive manufacturing (AM), has emerged as a transformative technology with applications across various industries, including the medical sector. This review paper provides an overview of the current status of AM technology, its challenges, and its application in the medical industry. The paper covers the different types of AM technologies, such as fused deposition modeling, stereolithography, selective laser sintering, digital light processing, binder jetting, and electron beam melting, and their suitability for medical applications. The most commonly used biomedical materials in AM, such as plastic, metal, ceramic, composite, and bio-inks, are also viewed. The challenges of AM technology, such as material selection, accuracy, precision, regulatory compliance, cost and quality control, and standardization, are also discussed. The review also highlights the various applications of AM in the medical sector, including the production of patient-specific surgical guides, prosthetics, orthotics, and implants. Finally, the review highlights the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) and artificial intelligence (AI) for regulatory frameworks and safety standards for 3D-printed biomedical devices. The review concludes that AM technology can transform the healthcare industry by enabling patients to access more personalized and reasonably priced treatment alternatives. Despite the challenges, integrating AI and IoMT with 3D printing technology is expected to play a vital role in the future of biomedical device applications, leading to further advancements and improvements in patient care. More research is needed to address the challenges and optimize its use for medical applications to utilize AM's potential in the medical industry fully.

Additive manufacturing (AM) of hot-work tool steels such as H13 offers unique opportunities for producing complex, conformally cooled tools with reduced production time and material waste. In this study, five metal AM technologies—Fused Deposition Modeling and Sintering (FDMS, Desktop Metal Studio System and Zetamix), Binder Jetting (BJ), Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF), and Directed Energy Deposition (DED)—were compared in terms of microstructure, porosity, and post-processing heat treatment response. The as-printed microstructures revealed distinct differences among the technologies: FDMS and BJ exhibited high porosity (6–9%), whereas LPBF and DED achieved near-full densification (<0.1%). Samples with sufficiently low porosity (BJ, LPBF, DED) were subjected to tempering and quenching treatments to evaluate hardness evolution and microstructural transformations. The satisfactory post-treatment hardness was observed in both tempered and quenched and tempered BJ samples, associated with secondary carbide precipitation, while LPBF and DED samples retained stable martensitic structures with hardness around 600 HV0.5. Microstructural analyses confirmed the dependence of phase morphology and carbide distribution on the thermal history intrinsic to each AM process. The study demonstrates that while FDMS and BJ are more accessible and cost-effective for low-density prototypes, LPBF and DED offer superior density and mechanical integrity suitable for functional tooling applications.

Additive manufacturing (AM) technologies can enable the direct fabrication of customized physical objects with complex shapes, based on computer-aided design models. This technology is changing the digital manufacturing industry and has become a subject of considerable interest in digital implant dentistry. Personalized dentistry implant treatments for individual patients can be achieved through Additive manufacturing. Herein, we review the applications of Additive manufacturing technologies in oral implantology, including implant surgery, and implant and restoration products, such as surgical guides for implantation, custom titanium meshes for bone augmentation, personalized or non-personalized dental implants, custom trays, implant casts, and implant-support frameworks, among others. In addition, this review also focuses on Additive manufacturing technologies commonly used in oral implantology. Stereolithography, digital light processing, and fused deposition modeling are often used to construct surgical guides and implant casts, whereas direct metal laser sintering, selective laser melting, and electron beam melting can be applied to fabricate dental implants, personalized titanium meshes, and denture frameworks. Moreover, it is sometimes required to combine Additive manufacturing technology with milling and other cutting and finishing techniques to ensure that the product is suitable for its final application.

Additive manufacturing of cementitious composites: Materials, methods, potentials, and challenges

Powder bed binder jet 3D printing of Inconel 718: Densification, microstructural evolution and challenges☆

Modeling and simulation on additive manufacturing of composite materials

Advancements in understanding the microstructure and properties of additive manufacturing Ti-6Al-4V alloy: A comprehensive review

Chapter 2 - 3D printing and nanotechnology

This study examined the application of two additive manufacturing (AM) technologies, namely Directed Energy Deposition (DED) and Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF), within the oil and gas industry with a special focus on the African context. The research highlights the role of these advanced AM technologies in enhancing efficiency and promoting sustainable industrial practices. It further explores the benefits of DED and L-PBF, such as their ability to produce complex, custom metal components, which is crucial for the African oil and gas sector in reducing downtime and operational costs. Various case studies are presented to demonstrate the practical application and benefits of these technologies in the industry. The study also addresses the challenges of implementing DED and L-PBF in Africa from an industry perspective, including skill development and infrastructural needs, and proposes various solutions. Furthermore, the environmental and economic implications of these technologies are discussed, showcasing their potential to support sustainable practices and drive industrial growth in the region. In conclusion, this paper offers a detailed perspective on the role of DED and L-PBF in revolutionising welding practices in the oil and gas industry, providing insights into the benefits, challenges, and strategies for their effective implementation in Africa.

Metal additive manufacturing (AM) technologies, commonly referred to as 3D printing, provide a good prospect for medical applications because complex geometries and customized parts can be fabricated to meet individual patient needs. Orthopedic implants are a group of medical parts with high relevance for AM. This paper discusses relevant AM technologies, several orthopedic applications, materials and material properties, mechanical surface finishing techniques, and measurement techniques from the literature. Today, most metal 3D printed implants are manufactured through metal powder bed fusion technology which includes direct metal laser sintering (DMLS), selective laser melting (SLM), and electron beam melting (EBM). Common materials include titanium alloys, cobalt chromium (CoCr) and stainless steel, chosen because of their biocompatibility and mechanical properties. Surface finishing is most often required for 3D printed implants due to the relatively poor surface quality to meet the desired surface texture for the application. Typically, postprocessing is done mechanically, including manual and automated grinding, sandblasting, polishing, or chemically, including electrochemical polishing. This review also covers an overview of surface quality characterization of AM metal implants which includes surface texture and topography. The surface parameters used to characterize the surface of the implants: surface roughness (Ra), differences between the peak and valley (Rz), waviness, and micro-finish.

Chapter 3 - Laser additive manufacturing of SiC ceramics

Post-processing and machining of Ti6Al4V coupons fabricated using various metal additive manufacturing technologies

Additive manufacturing (AM), commonly known as 3D printing, is revolutionizing the production of complex geometries by building components layer by layer from digital models. One of its prominent applications lies in fabricating thin-walled structures—components with small thickness relative to their other dimensions—widely used in aerospace, automotive, biomedical, and architectural sectors. These structures offer significant weight reduction without compromising strength or functionality. However, their fabrication via AM presents unique challenges. Due to their delicate geometry, thin-walled structures are highly susceptible to material and geometric defects, which can adversely impact fracture behavior and overall structural performance. This vulnerability underscores the need for improved understanding and refined processing strategies. AM techniques enable the use of diverse materials such as polymers, metals, and ceramics. Polymers, processed through methods like stereolithography and fused deposition modeling, allow for rapid prototyping and customization. Metallic structures created via electron beam melting and selective laser melting are valued for high strength-to-weight ratios and precision. Ceramics, despite brittleness, are gaining traction in lattice and advanced applications. This chapter explores AM’s role in developing thin-walled structures across material classes, discusses the technical barriers involved, and emphasizes the ongoing need for research to optimize their design, integrity, and functionality.

Additive manufacturing of metallic biomaterials and its biocompatibility

Functionally graded materials (FGMs) are advanced materials that are used to prevent the problems that arise when composite materials with sharp interfaces are used in a harsh working environment, which includes stress singularities due to property mismatchs, poor adhesion, and delamination. A number of conventional manufacturing processes have been used to produce functionally graded materials and some of these manufacturing processes were presented in Chap. 3. Additive manufacturing (AM) technology is an advanced manufacturing process that offers many advantages and possibilities for the fabrication of complex three-dimensional products through material addition, as against the material removal in the conventional machining processes. Some of the AM technologies have the capability of fabricating complex parts that are made with the functionally graded material (FGM) in a single manufacturing process. Some of the AM technologies that are used to produce functional FGM parts include: selective-laser sintering, selective-laser melting, the laser-metal deposition process, and fused-deposition modelling. These AM technologies are presented in this chapter; and some of the research work using these technologies for the fabrication of FGMs are also reviewed.