PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to develop a process chain for design and manufacture of endplates of intervertebral disc implants, with specific emphasis on designing footprint profiles and matching endplate geometry.Design/methodology/approachExisting techniques for acquiring patient‐specific information from CT scan data was and a user‐friendly software solution was developed to facilitate pre‐surgical planning and semi‐automated design. The steps in the process chain were validated experimentally by manufacturing Ti6Al4 V endplates by means of Direct Metal Laser Sintering to match vertebrae of a cadaver and were tested for accuracy of the implant‐to‐bone fitment.FindingsIntervertebral disc endplates were successfully designed and rapid manufactured using a biocompatible material. Accuracy within 0.37 mm was achieved. User‐friendly, semi‐automated design software offers an opportunity for surgeons to become more easily involved in the design process and speeds up the process to more accurately develop a custom‐made implant.Research limitations/implicationsThis research is limited to the design and manufacture of the bone‐implant contacting interface. Other design features, such as keels which are commonly used for implant fixation as well as the functionality of the implant joint mechanics were not considered as there may be several feasible design alternatives.Practical implicationsThis research may change the way that current intervertebral disc implants are designed and manufactured.Originality/valueApart from other areas of application (cranial, maxillofacial, hip, knee, foot) and recent research on customized disc nucleus replacement, very little work has been done to develop patient‐specific implants for the spine. This research was conducted to contribute and provide much needed progress in this area of application.

Additive manufacturing (AM) has proven to be an attractive alternative manufacturing process compared with subtractive manufacturing (SM). Additive manufacturing has many advantages, such as mass customisation, less material wastage, and others listed in this article. However, the additive manufacturing of certified implants does not have the same degree of documentation and standardisation as the subtractive manufacturing process. As part of this research project, the problem statement is: "In offering additive manufacturing as an implant manufacturing solution, the complete process (design, manufacturing, and post-processing) had to be investigated in order to develop a certified manufacturing solution".

No abstract

Digitalisation has been advocated as a possible strategy to improve the competitiveness of tool, die, and mould-making (TDM) companies in the 21 st century. The recent rise of digital technologies, such as Internet of Things devices, now makes digitalisation an achievable reality. This paper focuses on the digitalisation of shop-floor operations in the South African TDM industry through the development of a novel mobile data collection (MDC) tool known as a shop-floor management system (SMS). The developed SMS was deployed to, and validated in, a selected tooling company for various products. The developed system improved the shop-floor's real-time data collection. OPSOMMING Digitalisering is voorgestel as 'n moontlike strategie wat die mededingendheid van gereedskap-en gietvorming-maatskappye in die 21ste eeu kan verbeter. Die onlangse opkoms van digitale tegnologie, soos Internet of Things-toestelle, maak nou digitalisering 'n haalbare realiteit. Hierdie artikel fokus op die digitalisering van werkswinkelvloerbedrywighede in die Suid-Afrikaanse TDM-bedryf deur die ontwikkeling van 'n nuwe mobiele data versameling instrument vir werkswinkelvloerbestuur. Die ontwikkelde stelsel is ontplooi tot, en gevalideer in, 'n geselekteerde gereedskapmaatskappy vir verskillende produkte. Die ontwikkelde stelsel het die werkswinkel-vloer se reële-tyd datainsameling verbeter.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify and define the certification lifecycle of laser powder bed fusion for aerospace applications from equipment acquisition and installation to production, part acceptance and continuous improvement activities. Design/methodology/approach A top–down systems engineering approach is performed consisting of concept development, requirements engineering and systems architecting. This approach is taken from the perspective of a production organization. Findings A certification roadmap is proposed that references industry requirements at the relevant phases of the roadmap. Each phase of the roadmap acts as a decision gate for progression to the next. Originality/value Qualification and certification of metal laser powder bed fusion is currently a challenge within the aerospace industry. From an aerospace point of view, the qualification and certification of this relatively new manufacturing process should not have to be any different from traditional manufacturing processes, although with extensive quality control and regulatory oversight. This paper proposes a means for fulfilling these requirements chronologically and provides guidance on ensuring such quality control throughout the manufacturing system lifecycle. This roadmap provides insight into the qualification and certification of laser powder bed fusion for aerospace applications and provides value for future industrial feasibility studies.