Advanced Laser Materials’ PA 650 Earns Biocompatibility Certification

Advanced Laser Materials (ALM) — an EOS company that develops and manufactures polymer materials used in powder-bed 3D printing platforms — has received certification of biocompatibility for its PA 650 material.

The nylon-based material achieved ISO 10993 certification that officially approves its use in applications that come into contact with human skin, including surgical cutting guides, splints, orthotics, gripper trays and more. The certification also approves the material for use in various applications that come into contact with food, such as trays, assembly lines and end-of-arm tooling.

PA 650 is now available for powder-bed, roller-based systems. The material is already in use by a variety of Fortune 500 companies and organizations across the globe that employ industrial 3D printing for their applications, the company says.

“This biocompatibility certification opens up an abundance of new and innovative 3D printed applications that require biocompatibility certification,” says Darin Chartier, ALM vice president. “We see the medical vertical — which already relies heavily on powder-bed 3D printing — to become the biggest consumer of this material. But other industries have expressed similar interest and we think this certification can be a difference maker getting ideas off the white board and into production.”

The ISO 10993 certification process entails three specific tests that measure reactivity, cytotoxicity and sensitivity of the material. The pass/fail process involves exposing test subjects to the PA 650 to ensure no negative reactions occur.