Croom Medical/Global Advanced Metals
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Croom Medical has launched the TALOS platform for the additive manufacture of tantalum implants in collaboration Global Advanced Metals.
The companies announced their partnership in February, with the pair coming together to develop a closed-loop supply chain for 3D printable tantalum powder.
Tantalum is renowned for exceptional biocompatibility, corrosion resistance and high normalised fatigue strength, but processing challenges have prevented widespread use of the metal in additive manufacturing. Croom and Global Advanced Metals aligned to address those challenges, with their efforts yielding the TALOS platform.
TALOS, according to the two companies, enables the production of complex, porous, strong and lightweight tantalum structures for medical devices and industrial applications. It is now commercially available through Croom Medical’s contract manufacturing services, with the company set to support prototyping and volume manufacturing projects.
With precise control over tantalum printing parameters and cellular lattice structure design, Croom says engineers will be able to tailor implant ductility, elastic modulus and strength to match native bone. TALOS is said to achieve densities up to 99.99% and over 40% elongation, while reducing fracture risk. Another feature of TALOS is its ability to directly print tantalum onto titanium substrates, merging titanium’s lower density with tantalum’s ‘osteoconductive prowess.’ This hybrid approach is said to hold potential for implants with enhanced bone fixation.
Croom Medical/Global Advanced Metals
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A selection of tantalum-based medical and industrial components, 3D printed by Croom Medical using the TALOS platform.
“Tantalum has long been valued for its outstanding biointegration, corrosion resistance, and mechanical properties,” said Dr Shane Keaveney, R&D Manager at Croom Medical. “With TALOS, we unlock these intrinsic qualities, allowing precise control over implant ductility and strength to closely match native bone.”
“TALOS aligns with our mission to advance manufacturing technologies, significantly improving patient outcomes by producing implants with superior biointegration, reducing stress shielding, and exceptional fatigue resistance. These benefits should lower the rate of surgery revisions, thus avoiding patient discomfort and unnecessary added surgery costs.”
Having launched the TALOS platform, Croom and Global Advanced Metals are also looking beyond medical applications. According to the companies, its ability to produce near-net shape components and advanced design features – such as controlled porosity zones, cellular lattices, surface textures and internal cooling or mixing channels – will present opportunities in power generation, chemical processing and high-temperature operations.
In the development of TALOS, Croom and Global Advanced Metals have also placed a focus on sustainability. It uses ethically sourced, conflict-free tantalum powder, with all left over powder being returned to Global Advanced Metals to be refined and reprocessed before re-entering the manufacturing cycle.
