Münster (mfm/ajs) – Skull implants, anatomical models, surgical instruments: Many of the items needed in everyday hospital practice have traditionally been manufactured by specialized medical companies. For the University Medical Center in Münster, these products could largely be produced in-house at its own 3D printing center in the future. To further expand the facility, the University of Münster’s Faculty of Medicine and the University Medical Center Münster (UKM) have now received a grant notification for 2.8 million euros. As one of 29 projects, the center will benefit from funding from the European Union’s ERDF/JTF program.

The basic building blocks for the Münster facility are already in place: the 1.4-ton 3D printer, the centerpiece of the project, was delivered in 2023, and the 3D Center officially opened in 2024. Now, a complete 3D printing infrastructure is to be established over the next three years. In addition to procuring new equipment, new methods are being developed to thoroughly test 3D-printed medical devices—for example, for stability or to assess how implants behave in the body. At the same time, a digital coordination system is to be created for the center: a so-called “virtual twin” digitally maps the entire 3D printing process in its production environment. This allows the printing process to be planned, monitored, and optimized in advance.

Click here fore the article!