The UrFU Institute of Physics and Technology fifth-year student Evgeniy Volokhin is working on creating a 3D printer for high-temperature plastics. His project won the "UMNIK" innovative projects contest.
'It will be possible to print implants from a promising biocompatible material polyetheretherketone using such printer. The density of this material is comparable to the density of the musculoskeletal system organs, unlike the currently used titanium with a higher density,' Evgeniy Volokhin says.
The innovation will eliminate heavy physical exertion during movement in patients with endoprostheses.
The UrFU Institute of Physics and Technology engineers are working on the printer together with the experts of the "Universitetsky" Technology Park's Ural Center for 3D Technologies.
The first 3D printer working with high-temperature plastics in the Ural region was supported by a grant of 500 thousand rubles by the Foundation for Assistance to Small Innovative Enterprises.
Aside from Evgeniy Volokhin, 14 other UrFU young scientists were included in the number of "UMNIK" (the Russian abbreviation for "Member of the Youth Research and Innovation Competition") program grant holders: Polina Bereskina, Sergey Buynachev, Maxim Dizer, Nina Zhirenkina, Ilya Krasov, Alexey Kritskiy, Christina Lanskikh, Yuri Marchenko, Igor Perekalskiy, Evgeniy Fedotikov, Ilya Volkov, Evgeniy Baksheev, Sergey Sverdlov and Georgy Shulgin.
They are to prepare technical specifications and schedule project deadlines by May 19. In total, the project implementation period is two years.
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