[ Additive Manufacturing ]
[ Additive Manufacturing ]
Gorilla-proof cast for Gladys
The GE Aerospace team received a surprising request recently that allowed them to showcase their rapid turnaround for 3D-printed titanium parts .
By Joanne McIntyre
After Gladys , a gorilla at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden , successfully underwent surgery for a broken arm in April , zoo officials knew they needed a robust cast to keep her from tearing it off . Given the urgency of the situation , the Zoo officials turned to GE Additive . The GE Additive team lent a helping hand to design , print and iterate a custom titanium cast for the young gorilla . The cast was delivered to the Cincinnati Zoo in less than a week , an especially quick turnaround time for a custom 3D-printed part .
Minor scuffle Eleven-year-old gorilla Gladys sustained her injury during a scuffle with the younger two females in her troop . “ It ’ s not unusual for gorillas to have altercations , and this one was actually a minor squabble ,” said Victoria McGee , Cincinnati Zoo ’ s Zoological Manager of Primates . “ She must have fallen in just the wrong way to break her arm , but the result was a complete , oblique fracture of her distal humerus .” A break like the one Gladys suffered is not a common injury at the Zoo , so the
The 3D-printed titanium cast was delivered in under a week .
vet staff enlisted the expertise of top surgeons from Cincinnati Children ’ s and anesthesiologists from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine . Dr Alexander and his colleague , Dr Chelsey Thomas , monitored Gladys while the Zoo veterinarian team and surgeons from Cincinnati Children ’ s performed an operation to repair her fracture and applied a temporary cast to provide stability until the stronger , gorilla-proof cast was made .
Good recovery Zoo veterinarians and human surgeons are pleased with how the surgery went and optimistic that the screws and plates that were placed in Gladys ’ elbow will hold the bone in the right position . GE Additive were able to deliver the cast in less than a week from the initial request . Dr Wenninger : “ I ’ m amazed that the GE Additive team was able to take the requirements that we provided to model the design , print , and post-process the titanium cast in such a short time ! We are grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with human medical and engineering experts to provide the best possible care for Gladys .”
STAINLESS STEEL
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THICKNESSES : from 1 mm to 150 mm MAXIMUM WIDTH : 3.000 mm MAXIMUM LENGTH : 12.000 mm
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