Manufacture of bone fracture plates based on glass fiber reinforced polyurethane composite: a gravity casting adapted process
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The development of materials and devices to replace or restore damaged tissue functions has a prominent
position in the scientific community, promoting the interest for metal-free alternatives, like composites.
These proved to be a promising option as, besides new matrix and reinforcement combinations, new
manufacturing methods tend to fulfil tailored requirements of the medical field. In this sense, we
manufactured glass fiber/polyurethane composite plates for Osteosynthesis. Models based on commercial
LCP implants were 3D printed and used to generated molds through a new adapted resin casting
process. Additional mechanical tests showed that reinforcement additions between 10 wt% and 25 wt%
caused an increase in the bending structural stiffness by 126%-165% when compared to pure polymer
implants. In addition, if the number of holes is increased, from 4 to 6, the maximum stress reduces by 40%.
The manufacturing process was an effective alternative as it presented low cost, high customization and
allowed the development of complex geometries, resin injection and degassing.