Examination of welded joint of titanium alloy used in oral surgery

Abstract

The additive manufacturing of customized Ti-6Al-4V (Grade 23) implants, which in the present research concerns the dental and maxillofacial surgical field, may require complex manufacturing technology due to their complexity and assembly. In practice, additively manufactured titanium implant elements are supplemented by threaded sleeves that allow disassembly. These turned elements made from Grade 5 material quality rolled preform are joined by laser micro-welding with Grade 1 material. This special process for implant production is still not widespread in current manufacturing practice, and there is no technical recommendation for the manufacturing parameters of these implants. The aim of our research is to explore the possibilities and limitations of additive process in the manufacture of custom-made implants and to provide guidelines for optimal manufacturing and welding parameters. In the initial phase of the research, preliminary experiments were conducted with the conventional and additive manufacturing of cylindrical test specimens and with the production of combined products by micro-welding. The specimens were subjected to tensile testing, the weld was examined by CT, and the fracture surfaces were studied by optical microscope and scanning electron microscope.