Machining of Ebm Ti-6AL-4V Titanium Alloy Functional Femoral Cone

Abstract The advantages revealed by the application of 3D manufacturing processes such as Electron Beam Melting (EBM) are decisive in the manufacture of medical devices such as orthopedic implants, especially in custom-made devices. However, machining operations are indispensable on surfaces where surface roughness and dimensional accuracy have more demanding requirements. This exploratory work aimed to manufacture by CNC turning of a functional cone of the modular component of the hip prosthesis obtained from titanium alloy Ti-6Al-4V obtained initially by EBM as well as a wrought rod. For this purpose, the differences in cutting forces and the surface roughness of the surface obtained in the turning tests were the object of analysis. From the results obtained through turning tests, EBM test samples presented slightly higher roughness values and lower resulting cutting forces. The effect of the shell geometry of the EBM test samples did not decisively influence the results obtained, which means that it is possible to explore this potentiality in the design of components as it materializes as an economic advantage in the manufacture.