In Ohio, FiberTuff launched compounding operations to manufacture cellulose based biomaterial for the 3D printing and molding of Class I and II medical devices for spine, trauma and sports medicine. The company expects to hire about 20 people over the next three years as companies across the U.S. begin to use FibreTuff PAPC filaments and powders for 3D printing, according to Plastics Technology.
Company founder Robert Joyce told Plastics Technology, “This is innovative. This is disruptive to the medical devices market…The market is there, the opportunity is there, and we are adding more strategic partners as we grow.”
According to COO Ted Wolkowski, a key advantage is that it’s ‘radio opaque,’ which means it can be seen by an x-ray. “It doesn’t require any additives – like the current products on the market – to be detected by x-ray.” Yet other distinguishing characteristics of the FibreTuff filament are that it will not dissolve inside the body, it has passed USP Class VI testing performed by NAMSA for implantation and its weight and composition are similar to actual bone.