On the Manufacturing of a Cranial PEEK Implant Using SPIF

Abstract

This article presents an experimental investigation of biocompatible Polyether ether ketone (PEEK) polymeric sheet deformed using Single Point Incremental Forming (SPIF) at room temperature, with the objective of manufacturing a cranial medical implant. The investigation was performed in terms of formability and failure within the principal strains space, being the material Forming Limit Diagram (FLD) assessed by means of Nakajima tests. This material characterization allowed to obtain the formability limits at necking and at fracture of PEEK polymeric material. In addition, an experimental work plan in SPIF was performed in terms of spifability (or formability in SPIF) with the aim of determining the effect of the main process parameters on the spifability, modes of failure, and temperature, among others. As a result, an optimum set of parameters along with the established methodology were used for manufacturing a cranial medical implant made of this high-performance and biocompatible polymeric material. The work primarily shows the feasibility of manufacturing PEEK medical prostheses and implants using SPIF.