Investing in the future Best results with a 70 percent time saving

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Individually manufactured orthopedic arm splints are one of the 3D printed products of Intelligent Feeding Components GmbH (IFC). They require a consistently reliable surface quality with a high level of wearing comfort. But how is this ensured?

The IFC from Oedheim in Baden-Württemberg is an expert in innovative feeding and assembly technology. In addition, it has a modern 3D printing center. There, according to the manufacturer, 3D printed products for various industries are manufactured in plastic and metal. These are often even specially designed for customers using innovative 3D scans. According to IFC, this includes, among other things, orthopedic arm position splints, which are individually designed and adjusted by its own orthopedic technicians in-house.

To ensure a consistently high surface quality and reproducibility in the long term, the company decided to invest in a post-processing solution, according to its own statements. "We tried many things and then started talking to AM Solutions at Formnext 2022," recalls Dominik Riegg, Head of Additive Manufacturing at IFC. "We immediately noticed that the completely in-house manufactured machines are very robust and thus meet tough industrial requirements. In addition, they quickly understood what requirements we had and presented us with the S1 as an optimal solution," Riegg said.

Polybeads vs. Glass bead

The IFC executives were finally able to test the equipment in advance and learn about the various blasting materials at AM Solutions - 3D-Post-Processing-Technology's 400-square-meter Customer Experience Center in Untermerzbach. "We decided to use Polybeads for blasting. They are more expensive to acquire, but they last much longer than glass beads," Riegg explains. Another advantage is that the surface has a nicer color and a velvety feel. "The glass beads shot themselves into the surface, which can be problematic in the medical field. Thanks to the Polybeads, we achieve a smooth and absolutely homogeneous surface, which allows for comfortable wearing of the arm brace."

70 percent time savings

Before the acquisition of the S1, IFC had to manually unpack and then manually blast the 3D printed products. Now, after unpacking, they go directly into the blasting system. This system cleans and finishes the surface in one step with only one medium, acting as a 2-in-1 solution. Due to the uniform rotation of the workpieces during the processing process, it guarantees a surface-friendly and always reproducible blasting result. "With manual blasting, the quality was always different. Now we have the certainty that everything fits and at the same time we save up to 70 percent on manpower," explains Riegg.

In fact, the S1 creates about twice as many arm splints compared to manual processing. The time when the machine is running can be used by the staff for other activities. "Today we are increasingly thinking in terms of small series," says Riegg, "so that we can remain economically, we always need to automate and rely on 100-percent process reliability. Post-processing is a significant factor that goes far beyond the simple prettifying of a product." In the end, it is crucial for the consistent quality and reproducibility, and it extends the boundaries of the possible. The investment in the S1 had already paid for itself in 1.5 years, but the company benefits from its use in the long term.