OrthoSolutions - New Hurco Machines for Precision Surgical Implants

OrthoSolutions
- Investment in Hurco machines improves the speed of product development-
“The customer support is great” says Kevin Stamp. “I have instant access to engineers that can help me if I have any issues”
OrthoSolutions are experts in the design, development and manufacture of implants and instruments used in the surgical repair of the foot and ankle. In support of the design process, OrthoSolutions work in close partnership with specialist surgeons.
The foot is a complex mechanical structure, composed of 33 joints, 26 bones and more than 100 muscles, tendons, and ligaments that all work together to bear weight, allow locomotion and transmit force.
Subsequently, fractures and injuries in this area are both varied and complex. OrthoSolutions offer a myriad of products that provides a solution for the majority of debilitating conditions and injuries seen within the foot and ankle complex. The products shown in this article are two of their newest innovations. The first is an ankle fusion nail that pushes the bones from the heel to the shin bone together and allows them to fuse to alleviate pain caused by arthritis. The second, is a product called the Volition™ plating system, whereby they have a unique offering to assist in accurate fixation of fractures and elective bone stabilising procedures. These uniquely designed titanium plates are fixed to, and support the bones as they heal. The material of the plates is type II anodised titanium and they are made in a variety of sizes that are anatomically contoured to ensure they fit accurately on the patient without irritating surrounding soft tissue.
Design is done in-house, and the first stage of the prototyping process involves 3D printing a plastic model. After this, a steel prototype is manufactured. In the past, this work would be subcontracted, adding several weeks to the process. A further complication was that surgeons would often ask for small design changes, tweaks, or improvements that added additional time to the process and further reliance upon the supplier.
OrthoSolutions realised that the only way to speed-up the prototyping stage was to bring this work in-house. They needed to improve their speed of turnaround and at the same time to be able to edit the programs and remake prototypes in immediate response to the surgeon’s instructions.
Investment into a new purpose build facility and two brand new Hurco CNC machines followed. A Hurco VM10i vertical machining centre with H200 rotary table and a TM6i, 2 axis CNC lathe were purchased to cover the majority of milling and turning operations required.
Kevin Stamp, the design Director for OrthoSolutions states, Hurco were selected because they are a long-established business in the UK with a reputation for reliability and accuracy. Furthermore, the competitive price of the machines and the ease of programming made the choice an easy decision. Kevin is particularly pleased with the way that the control graphics support the prototyping process. The ability to visualize the component, toolpath and the tool simultaneously gives confidence that collisions can be avoided.
Although the machines have only been in operation for 2 months, OrthoSolutions are already reaping the benefits. Kevin gave the example of a part that would previously have taken 16 weeks for the subcontractor to supply that is now being completed in 4 days in-house.
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Thanks to MTD for creating this video
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