Automatic manufacturing process for implants

Scope

Turnkey delivery;

• Feasibility study (technical and commercial).
• Draw up specifications.
• Concept, technical design
• Construction and commissioning.

Purpose

Benefit for client;

• Flexibility necessary for large variety of products.
• Minimal switching times by menu choices i.c.m. Robotic programs, only exchange highly product-specific parts.
• High degree of reliability, so quality-enhancing.
• Low production costs (labor costs and availability) due to far-reaching automation and increase capacity.

Goal

Increasing existing production capacity and reducing production costs, for producing implants. Production takes place in a fully automated production cell where product quality and reliability of the installation are ensured.

Issue

The challenge in this installation is to realize the various part processes in a cleanroom environment with a high degree of process quality and process control, in a fully automated process. The process to be realized consists of immersion (dipping) a mold in a synthetic rubber emulsion. In a number of steps, a flexible sheath is formed, followed by a drying process. The flexible casing is a semi-finished product that serves as the starting point for the final implant.

Construction installation

Cleanroom with area access control (safety)

• ATEX zone 2

Inlet wall (rotary wall)

• Manually hanging templates.
• Automatically remove molds (Robot)

Robot (cleanroom version)

• 2 pieces
• handling of the molds, from and to
  – Input lock
  – Process units (3 pieces)
  – Drying system
  – Output buffer

Process Units

• 3 pieces
• Apply synthetic rubber casing
• Automatic opening and closing access doors
  – Extraction + monitoring
  – Process tray (synthetic rubber emulsion)
  – Internal transport system
  – Flame detection
  – ATEX zone 0

Drying oven (not part of the Scope)

Export buffer

• Automatic transport from ready product to withdrawal position
• Product inspection manually

Approach

We have begun a theoretical model in which all input variables, based on the need, are included. Then we made a logistic simulation and a robot simulation (motion profiles and speed), from which the system’s limit values ​​were created. This installation has been deliberately chosen for a 6-axis articulated Cleanroom Robot of the Fanuc brand, as it is best suited to the requirements as regards freedom of movement, range, load, speed and accuracy.