Medical Design Briefs - March 2022 - 6

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I NS I DE STORY
Rapid prototyping technologies play an important role in supporting new product development
(NPD) by companies that are working to bring innovative products to market. But in advanced
industries where meeting a part's exacting tolerances is essential - including the medical device
and surgical robotics industries - speed without precision is rarely enough. The ability to produce
high-precision prototypes early in the development cycle can be critical for meeting design expectations
and bringing finished products to market efficiently.
To find out more about the use of rapid precision prototyping in medical device development and
scale-up to full production, MDB recently spoke with Anthony Bracale, director of sales and marketing
at Hobson & Motzer Inc. (Durham, CT), a manufacturer of precision metal components and assemblies.
MDB: Hobson & Motzer's 'First Step'
is billed as a 'project-based rapid precision
prototyping program.' What
does it mean to be 'project based'?
Anthony Bracale: There are plenty of
places to get prototype work done, but
the First Step program goes a lot deeper.
We developed the program after conducting nearly a year of
research and truly listening to the voice of the customer-those
who are in the trenches, designing and developing next-generation
products and devices, and working on projects that they
need to deliver for their companies. Through the First Step program,
Hobson & Motzer's manufacturing experts are able to dig
in and become part of the customer's product development team
- an integral part of each project - applying a higher level of
engagement and a more diverse range of manufacturing talent.
MDB: What are the essential phases or elements of such a
program?
Bracale: Every project is different, but a universally critical step
is to include key suppliers early in order to drive understanding
of the project. We want to understand the full scope of the project-its
function, its architecture, and what it will accomplish.
Designers of complex medical devices focus on what their product
will do and how it will perform for a surgeon-its fit, form, and
function. But as a manufacturer, we approach everything with a
'make it' mentality, and the quality of our guidance about everything
from design for manufacturability (DFM) to final inspection
is enhanced by having a very deep understanding of the project.
MDB: How does the program address the specialized needs
of medical product developers?
Bracale: First Step supports medical device new product development
(NPD) in three complementary respects. First, the program
takes advantage of Hobson & Motzer's significant manufacturing
depth, including medical device development support for nearly
half of the company's 110-year history. Second, the company has
committed high-precision computerized numerically controlled
(CNC) machining resources that can achieve even the most challenging
design tolerances, giving us immense versatility in the
types of components we are able to deliver. And third, the company
has invested heavily in metrology, and now has some of the latest
and most accurate measurement systems available, enabling us to
drive data into the development process. Taken together, these fac6
Cov
tors
make for better NPD inputs; better decision-making; and better
outcomes for the project, the device, and ultimately, the patient.
MDB: Is materials selection important for the program? Can
the company's systems process all the metals commonly
used in medical devices?
Bracale: Material selection is always important. Sometimes the
design of a device requires a certain specific material, without question.
But quite often customers seek our input as part of the DFM
process, where our experience with stamping or machining particular
materials can help them to achieve certain characteristics or
strengths, thereby influencing the performance of the end product.
MDB: What are the key processes used in rapid prototyping for
metal components and assemblies? Is computerized numerically
controlled (CNC) machining the dominant process?
Bracale: Yes, quite often CNC is the dominant process because
of its speed and versatility. But the selection of processes also
depends on the project. Where the end goal is a stamped component,
there is often a need to learn throughout the development
process. Hobson & Motzer has a 50-person toolroom with
full capability to produce development or bridge tooling for prototypes.
Such projects can move through the toolroom with priority,
but projects that involve multiple changes to tooling necessarily
take longer to complete. The word 'rapid' is a relative
term, so depending on a project's needs, we communicate the
options and move forward accordingly.
MDB: What level of precision can be achieved in rapid prototyping?
Are the resulting components and assemblies finishedproduct
quality?
Bracale: Yes, that's exactly right. Most prototype shops provide
what is really just a rendering of a part that does not meet critical
tolerances, and there is a need for that service in the market. By
contrast, the utility of a precision prototype is that it exists in material
form precisely 'as designed.' Precision prototypes can be put
through testing and learned from, they can fit up with mating parts,
and they better contribute to the design process. Using precision
processes drives better decisions and moves projects along faster.
To find out more about Hobson & Motzer's First Step project-based
rapid precision prototyping program, visit the full-length version of
this interview, available online at www.medicaldesignbriefs.com/
InsideStory0322.
www.medicaldesignbriefs.com
ToC
Medical Design Briefs, March 2022

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Medical Design Briefs - March 2022

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