Non-contact measurement of bone screws and drills in just 22 seconds
Quality inspections of precision turned parts — optical measuring system enables radical time savings
In medical technology, high quality is essential. Standards are strictly and precisely defined. For example, many medical products require at least one visual inspection to ensure long-term precision. A practical example shows that the effort required for quality inspections can be radically reduced. This saves time and costs.
Brütsch/Rüegger Tools has implemented an optical, non-contact measuring system from Sylvac for quality control in production at a leading Swiss manufacturer of bone screws and bone drills.
This means that the entire process, from measuring and inspecting to logging and archiving the data, has been fully automated and digitalised.
The result: Previously, a quality inspection took 10 minutes, but with the new optical test process, it takes just 22 seconds!
These benefits are made possible by the vertical, optical measuring device Sylvac-SCAN S25T ❯
- Static and dynamic measurement on small cylindrical workpieces
- Touchscreen control panel for easy operation at the workplace
- Bi-telecentric optical system with high resolution CMOS camera
- Built-in temperature sensors
- Dynamic LED display of the measured workpiece's general status
- Reflex SCAN+ concept for measuring parts at the touch of a button without any prior programming
Do you want individual advice? Feel free to contact us at sales@brw.ch
The challenge
When manufacturing bone screws and drills, the downstream process of checking dimensional accuracy was very time-consuming. Up to eight different pieces of hand-held measuring and testing equipment were used. Logging was done by hand and the papers then had to be scanned and manually archived. The time required for each individual product was about ten minutes. The project to digitalise all processes was intended to simplify these processes while maintaining a zero-defect strategy.
In order to manufacture surgical products such as bone screws that are safe and effective, the highest precision and zero-defect tolerance in manufacturing is required.
The solution
In this particular case, the decision was made to use an optical, non-contact Sylvac-SCAN S25T ❯ measuring system, which was supplied and installed by Brütsch/Rüegger Tools. This product allows non-contact dimensional accuracy testing of high-precision turned parts with a diameter of up to 26 mm and a length of up to 200 mm.
The Sylvac-SCAN S25T ❯ is equipped with a unique optical swivel device, which has been specially developed for measuring threads, screw, ball and bone spindles, dental implants and similar products. The new system replaces measurement using multiple hand-held measuring instruments with a single, very fast measurement using just one instrument.
The entire optical measurement process only takes a few seconds.
The measured data is contained in a measurement log and can be sent to a third party as CSV or XML files for further processing and archiving. If certain products require internal measurements that cannot be performed using the scanning system, hand-held measuring devices are used, which are connected to the device via a Bluetooth interface. Depending on the product, this measurement data can also be recorded directly in the measurement log and thus archived.
Your specific customer benefits at a glance: Sylvac-SCAN S25T
The result
Instead of taking 10 minutes, a complete measurement of a product takes only 22 seconds. That's a time saving of 96 percent. With 50,000 measurements a year, the savings amount to an enormous 8027 hours. The investment has paid itself off completely in just six months. Only eight weeks after the order was placed, the system was delivered by Brütsch/Rüegger Tools and validated by the customer, and the employees were trained in how to use it.
Value-added Services
Customers can contact the "Medical technology" account team at Brütsch/Rüegger at any time if they have any questions or issues. The customer receives individual support from qualified specialists that is tailored to their respective needs. The service not only includes on-site consultation and training on the measuring instruments, but also covers the entire after-sales service, from regular cleaning, to software updates and re-calibration.
Our service technicians are on site to meet your needs.
Is this worth it for you?
Sylvac Scan S25T — the ultimate measurement solution for bone screws.
Whether the investment is worthwhile depends on various factors, above all the expected use of the measuring system. That is why Brütsch/Rüegger Tools has its own specialists who support you throughout the entire process.
In most cases, you will find that the payback period is no more than six months. And don't forget, the quality of the measurements will also improve!