The low weight and compactness of the Hyundai Wia E160 LMA three-axis lathe were the key criteria for machine selection when Lancashire-based Orthoplastics (www.orthoplastics.com) — a leading supplier of materials, as well as implants and devices used in medical applications — wanted to expand its machining capacity.

Mick Marshall, new product co-ordinator, said: “We needed a new machine that could be taken down in a lift to its chosen location in the production department; because the Hyundai Wia weighs just 2,400kg and occupies a floor space of only 1.9 x 1.6m, it was the ideal choice. Of course, it also had all the technical attributes we wanted in a new lathe.”

Orthoplastics supplies ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) to many of the world’s orthopaedic-device manufacturers.

Its premium-grade UHMWPE is made on-site in Bacup and is the material of choice for a wide range of implants and devices for use in hips, knees, shoulders, elbows, ankles and fingers.

The company also supplies bio-compatible plastics for instrument applications.

It was for the machining of UHMWPE knee-cap components that the Hyundai Wia — supplied by TW Ward CNC Machinery (www.wardcnc.com)— was installed.

“The E160 LMA has freed up much-needed capacity on the machine we formerly used. It is working across three shifts producing these components in large batches, and we’re using its 30m/min rapid travel rates to the full.”