#manufacturing #engineering A new process route that is said to reduce the cost of many precision sharp parts, including sagittal/oscillating orthopaedic saw blades, has been developed by Birmingham-based Precision Micro Ltd
(www.precisionmicro.com). Traditionally, such sharp-toothed blades have been manufactured using laser technology followed by precision grinding in order to achieve the required tooth off-set. By combining its Laser Evolved Etch Process (LEEP) technology with advanced wire erosion techniques, Precision Micro says it can improve part quality in a manner that is more economic. Tooth off-set, topography and elementary shaping are achieved using the ‘depth etch’ technique.
Top/bottom pattern alignment is guaranteed by using laser direct imaging on both surfaces simultaneously; the profile is then produced by ‘advanced wire EDM’ that gives precise, parallel sidewalls to an accuracy of ±30µm — more than sufficient to create the ultra-sharp tooth profile required.
Moreover, rigorous process validation, from the design stage through to commercial production, has shown this process route to be capable of consistently delivering a high-quality product. The blades are manufactured from a hardened, surgical-grade stainless steel; and because the process is an ambient-temperature one, the blades are not subject to thermal stress and all the original material properties are maintained.
This Precision Micro process combination uses ‘all-digital tooling’, making it economical to manufacture the numerous versions of bone saw blades that have been optimised for each specific procedure. The same process route is used to produce both prototypes and volume parts.