QMI Solutions recently hosted a series of workshops to bring 'hip' technology to Brisbane. The workshops showcased how conventional manufacturing technology is used for orthopaedic, cranial and facial implants and orthotic applications.
QMI Solutions hosted the Queensland event in partnership with Victorian-based AMTIL to raise the profile of innovative medical applications of commonly used manufacturing technologies through demonstrations in the production of complex body parts and implants using; three and five axis machining centres, fused deposition modelling, laser-sintered titanium and a FaroArm scanner.
Industry partners Camplex, DMG, Hi Tech Metrology and Walter Australia provided the hardware for the demonstrations.
QMI Solutions' CEO Jim Walker said QMI recognises that technological advancements and increasing global competition for new knowledge will continue to place a higher premium on skilled workers into the future.
"The workshop was a great opportunity to learn about modern manufacturing equipment and product innovations available in the marketplace, and how they can be applied to the medical industry."
"The more education and training people have, the more they will be able to take on new opportunities, work with new technologies and adapt to changing market needs" Walker said.
The workshops were conducted from 9-11 December at QMI Solutions at Brisbane Technology Park and demonstrated:
- full turn-key medical devices and medical implant manufacturing
- CAD and CAM software for industries requiring the design, manufacture and inspection of complex parts
- the process of reverse-engineering organic shapes
- the future challenges of processing new materials and composites
Attendees were able to see how process data is collected, converted into cutting paths, machined, measured and delivered, all within tight lead-times. The demonstrations also included high-speed precision machining of complex body replacement parts and orthotic solutions.
Camplex is a leading supplier in Australia and New Zealand of technology solutions for the design, manufacture, inspection, reverse engineering and rapid prototyping of complex shapes and tooling. Camplex demonstrated how CAD/CAM systems can create custom made implants for reconstructive surgery and accelerate patient recovery. The technology can also be applied to maxiofacial, dental or orthotic implants and surgery.
DMG is one of the world's biggest producers of cutting tool machines. The presentation focussed on 3 to 5-axis milling machines that can be expanded and retooled for a wide variety of applications and industry sectors. DMG showcased its 5-axis milling machine at the workshop and its precision and flexibility is ideal for creating medical products such as titanium maxillofacial implants to screws for medical and dental implants.
Hi-Tech Metrology represents some of the world's leading metrology and scanning technology brands and has extensive experience in delivering turn-key metrology projects and systems to a wide range of clients and industries. The company showcased FaroArm technology at this workshop, a portable measuring device used to scan complex parts and objects. The technology tackles all measurement tasks like inspection, point cloud-to-CAD comparison, rapid prototyping, reverse engineering and 3D modelling. The presentation illustrated the relevance of the technology to the medical industry through the scanning and re-engineering of organic shapes and body parts.
Walter Australia, a branch of Walter-Tools Germany and one of the world leading cutting tool solution providers, discussed and demonstrated their specialised tooling capability for machining components for medical applications.
Stuart Reid, who was recently appointed as Operations Manager for GN Resound, also presented at the workshop. Prior to this role, Stuart held roles at MAC Surgical and a production manager role for eight years at Portland Orthopaedics. Stuart gave attendees an insight into the practical challenges facing manufacturers in production of medical devices including those challenges associated with design and development, production and logistics as well as the implementation of systems to ensure traceability and maximum efficiency.
The workshops targeted medical practitioners, medical associations and insurers, industry and academia. QMI's strong links with the State and Federal governments – especially its involvement as a partner in the Queensland Government's Toward Q2 program - the research sector through QUT and UQ and industry partners like AMTIL, will continue to be instrumental in the successful diffusion of a number of important technologies and practices to assist Queensland manufacturing become globally competitive.
For more information or advice, please contact:
Email: info@qmisolutions.com.au