Revolutionizing Medical Implants: Combined Expertise Brings New Machining Processes to Life

Horn Polygondrehen; Polygon Turning: This method enables the creation of non-circular internal and external contours. By offsetting the parallel axes of the workpiece and tool and adjusting their speed ratio, manufacturers can produce custom contours that meet exacting specifications.

A groundbreaking collaboration in the medical industry is reshaping how implants are produced. Through the ZykloMed project, funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), industry leaders INDEX, Paul Horn GmbH, Beutter Präzisions-Komponenten GmbH, and the wbk Institute for Production Engineering at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) have joined forces to develop innovative machining processes for creating advanced medical implants.

At the heart of this collaboration are cutting-edge methods that enable the efficient production of implants with complex, bionic designs. Using techniques like eccentric turning, polygon turning, and turn whirl milling, the team has successfully overcome the economic challenges of manufacturing implants with intricate geometries. These methods promise to revolutionize the production of orthopaedic, trauma, and dental implants.

The New Standard for Medical Implants
Modern implants are designed to meet stringent standards for strength, biocompatibility, and patient comfort. Their shapes, optimized to mimic natural bone structures, allow for better integration with the body, less invasive procedures, and easier attachment. However, these new designs have traditionally come with a steep price tag—due to their non-circular, curved surfaces and functional elements that require several manufacturing steps on different machines.

The ZykloMed project partners sought to simplify this complex process, reducing costs and increasing efficiency while maintaining the precision and quality required for medical applications. Their focus was on developing synchronized manufacturing techniques that can handle these bionic, non-round shapes without the need for constant repositioning and multiple machines.

Breakthrough Machining Processes

The novel processes developed—eccentric turning, polygon turning, and turn whirl milling—all rely on synchronized rotating axes, making it possible to create non-circular and curved shapes efficiently. Each method brings unique capabilities to the table:

• Eccentric Turning: This process allows for the production of eccentric outer contours by guiding a rotating non-circular tool along a rotating workpiece. It offers high productivity and long tool life by reducing thermal stress on cutting edges. The result is precise, tapered profiles suitable for implants.

• Polygon Turning: This method enables the creation of non-circular internal and external contours. By offsetting the parallel axes of the workpiece and tool and adjusting their speed ratio, manufacturers can produce custom contours that meet exacting specifications.
  

Horn's Turn Whirl Milling Drehkantenfräsen (Turning Edge Milling)

• Turn Whirl Milling: Particularly useful for producing bone screw threads, this process utilizes one or two circular milling cutters to create threads with variable pitch, opening up new possibilities for custom implant designs. By dynamically adjusting the thread profile, manufacturers can achieve unprecedented precision.
  

Horn Eccentric Turning - Rotary non-circular turning

From Lab to Real-World Application
After rigorous testing in both laboratory and near-production environments, the ZykloMed team demonstrated that these synchronized machining processes can economically produce complex, multifunctional implants. These advancements not only make the production of new, bionically designed implants more cost-effective but also hold potential for optimizing the production of existing implant designs.

Beyond the medical industry, the processes developed through the ZykloMed project could have applications in other sectors where complex geometries and high precision are required.

A Step Forward in Medical Manufacturing
The success of the ZykloMed project marks a significant step forward in medical manufacturing. By combining cutting-edge research with practical industry applications, the project partners have paved the way for more efficient, economical production of advanced implants that meet the needs of modern healthcare. Their efforts are set to improve patient outcomes and push the boundaries of what is possible in implant design and production.