Aesculap AG develops and manufactures medical devices and technologies for surgical procedures. For the automated deburring of its Rapid Action saw blades, the company opted for a system from the technology company ultraTEC innovation GmbH.
"Our vision is to protect and improve people's health worldwide," says Manuel Welte, process manager for technology & processes at Aesculap AG. "To achieve this, we manufacture surgical instruments with very different dimensions, ranging down to sizes of micrometers. Currently, we have around 28,000 products in our portfolio."
Within microproduction, the company manufactures, among other things, delicate clamping tools for microneedles, which have a diameter of only about 70 micrometers, comparable to that of hair. Aesculap was founded in 1867 as a small workshop for surgical instruments and is now part of the B.Braun Group.
The company, which has made a name for itself worldwide as a leading manufacturer of medical products and technologies, is headquartered in Tuttlingen, Baden-Württemberg. With around 13,000 employees, Aesculap generates annual sales of about 2.3 billion euros.
"We always strive for technology openness to remain competitive. This was one reason for switching the deburring of our Rapid Action saw blades from manual to automated processing," says Manuel Welte. "We considered and compared different technologies. In the end, the ultraTEC system turned out to be the most suitable option for our application. Additionally, ultraTEC's solution-oriented approach, company expertise, and short distances and locality were convincing."
The technology company ultraTEC innovation GmbH, which belongs to the Biberach Vollmer Group, is based in Laupheim, Swabia. For the deburring of metal components, the company has developed an innovative process that can remove disturbing burrs or fibers using the power of ultrasound. The technology is used for the Rapid Action saw blades, which Aesculap manufactures from high-quality stainless steel. The single-use saw blades feature a sharp edge to perform precise and efficient cuts during surgical procedures, such as those required for bone or tissue cuts. Each saw blade is designed for single use and is delivered sterilely packaged to ensure the purity and safety of the product.
The saw blades are mounted on the battery-operated motor system Aesculap Acculan, which can be sterilized with alkaline cleaning agents thanks to its titanium housing. The Rapid Action saw blades are used in operating rooms, outpatient clinics, emergency rooms, and other medical facilities and are available in different lengths from 25 to 90 millimeters and widths from 5 to 30 millimeters.
"Since a burr always forms when grinding the edges of the Aesculap saw blades, post-processing for deburring is essential," says Dieter Münz, managing director of ultraTEC innovation GmbH. "With our ultrasonic deburring system A25 S, this processing step is contactless and automated in unmanned layers, and the saw blade is then perfectly deburred while still having sharp cutting edges."
Currently, up to six employees at Aesculap are engaged in manually deburring the saw blades with nylon brushes, grinding cleaners, and triangular scrapers. In the future, the saw blades will be automatically guided to a high-frequency ultrasonic sonotrode in a process water tank using the method developed by ultraTEC. Stimulated by a generator, this oscillates 20,000 times per second over 0.1 millimeters back and forth. The generated vibrations move the burrs and fibers of the stainless steel component back and forth until they break off sharply and process-safe.
"For this purpose, ultraTEC has integrated the ultrasonic deburring system into our process chain, where we transport the saw blades from raw material to finished product in a goods carrier," says Manuel Welte. "Without manual intervention, the saw blades are guided into the process tank of the A25 S via a pneumatic gripping system, deburred, and then returned to the goods carrier."
Up to three sonotrodes installed in the process water tank allow the processing of the saw blades in a single clamping. The complete working process for a Rapid Action saw blade takes 60 seconds, with the specially developed goods carrier by Aesculap being able to hold up to 180 pieces.
Different saw blades with usable lengths from 40 to 6 millimeters are processed with the ultraTEC system A25 S. With the planned validation of the system, it is also possible for Aesculap to forgo one of the two 100% inspections.
"Specifically for Aesculap, we delivered our A25 S with a special coating that matches the corporate design for the internal coloring of the company," says Dieter Münz. "For us, Aesculap exemplifies a collaborative partnership, where we have not only profitably contributed our expertise in ultrasonic deburring but also realized the individual requirements of our customer."
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