Non-Contact Inspection of Medical Devices

Fully automated and repeatable inspection

Orchid typically manufactures knee implant components based on customer designs, necessitating precise and repeatable inspections. However, the organic shapes made single-point measuring methods time-consuming and limited in feature assessment. That’s why the company sought technologies to automate quality processes, aiming to reduce inspection time and enhance information. After reviewing the results of a Gage R&R (repeatability and reproducibility) study performed with the technology, Orchid purchased the optical 3D measuring machine ZEISS ScanBox , including ZEISS INSPECT software.

Frank Sears, Lead Quality Engineer at Orchid, and his team utilize the programming functions in the software to optimize the robotic arm’s positioning for the sensor, enhancing data collection. Collaborating with ZEISS automation experts, they developed a customized script for automated inspection, enabling batch scanning of up to 24 knee implant components. The software intelligently separates the 3D mesh data sets and applies the appropriate inspection templates.

Inspection templates define which features of casting components with complex surfaces will be inspected. The creation of these templates is fast and easy. Once created, the specific inspection elements are automatically applied. Additionally, the full-field 3D data capture enables reverse engineering by scanning in-house tooling to generate digital twins, facilitating the creation of solid models for tool reproduction. This capability is crucial for older wax tools lacking available models.