At Medtech 2013 in Stuttgart today, EOS, a technology and market leader of additive manufacturing (AM) equipment, and Ruetschi Technology AG, a leading supplier and solution partner for the engineering, design and production of instruments, implants and medical technology components, have announced the formation of a strategic partnership to further develop the European medical technology market. This cooperation concentrates the innovative know-how of the two companies in the best way possible. The joint objective is to identify further possible uses for additive manufacturing in medical technology and to establish this manufacturing method permanently in the medical sector.
Dr. Adrian Keppler, managing director of EOS, emphasises, “Ruetschi Technology and EOS are well matched. Ruetschi’s core competence is the development and production of technically sophisticated, high-quality micromechanical products for medical technology. They have the special skill of implementing customer ideas into leading high-tech products and cover the whole value creation chain – from engineering and prototyping through validation and production to assembly and packaging.
Christoph Ruetschi, CEO at Ruetschi Technology AG, adds: “With EOS we have found a partner with many years of experience in the field of additive manufacturing, system and material development who offers a pioneering technology solution which is heralding a change in paradigms in engineering, design and manufacturing. The method opens up new opportunities for design engineers in the medical sector who have so far only used subtractive, conventional methods and are increasingly coming up against feasibility limits. On the other hand, this technology supplements traditional manufacturing methods such as turning, milling and injection moulding. This allows our customers to purchase validated products from a single source, whether they have been manufactured conventionally or additively.”
Both companies agree that the whole medical sector can benefit from this strategic partnership. With the additive manufacturing method, manufacturers of medical products have a high-quality, extremely flexible manufacturing method at their disposal, which allows them to break new ground in product development and manufacture completely new components, products and solutions. The advantage for major suppliers of medical technology products is that Ruetschi Technology not only takes over part production using laser-sintering for them, but can provide extensive and competent support throughout the application development process from design through to finishing treatment and sterilisation.
About Ruetschi
Technology Ruetschi Technology AG, founded in 1960, is a family-owned business with its headquarters in Muntelier, Switzerland. Its core competence is the development and production of technically sophisticated, high-quality micromechanical products for high-tech industries. The high quality of the company’s services and its broad spectrum of technical know-how have made it a preferred solution partner for international customers for more than 50 years. Alongside numerous demanding manufacturing processes (in-house turning, milling, sanding, laser treatment, erosion, plastic injection moulding, clean room assembly and packaging), Ruetschi Technologies offers comprehensive services in the fields of engineering, prototyping, validation and CE certification of medical products.
About EOS
Founded in 1989 and headquartered in Germany, EOS is the technology and market leader for design-driven, integrated e-Manufacturing solutions for additive manufacturing (AM, or “Industrial 3D Printing”). EOS offers a modular solution portfolio including systems, software, materials and material development as well as services (maintenance, training, specific application consulting and support). As an industrial manufacturing process it allows the fast and flexible production of high-end parts based on 3D CAD data at a repeatable industry level of quality. As a disruptive technology it paves the way for a paradigm shift in product design and manufacturing. It accelerates product development, offers freedom of design, optimizes part structures, and enables lattice structures as well as functional integration. As such, it creates significant competitive advantages for its customers. For more information please visit www.eos.info.
