Personalised manufacturing On-demand 3D printing enables customised wheelchairs

Related Vendors

Replique – A Chemovator Venture

Hewlett-Packard GmbH HP Networking HP Networking

HASCO Hasenclever GmbH + Co KG

CUMSA

Renishaw plc

Germany-based digital manufacturing company Replique, which focuses on creating simple and sustainable industrial processes, has used industry-leading HP Multi Jet Fusion technology to transform the way wheelchairs are designed and manufactured, making production more efficient, cost-effective and personalised for the end user.

When Rehamed Power was preparing to develop and bring to market a new electric wheelchair, the RP1, it struggled to find a cost-effective solution for manufacturing parts, as traditional manufacturing methods required high upfront investment and expensive tooling, as well as increased prototyping and time-to-market.

Using HP's Multi Jet Fusion (MJF) technology, Replique partnered with Rehamed Power to explore additive manufacturing (AM) for wheelchair design, from prototyping to volume production. Together, Rehamed Power and Replique identified many more parts than originally planned that could be 3D printed in PA12 (polyamide 12), taking advantage of the technology's greater flexibility in early production stages and cost advantage over traditional manufacturing methods. Between 19 and 23 individual parts are 3D printed for each wheelchair, depending on the specific customer or patient purchase.

Gallery

In addition to the significant costs saved by bypassing injection moulding, the digital storage of design files through Replique's digital warehousing platform has further reduced costs, enabling a faster go-to-market strategy and keeping Rehamed Power's working capital low. To date, Rehamed Power has seen a 30 percent reduction in development time and a 60 percent reduction in prototyping costs compared to injection moulding, but the real winners are the customers and patients it serves worldwide who benefit from more personalised care.

No two disabilities are the same, but until now there have been few personalisation options for wheelchair users. 3D printing technology is paving the way for this to happen, making wheelchairs more flexible and adaptable to individual patient needs. With Rehamed Power's RP1 wheelchair, patients were in the driver's seat, able to customise and adapt various parts to their needs and lifestyle, as well as choose from a wide range of colours.

The successful launch of the RP1 wheelchair last year led to widespread adoption across Europe and as far afield as New Zealand. Going forward, Rehamed Power plans to build on this momentum by incorporating more AM designs into the RP1 wheelchair and developing new products that further advance its innovative range of accessibility solutions. In addition, rapid availability of in-service replacement parts will soon be offered through Replique's global manufacturing network, providing patients and customers with on-demand replacement parts when and where they need them.

“With 3D printed prototypes, we have been able to significantly reduce our development time,” comments Thyl Junker, Head of Development at Rehamed Power. “When it comes to serial production in our industry, working with Replique also offers some key advantages, such as flexibility in demand planning with production on demand and the ability to quickly implement changes and offer special parts to meet individual needs.”

“Our collaboration with Rehamed Power demonstrates that 3D printing offers so much more than efficient prototyping. It enables companies to deliver highly customised solutions, while remaining cost-effective and flexible in volume production thanks to our digital warehouse solution. We look forward to making life easier for Rehamed Power and, most importantly, their valued patients,” adds Mark Winker, Technical Sales Manager at Replique.

(ID:49721610)