José Jiménez
Managing Director.
Taking the lead…with digital custom products for mass-production
Business surged full-speed ahead when Jiholabo Laboratories implemented a full digital workflow for their ear mould production process. By coupling 3Shape’s CAD/CAM solutions with 3D printing system from Objet, Jiholabo immediately gained new key benefits, such as consistent quality, perfect fit, reduced production time and minimal production costs.
The Challenge
The recent year’s growing numbers of customers seeking customized hearing instruments was naturally positive news for Jiholabo. But keeping pace in this rapidly swelling market was a losing battle using traditional manual production methods. As large orders continued to pour in, Jiholabo realized it must move from single-object to batch-production processes.Traditional methods, involving plaster and gel forms, were error-prone and required extra inspection and adjustment after manufacturing.
Additionally, products were too often returned for remake because customers felt the fitting was uncomfortable.
Although ear mould duplication was an essential part of Jiholabo’s business, it was unacceptably time-consuming. The process required that impressions and moulds were labeled and stored, with the accuracy of replicas meticulously controlled.Other factors led Jiholabo to feel they were lagging behind. For example, many orders included requests for
customized power vents incorporated into the ear moulds – a service which Jiholabo could not provide with accuracy in an efficient timeframe.
The Solution
Jiholabo’s management knew that the answer to their key concerns and workflow issues lay in a CAD/CAM solution. However, when they found a system that offered even more benefits than they’d dreamed of, they decided to go for full digital in-house production. Jiholabo chose
3Shape’s Hearing System™ for 3D scanning of ear impressions, CAD-design of models and CAM preparation. 3Shape is the market’s most complete system and initial trials demonstrated highly intuitive batch workflows that Jiholabo’s technicians could complete at high speed.
3Shape’s solution included the 3Shape Legato2™ 3D scanner, the EarMouldDesigner™ and ShellDesigner™ CAD design software, and 3Shape’s ShellManager™ CAMbridge™ manufacturing preparation CAM software.
For the manufacturing stage, Jiholabo selected Objet’s Eden350™ 3D printing system. This printer’s high speed, fine-detail, accuracy, layer thickness and smooth surface output make it perfect for the high volume manufacture of hearing instruments. To top it all, the steps for preparation and starting of the manufacture process on Objet’s Eden350™ 3D printing
system were already fully integrated within 3Shape’s system, so the full solution’s two components could communicate seamlessly without additional steps or overhead. The Results
With in-house ear impression scanning and user-friendly CAD tools, Jiholabo technicians could turn a traditional ear impression labor production into a digital manufacture-ready model in just 2 minutes. They could then prepare and trigger batch-manufacturing of 100 orders on their Objet Eden350™ 3D printing system while moving on to the next caseorders.
The technicians felt their job had become much easier, yet their daily production yield skyrocketed. Going digital enabled Jiholabo to increase the quality and precision of their products, greatly reducing the number of redo orders. Armed with intuitive tools in 3Shape’s software, they could effortlessly detect and remove defects from the digital model, thereby ensuring a perfect fit for the end-customer.
The new technology also allowed them to become modern solution providers. Their designs could now include customized sound bores, vents and smart placement of electronics. With 3Shape’s digital storage and order management, remake orders became a simple matter of
loading the saved design on the system and sending it to the Objet 350™ 3D printing system or fast, high quality manufacturing.
Jiholabo’s CAD/CAM investment has been returned rapidly through increased business, batch processing, rationalized production and reduced operation costs. The system capabilities continue to create new business opportunities and power growth to outstrip their competitors. |