For more than 40 years, Hirsh Prototypes, an Israel-based service bureau, has primarily focused on high-quality rapid prototyping and low-volume serial production for medical device companies.
"We manufacture parts for medical equipment such as endoscopes or catheters. This allows for testing and functional feedback from physicians before mass production begins," says Nadav Hirsh, mechanical engineer and CTO of Hirsh Prototypes.
Hirsh’s manufacturing facility is equipped with multiple additive and traditional manufacturing technologies, including SLA (stereolithography), SLS (selective laser sintering), and CNC machining for thermoforming, FDM, vacuum casting, and injection molding. When the team received a high-volume order to produce medical device components, they knew they would need to consider the best solution to meet the design requirements.
“We leverage multiple technologies, and we try to bring them all together to find the optimal solution based on the project's specifications and design,” says Hirsh. “We’re proud of not being limited to a single technology. We aim to determine the most effective solution for each case and scenario.”
"Each medical customer has their own quality system, and we want to tailor our services to meet their specific needs," explains Dor Yaakobi, the head of SLA department at Hirsh. "For instance, when dealing with large-scale production of 20,000 parts, there could be a lot of back and forth. Therefore, we rely on our diverse technology portfolio to offer production flexibility."
SLA technology uses a vat of liquid UV-curable photopolymer resin and a UV laser to build parts one layer at a time. During the photopolymerization process, light causes chains of molecules to link together, forming polymers that make up the body of a three-dimensional object.
SLA offers high-resolution printing for intricate designs, achieving exceptional dimensional accuracy and fine feature detail. This results in parts with a smooth surface finish, minimizing the need for additional post-processing. This provides a cost-effective and time-efficient solution for prototyping compared to traditional manufacturing techniques.
The Stratasys Neo reliably prints parts in nonstop, high-pressure environments, which makes the technology ideal for short-run large scale projects that demand accuracy and repeatability.
“Our Neo has been printing every day for the last two months,” says Yaakobi. “It’s crazy. It's so good.”
Recently, Hirsh team were asked to fulfill an order for 20,000 snap assemblies that would need to meet rigorous quality control standards. the team chose to utilize Neo450s and Somos Bioclear.
“I love Neo as the printer is very consistent. You can tell she grew up in a loving home,” jokes Hirsh about their Neo printer. “We appreciate the amount of time, effort, and dedication that Stratasys and RPS have invested in the Neo platforms. Their hard work is evident in the high-quality results, both in the machine's build and in the Titanium software.”
“The engineers we work with consistently ask for objects to be printed on the Neo machines,” says Hirsh. “They really appreciate the parts printed on it. Often, they are willing to wait if I tell them that the machine is already working.”
“The printed parts are impressive,” says Yaakobi. “Every time I use the Neo, I am certain that it will perform exceptionally well. It’s a very consistent, reliable printer—and user-friendly. it is one of my favorite printers."
The Neo is designed with an open resin system to give engineers the freedom of material choice, from high-temperature applications to clear properties for visualization.
The Hirsh team often selects Somos BioClear for medical production needs. Somos BioClear is a biocompatible and sterilizable clear material with ABS-like mechanical properties for strength and toughness that also meets the requirements for non-implantable limited body contact. BioClear is very resistant to moisture and many common solvents and chemicals. Customers often select Somos BioClear for medical device applications demanding both biocompatibility for sterilization and the need for transparent medical device components.
“When approaching a new project, my first question is about the device properties and usages" says Hirsh. “For example, BioClear is suitable for body contact devices which can be used for various medical device components.”
The Neo offers a wide range of materials to choose from, making it easy to select the right one for the customer. For high-volume projects that require tough and durable parts, the team relies on Somos Taurus, which offers excellent surface quality and isotropy for highly detailed parts.
When the Hirsh team started producing the end-use parts, they were looking to speed up manufacturing time, and began working with several 3D printing technologies.
They quickly decided to narrow their production solely to the Neo SLA printer to make sure that parts would meet stringent quality controls and that cost per part would stay as low as possible.
“Working with the Neo has allowed us to maximize consistency, repeatability, and profitability” says Hirsh. “This project showed that the Neo450s can withstand a lot of design requirements and be very dynamic and adjustable. I think we hit every mark.”
Find out why Neo was built by engineers, for engineers.
