Medical equipment is often expensive. But medical equipment also contains parts that are subject to wear and tear. A valve, a valve, a switch. Parts that can fail after a certain period of use or are simply used up. We just order a new one? Yes, an entire panel of which that valve is part might still be available, but that valve separately? No, that won't be supplied. That valve? As part of a complete module of the device, yes. It is simply not profitable to keep all those separate parts in stock. The equipment is too specialised for that.
OK, so we order a panel for a few thousand euros. Replace the valve and discard the rest (Yes, really. This is the practice!). The device again does what it was made for and can last another few years. But at some point, of course, this willingness to invest stops. If the appliance is already a few years older, a part has already been replaced a few times in a similar way, such a replacement investment no longer outweighs the current market value. And so a new appliance is ordered.
This can also be done differently. Especially with today's technologies.
Neil van Es, director of Parts On Demand sees examples like this on an ongoing basis. "It is incredible how much money is wasted in this way. Meanwhile, a good number of parties know how to find their way to the new technologies. We deal with high-quality 3D printing production techniques. When we receive such a part on our desk, we scan it in if possible. If that is not possible, we make a drawing and can recreate it very simply using various 3D printing techniques. Depending on the application, we choose the most suitable material and post-processing. We have access to medically approved materials and can even create a design that improves the product in consultation with the user. Product improvements have always largely come from the field and our engineers and design specialists can easily implement that."
Van Es sees other, increasingly common solutions in the medical sector. Refurbishing equipment such as endoscopes. "With that kind of equipment, we increasingly supply parts that are used to refurbish the equipment and put it back on the market. Of course, there are also many users who simply have their endoscopes repaired if something is faulty. But there are still plenty who do not take the trouble to do so and discard the defective equipment. There are now parties jumping into the gap in the market that has been created there. They make these products like new again. With this kind of capital-intensive equipment, this is more than worth it. And we are talking about a market where costs can easily skyrocket. If this way we can reduce costs by giving equipment a much longer lifespan, we contribute to keeping total healthcare costs manageable. Also quite a nice touch." Van Es cites this as an example of a trend. "We also see, for example, that Philips built a factory not too long ago to rebuild used MRI and CT scanners into 'like new' systems, complete with warranty."
But parts are not only printed for refurbishing and replacement parts. Parts are also printed for equipment that is highly specialised and for which the time-to-market is extremely short due to rapid developments. One example is microreactors. The convergence of chemistry, biochemistry and biotechnology is opening up new opportunities in the field of analytical chemistry. "For example, we supply quite a few components for reactors for hospitals. Reactors in which radioactive substances with a very short half-life are mixed on site. These reactors are small and made in small batches. This in turn gives plenty of room for further development for many different industries. And scale-up is then done by putting a number of units in parallel where needed." The advantages of 3D printing are that there are no tooling costs, no start-up costs and the scalability with professional production facilities is reasonably unlimited. That makes innovation easier to achieve with much less investment risk.
By: Janet Kooren
Photos: Parts On Demand / Shutterstock
