Technology in Action Nexxt Spine’s design engineer made models of the re-
quested implants and tools in SolidWorks and sent them to the surgeon to confirm that they were correct. By 3:00 pm on Tursday, the models were confirmed and transferred to CNC programmer Beau Riser, who developed a proprietary work- flow in the company’s CAM soſtware to transform part models into comprehensive CNC manufacturing programs in an hour or two. He used Mastercam CAD/CAM soſtware (from CNC Soſtware Inc., Tolland, CT) to create programs for making the products on the company’s two Haas VMC mills. Riser began running some of the custom programs on the mills at 5:30 pm while he went back to writing others. “By Friday aſternoon,” Elsbury said, “we had them all made
and I sent the doctor pictures of everything. I told him that they were shipping via FedEx to arrive on Saturday so they could be sterilized. He requested two sizes of the inserters and the trials. We made three extra spacers just to be sure that he was going to have everything he would need and more.” Te surgery was a success and the doctor switched his
preference for cervical spacers to Nexxt Spine products. In addition, he is now collaborating with Nexxt Spine to develop advanced new implant products.
Service Business Strategy Tere is intense competition in the cervical implants mar-
ketplace and most of it comes from companies whose sales are in the billions. Nexxt Spine has managed to capture its small share, not only by making a high-quality product, which is mandatory, but also by giving surgeons exactly what they need, when they need it. Elsbury said that if this surgeon had gone to one of the large providers, it would have taken many weeks, if not months, to get his special order fulfilled. Tis is because most of the major suppliers use outside contractors for manufacturing. For more than 15 years, Elsbury owned and operated one of these shops himself and he learned the implant manufacturing business from the inside.
Advanced CAM Strategies Presently, Nexxt Spine has FDA clearance to make and sell
cervical implants. Tese implants are cut from PEEK, an engi- neering thermoplastic that may be produced in many different standard and custom sizes and configurations. Hospitals and surgical centers only pay for the implants. However, the surgi- cal procedure requires up to 10 specialized instruments, which may also be customized upon request. Riser spends half of his time on Mastercam writing pro-
grams to manufacture these implants and instruments. Te other half is devoted to writing programs to manufacture prototype implants and instruments that are being developed in cooperation with a select group of surgeons. Not a day goes by when he does not have at least one or two new CNC pro- grams to work on. To ensure that these programs are written efficiently and machined accurately and at high production rates, Riser has identified a set of essential Mastercam tools for optimizing his workflow. Tese are kept within easy reach on his desktop: Xform Project: Riser said, “Te most accurate way to create
geometry within a Mastercam program is to create surfaces from a solid model, and then use the un-trim surface tool to remove all trimmed edges and create geometry by using the create curve on one edge tool. Ten I use Xform Project to project the geometry onto a single Z-level within Mastercam where I can generate the toolpath. I use this on every single part I program.” Dynamic Toolpaths: Te last few versions of the soſtware
have included an increasing number of “material-aware” toolpaths that operate at high spindle rates with minimal tool engagement. Tese Dynamic Toolpaths automatically adjust feeds, speeds, entry points and dwells based on the material conditions ahead of the tool. Te advantages of this include exceptionally high removal rates, reduced tool wear and high reliability so that equipment can be operated untended with confidence.
“I compare 100% of the parts I program with the SolidWorks model—and know instantly if I have it right or wrong within 0.0001".”
When Elsbury founded Nexxt Spine in 2009, he was
determined to keep manufacturing in-house so that he could win over surgeons with fast turns of customized products and surgical instruments. A critical element of this strategy has been to leverage advanced capabilities of Mastercam soſtware to simplify programming and continuously decrease CNC manufacturing cycles. When the company purchased its Haas VMCs, it also hired Beau Riser, an experienced Mastercam programmer, to manage that initiative.
66 Medical Manufacturing 2014 Some of the Dynamic Toolpaths Riser uses routinely
include Dynamic Core Mill, to quickly take raw material to within 0.01" (0.254 mm) of the finished shape; Dynamic Peel Mill, to efficiently create deep slots; and Hybrid Toolpaths that combine roughing, finishing and blended surface transition- ing all within a single operation. Trimming: PEEK, like any plastic, tends to be gummy. As
a result, chips push over the edge without separating cleanly. Tis results in burrs that would require time-consuming
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