Objet 3D Printer Helps Biorep Accelerate Quest for Diabetes Cure - Objet - #1

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At a Glance Company: Biorep Technologies, Inc. URL: www.biorep.com Location: Miami, Florida Industry: Medical equipment manufacturer Challenges • Prototype small parts quickly in house, reduce tooling re-work caused by design errors, accelerate time-to market for new devices Solution Objet Eden250™ 3D Printing System Results • Biorep now prototypes twice as much since purchasing the Objet 3D printer. • Tooling re-work has been virtually eliminated and product development times have been cut by as much as half Biorep Technologies is an original equipment manufacturer for the medical industry, focused primarily on developing devices required to find a cure for diabetes. Biorep is affiliated with the world-renowned Diabetes Research Institute in Miami, and strives to offer islet isolation equipment at a reasonable price to give access to the technology to as many research centers as possible. Engineering Director Felipe Echeverri and R&D Engineer Andres Bernal lead Biorep’s design team. Since the company’s founding in 1995, they had used a machine shop for prototyping. Occasionally, Biorep would work with service bureaus to produce rapid prototypes of small parts to evaluate designs. Increasing volume of rapid prototyping projects leads to search for in-house 3D printer By 2007, as Biorep’s equipment became more compact and sophisticated, Echeverri and Bernal found themselves needing to outsource rapid prototypes of small parts more frequently. The volume reached a point where it made business sense to bring rapid prototyping technology in-house. “At the time, Biorep lacked a cost-effective way to produce rapid prototypes,” recalls Echeverri. “When we outsourced 3D printed models, they were often more expensive than the cost to machine them in-house, and it wasn’t much faster. We knew we could really accelerate our design productivity if we had the ability to print a part overnight, in our office. So we began to evaluate 3D printing systems.” Objet 3D Printer Helps Biorep Accelerate Quest for Diabetes Curen “3D printing enables us to rapidly test innovative concepts by skipping design-for-manufacturing considerations. With the Objet printer, we can prioritize design intent and leverage on assembly consolidation for proof of concept” Andres Bernal, R&D Engineer, Biorep Technologies Case Study Ability to produce rapid prototypes in-house cuts medical equipment development time in half, accelerates time to markets