Consistent manufacturing quality worldwide

Challenges

As Head of Systems & Security, Production Digitalisation at Aesculap in Tuttlingen, Felix Schmidt is responsible for a large number of applications. "We have a high vertical range of manufacture. We weld, clean, bend, punch and cut the sheet metal parts for our products." One of the main applications is laser marking. "Our global marking database contains around 30,000 items. The spectrum is broad – across a wide range of product groups, but also in terms of the different materials." In the realm of surgical instruments, this involves various steel alloys, while aluminium is used for sterile containers, and titanium or plastics are utilised for implants. "But there are also many niche products with coatings made from specialised materials." Marc Laufer adds, "We currently stock 18,000 finished products and 29,000 semi-finished products. The lot sizes for finished goods range between 1 and 1,800 units. The average lot size is 40 units. Therefore, the process must be efficient, and transitioning between different jobs needs to be straightforward." Marking is performed in Tuttlingen using 15 TruMark lasers and 10 TruMicro Mark lasers. 

At the Chinese plant, the enormous volume of one million products in the surgical instruments sector is also divided into small batches of 10 to 200 units. Four marking lasers and a laser welding system are available for this purpose. Alex Xu is the production manager. He says: "High-quality and reliable laser systems are crucial for us. This is the only way we can ensure fast production while maintaining consistently high quality."

Solutions

Aesculap adopts a unified approach to validating processes across the company's global plants. The Tuttlingen team does the preliminary work before transferring the processes and parameters to the other sites. Marc Laufer explains: "We are leading the way technologically, advancing processes, and implementing them globally." For 30 years, Aesculap has depended on lasers and machine tools from TRUMPF to ensure standardised operations worldwide. "Procuring all systems from a single source is a significant advantage for us. It is the only way we can work to the same standards in all our plants." 

Another major project with the laser experts from Ditzingen is underway. Over the next few years, all marking lasers will be gradually replaced with the ultrashort pulse lasers from the TruMicro Mark series. For Felix Schmidt, the benefits of the technology are clear: "Microstructuring enables us to create more robust and durable marks. This is because, unlike engraving, there is no oxide layer that gradually deteriorates over multiple washing cycles." Additionally, the production process generates less combustion residue. This eliminates the need for additional manual cleaning afterwards. Schmidt says: "The ultrashort pulse lasers enable us to work even more efficiently, and also provide constant laser power."

Implementation

Marc Laufer and Felix Schmidt started 2020 with a test system for ultrashort pulse lasers in Tuttlingen. They then tested the processes under production conditions for six months, using the results to develop standards. Laufer adds: "The main challenge was to reconcile the various requirements. On one hand, we had to address the needs of a special product that is produced infrequently and in small quantities, while on the other hand, we had to cater to products that are frequently needed in large quantities. All of this must function on one machine, regardless of which plant it is located in around the world." 

The software integration was also a challenge, as Aesculap uses its own UDI management system for all order processing. Working with TRUMPF, the team developed a connector that enables integration into the TruTops Mark interface. The TRUMPF VisionLine software uses Aesculap to position the markings. In future, it will also help to improve the qualification of data matrix codes. "Previously, inspection was performed using an external scanner in a subsequent process step," explains Marc Laufer. "In future, we plan to integrate this step directly into the marking process in order to increase production speed." 

Their hard work has paid off, as Felix Schmidt reports: "We have created a machine standard and can make these parameters available to our other plants." Several TruMark Station 7000s with TruMicro Mark 2030 lasers are already in use. One of them has been in operation in China since January, where Alex Xu is impressed by the stability of the laser output: "There have always been fluctuations with systems from other manufacturers, but this has never been a problem with the new ultrashort pulse lasers." The Chinese team was also able to put the new laser into operation very quickly. Installed in January, it has been running in series production since February.

Forecast

Until now, many production steps at Aesculap were performed manually. However, Marc Laufer and Felix Schmidt in Tuttlingen are now turning their attention to automation. "Given our extensive range of products and varying series sizes, it's crucial to carefully assess where automation is truly beneficial," Laufer notes. "And it’s not enough to simply automate the marking process; the upstream and downstream production steps must also be adapted." However, the team is making progress – a cobot is already fitted on a TruMark Station 7000, where a TruMicro Mark laser is used to mark saw blades.  

Both are confident that TRUMPF is the ideal partner for the next steps in the process. Schmidt says, "The technology is impressive, and TRUMPF's high level of support sets it apart. No matter where we are in the world, we always receive prompt assistance in the respective country if an issue arises."

Date: 28/08/2024