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Etac was looking for a supplier and partner to help make a complicated design producible. It was a handle for their new transfer platform, Molift Transfer Pro, which helps carers transfer patients in the medical industry.
They had developed a design for the handle, that offered everything they wanted in terms of ergonomics and comfort. As the transfer platform would be used in the medical industry, it had to be easy to clean. Therefore, it was very important that the handle could be injection moulded in one piece to avoid joints with easy access to bacteria.
The problem was that the design would be difficult to mould in one piece, and at several points in the project, Etac had reached the limits of what was possible. They needed a skilled partner who was willing to be challenged and ready to challenge them. That's why Etac contacted Idé-Pro:
'’The handle was a big challenge and not many suppliers understood that we actually meant, that we wanted it moulded in one piece. Idé-Pro went wholeheartedly into it, and we managed to succeed with a product with few and good compromises.’’
Says Peter Jensen, Head of R&D Patient Handling, Etac.
To meet Etac's wish of injection moulding the handle in one part, our skilled technicians carried out a DFM analysis and suggested specific solutions for optimising the part design in terms of producibility.
This included optimisations of draft angles, geometries, and wall thickness. According to Peter Jensen, it was the consultancy in the development phase that played an essential role in the project:
'‘When we work with Idé-Pro, it's mostly the consultancy in the design phase that makes a difference for us. The same goes for this project.’’
The complexity was in the tool. Due to the shape and relatively large wall thickness of the part, it was challenging to design a tool that the part could come out of. It required a tool with:
This resulted in an innovative tool with many movable parts, in which the handle can successfully be injection moulded in one piece, as well as realise Etac’s vision for the design.
Behind: First draft of the design. Front: The design with Idea-Pro's corrections.
Peter describes the collaboration with Idé-Pro as inspiring and informative and adds:
"We in the R&D team are very happy with the collaboration and really appreciate the openness and easy communication. The good mood and enormous energy just make everything a little more fun."
About Idé-Pro as a partner, Peter continues:
"I would recommend Idé-Pro to those who need a professional partner with a high level of knowledge for the development of parts, that are a little out of the ordinary and projects where speed is important.’’
Don't hesitate to contact us if you need technical parts in plastic, light metal, or EPS/EPP. We'll have a non-binding chat about your options and what we can do for you.