There are increasing numbers of stories and innovative ways in which 3D printing is being used in the medical profession. From component parts of prosthetic limbs to facial reconstructions, there are regular news stories highlighting just how ground breaking some of these developments are.

While these stories are fascinating and uplifting, we don’t hear too often about all the success and changes to people’s lives that more common procedures bring. Hip and knee replacements have become so common now that we tend to forget just how life changing these operations are for people. We also forget the engineering that went in to the design and development of these medical advances and artificial systems originally and the continued development into improvements that goes on today.

We probably all know of someone who has had something medically ‘pinned’ following an accident, either temporarily or permanently. The development of the pins, screws, bolts and joints involved has only become possible because of the developments in the manufacturing processes.

Computer Aided Design (CAD) and Improvements in precision engineering equipment mean that component parts can be manufactured much more easily. Multiple axis CNC machines can produce highly complex and intricate parts with reliability and accuracy. State of the art inspections probing systems within these machines add further to their accuracy.

Without these developments in the manufacturing processes the orthopaedic surgeons would not have the component parts they use today to keep us on our feet.

PRV Engineering provide services to the pharmaceutical and medical sector and run state of the art machining centres into which the latest inspection probing systems are installed. In addition, they have a temperature controlled inspection department which not only houses the conventional testing and inspection equipment but also runs the latest Renishaw PH20 measuring equipment.

We manufacture products in all materials from the most basic mild steels to the more exotic ones like Monnel, Inconnel, Hastalloy and Titanium.

Quality of service is at the forefront of anything we do and we are proud to be CIPS registered and a graduate of the Costain Supply Chain Academy, in addition to holding a host of other recognised accreditations.

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