en.Wedoany.com Reported - Located in Dettingen, Germany, EPflex Feinwerktechnik GmbH has been specializing in the development and production of guidewires and other minimally invasive medical devices since 1994. Today, the company employs around 400 people, and its product range covers guidewires, stone retrieval instruments, and snares, which are widely used in fields such as ureterorenoscopy, gastroenterology, and interventional cardiology. These instruments are mostly made of stainless steel or nitinol, placing extremely stringent demands on the precision of forming tools.

In single-part production, minute tool setting errors can lead to rework or even part damage. Marcel Steinke, Head of the Machining Team, explains that high precision must be ensured from the design to the assembly stage, especially when dealing with narrow slots only one-tenth of a millimeter wide and small holes with diameters of 0.2 to 1 millimeter on forming tools, sometimes requiring the use of milling cutters with a diameter of 0.03 millimeters. Udo Hönle, Head of Plant Engineering, admits: "Before forming the fine metal wires, these delicate features must first be machined into the forming tools."

Traditional methods relied on off-machine presetters and visual inspection, limiting both efficiency and reliability. To address this, EPflex introduced the Renishaw NC4+ Blue laser tool setter. Michael Seitz, Key Account Management Lead at Renishaw's German subsidiary, points out: "The NC4+ Blue can reliably and repeatably measure small-diameter tools, and the short wavelength of the blue light also improves tool joining accuracy." The unit features a passive protection design, using a continuous air flow and an automatic sealing mechanism to effectively resist the intrusion of coolant and chips.

Before machining, EPflex also uses the Renishaw OMP600 probe for workpiece alignment, combined with in-machine setting and inspection applications, ensuring the efficiency of single-part production. Practical use has shown that the NC4+ Blue reduces tool measurement time from several minutes to just a few seconds and significantly lowers the risk of breakage. The finer beam formed by the blue light allows for the precise measurement of tools with diameters as small as 0.03 millimeters.

After four years of using this tool setter on a Mazak VCN machining center, EPflex highly recognizes its advantages. Udo Hönle states: "The NC4+ Blue laser tool setter enhances the confidence of surgeons using miniature instruments and implants in minimally invasive procedures. When purchasing machine tools in the future, we will definitely continue to equip them with this blue laser tool setter."

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