POWERbreathe – Medical Prototype for Advanced Respiratory Training
POWERbreathe
The Client & The Challenge
An industrial design company was developing the POWERbreathe device a high-performance, handheld device for Respiratory Muscle Training (RMT). This advanced medical prototype is intended for healthcare professionals to assess and train inspiratory muscles in patients suffering from dyspnoea caused by conditions such as asthma, COPD, cystic fibrosis, heart disease, and neuromuscular disorders.
The client required a low volume series of functional and aesthetically finished medical prototypes to validate the design and prepare for initial market feedback. The key challenge was achieving a professional, multi-finish look (gloss, satin, and grip) with a rapid turnaround, essential for any medical prototype development phase.
MNL’s Solution: Combining Additive Manufacturing with Soft Tooling
Malcolm Nicholls Limited (MNL) implemented a robust two-stage process to meet the client’s demands for speed and quality in producing this complex medical prototype:
Master Pattern Creation (Stereolithography)
-
Initial Data: MNL was supplied with full 3D CAD files (STL).
-
3D Printing: A master pattern for the medical prototype was produced using Stereolithography (SLA).
-
High-Quality Finishing: The SLA components were meticulously hand-finished to emulate the final production parts:
-
Main Body: Finished to a high-gloss level.
-
Side Components: Finished to a satin level.
-
Low-Volume Casting (Silicone Vacuum Tooling)
-
Silicone Tooling: These finished 3D printed components were then used as patterns to create high-quality silicone vacuum casting tools (soft tooling).
-
Part Production: A series of twenty castings were produced using this soft tooling route, incorporating multiple materials to mimic the final medical prototype’s feel and function:
-
Mouthpiece: Cast in a water-clear elastomer.
-
Main Body & Stand: Produced in an ABS-equivalent polyurethane (for strength and rigidity).
-
Side Grips: Additional over-mouldings were cast in a soft elastomer to provide the main body with a crucial non-slip grip.
-
Results and Impact
| Metric | Detail |
| Quantity | A series of twenty finished medical prototypes. |
| Material Finish | Multi-finish: High-gloss, satin, and soft elastomer grip. |
| Speed | First-off tool parts delivered in just over one week (data to desk). |
MNL successfully delivered a low-volume run of high-specification medical prototypes in an exceptionally short timeframe. The soft tooling route allowed the customer to receive functional, aesthetically correct, multi-material parts quickly, facilitating essential testing and validation before committing to expensive hard tooling. This rapid delivery is critical for accelerating the development cycle of any medical prototype.