Tangible Solutions Adds New Equipment and Expands Staff

Ohio-based Tangible Solutions is expanding its engineering and post-processing staff, as well as equipment used in the post-processing side of the business. 
 
A globally recognized contract manufacturer of American-made 3D printed titanium orthopedic implants, Tangible handles all phases of orthopedic implant creation: design support, prototyping, pre-submission testing for 510(k) clearance, 3D printing, post-processing and testing throughout and after production.
 
To further its commitment to end-to-end management of orthopedic device manufacturing, Tangible Solutions purchased and installed three new 3-axis milling machines, used to achieve precise surface dimensions in post-processing of medical-grade implants and devices.
 
Despite the COVID pandemic, the company has been producing over 1,000 implants a week, which can create a backlog in post-processing. Increasing staff by 33%, among post-processing and engineering positions, has added to the company’s ability to expeditiously handle the increase in production load.
 
Comments from Leadership
“Tangible Solutions offers orthopedic OEMs and clients two very distinct advantages,” said Adam Clark, chief executive officer of Tangible Solutions. “Our business model focuses 100% on 3D printed titanium implants for the orthopedic industry. That’s all we do, so we are experts in the entire product development lifecycle and how to best support our customers.”
 
“Secondly, we handle the entire process of additive manufacturing these devices in house. We know the FDA submission and clearance process inside and out. All post-processing is done inhouse, and we know and understand how vital it is that medical devices be beyond clean and biocompatible. They must be unbelievably smooth to avoid patient irritation. Our knowledge controls the testing, the inspections, and meets the most rigorous standards,” Clark concluded.
Although the company initially started by manufacturing spine implants, Tangible production numbers increasingly include additional orthopedic devices.
 
“Tangible is widening out into devices for the extremities and total joint replacement in addition to the spine,” added Chris Collins, chief operating officer and Tangible co-founder. “We are manufacturing 3D printed parts for the knee, hip, foot and ankle. Several of our Tangible team members have extensive experience in the Orthopedic resurfacing space including the Director of Sales & Marketing with 29 years of experience in TKA and THA.”
 
“The orthopedic industry is becoming more creative and thinking outside the box, realizing that a 3D printed implant can be so much more than a flat, solid plate. The power of Additive Manufacturing is that it provides features such as custom rough surfaces and lattice structures that are tuned to loading conditions for topology optimization,” Collins concluded.