Orthopedic Implants, Part 1 – Surface Finishing Enhances Component Life, Function

Fueled by more active lifestyles and increased life expectancy, the market for knee, hip, and other replacement body joints is on the rise. According to ORTHOWORLD, orthopedic product sales accounted for more than $55.5 billion in worldwide sales in 2022.

Thanks to significant advancements in materials and new or improved surface finishing technologies, today’s artificial hips and knees can last more than 20 years, giving the recipient decades of comfort and agility.

Parts that are finished using modern mass finishing and shot blasting methods play a key role in extending the lifespan of orthopedic implants.

Rosler has extensive experience in these processes which often include cleaning, deburring/edge radiusing, surface smoothing, post-casting surface preparation, machining, CNC grinding, and, of course, final finishing. These finishing technologies make big differences in the quality and performance of such products.

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Interlinked, Automated Shot Blast System Provides Excellent Paint Preparation

With more than 80 years of experience, Rosler has developed, installed, serviced, and provided consumables for shot blast systems for a variety of industries and applications.

When a Polish manufacturer of complex steel weldments was ready to invest in a new shot blast machine, key selection criteria included quality, capacity, high equipment uptime, and integration into the existing manufacturing flow. As an essential part of the pre-treatment operation for a cathodic painting line, the system also needed to produce optimal surface preparation results within an interlinked workflow in a 3-shift operation.

The company chose a Rosler continuous feed spinner hanger blast machine because of its wear-resistant design and favorable operating costs.

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AM Solutions Automates Smoothing and Homogenization for Printing Job Shop

When Klaus Stöcker (Stöcker) started offering ready-to-install 3D-printed plastic and metal components to its customers, the job shop initially utilized manual post-processing methods. Due to the rapidly growing demand and stricter requirements for process stability and consistency of these operations, the company took a new approach when it purchased two automated systems from AM Solutions, a brand of the Rosler Group.

The initial purchase included an S1 for de-powdering and an M1 Basic for surface smoothing and homogenization. Based on excellent processing results, a second M1 Basic system was recently commissioned as a cost-efficient alternative to chemical smoothing.

The Situation

Klaus Stöcker metal processing was founded in 1990 in Wermelskirchen-Dabringhausen, Germany. Since then, it has grown to employ approximately 60 team members and offers a wide range of services in the field of machining. This includes turning, milling, sinking and wire EDM, face and circular grinding, assembly, and measuring with state-of-the-art machinery.

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Structural Steel FAQ, Part 2 – Methods of Surface Preparation

Structural steel is a widely used material in a variety of industries due to its strength and durability. Our first post in the Structural Steel FAQ series established why this material must be prepared – namely to preserve its strength and longevity. This post will describe the type of surface preparation required before shot blasting structural steel.

In order to stand up to the harsh demands of the construction, shipbuilding, and heavy equipment industries, the most appropriate type of surface preparation must be undertaken to ensure the best shot blasting results possible.

As always, consult a surface finishing expert such as Rosler to discuss your specific components, their condition, and the desired outcome for your structural steel applications.

We turn to another FAQ about structural steel: What type of surface preparation is required prior to shot blasting?

The answer depends on the condition of the component.

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Are Your Additive Polymer Parts Breaking During Post Processing?

Growing utilization of additive manufacturing for volume production of plastic components has increased the demand for cost-efficiency and high-quality surface finishes. That’s why AM Solutions, a brand of the Rosler Group, has further expanded its product portfolio with the development of a media type specifically for the post processing of plastic components.

Designed specifically for work pieces printed with MJF and SLS powder-bed-based technology, AM Solutions’ media permits the safe, cost-efficient finishing of 3D printed components with different shapes and sizes in one single process step and with absolutely repeatable results. This eliminates the time-consuming and costly media changes for different processing stages.

In combination with an understanding of respective printing processes, the media mix generates a perfect, finely structured, and highly homogeneous surface finish.

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Structural Steel FAQ, Part 1 – Why Surface Preparation is Necessary

Structural steel components are used in many industries, including construction and construction equipmentshipbuilding, and the production of all kinds of heavy-duty vehicles, trucks, railway vehicles, and agricultural implements. In the construction of bridges, building of ships, or production of equipment that must withstand heavy loads, steel is selected for its strength and durability.

To live up to its full potential and prevent premature failure, the steel must be guarded against corrosion with a protective coating. Shot blasting plays an indispensable role in preparing the steel surface for such coatings. Partnering with a shot blasting expert such as Rosler can help you determine the shot blasting equipment, blast media, and processing required for your structural steel components.

In a series of blog posts, Rosler will answer the most common questions about the surface preparation and coating of structural steel.

We begin with a basic question: Why do structural steel components need to be prepared for protective paint coating?

The answer, in short, is for the best coating results and longevity.

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Intuitive Post Processing Preserves Intricate 3D-Printed Details

AM Solutions, a brand of The Rosler Group, provides post-processing solutions for a number of customers worldwide.

For leading manufacturer of wide-format inkjet printers and high-precision cutting plotters, Mimaki, Rosler and AM Solutions collaborated with the Japanese printer manufacturer to develop a fully automated surface finishing system for a Full-Color Inkjet 3D Printer.

Through collaboration, a fully automatic machine capable of safely removing support structures for work pieces with the finest detail was developed.

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ITAR Compliance Protects Surface Finishing Customer Data, National Security

Protecting sensitive customer information is a priority at Rosler whether in the form of intellectual property, proprietary manufacturing designs, or non-disclosure agreements. When it comes to matters of security and safety, we’ve gone a step further to create International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) Compliance Programs.

In addition to delivering industry-leading mass finishing and shot blasting equipment, consumables, and service, Rosler’s expertise includes discrete handling of customer information in all industries, including aerospace and defense.

What is ITAR?

Administered by the U.S. Department of State, the legislation that created ITAR regulates the import and export of defense and military-related technologies. Its intent is to prevent foreign access to technologies included in the United States Munitions List (USML) by controlling access to the technology itself and associated data.

All companies and organizations involved with manufacturing, exporting, or furnishing defense articles and services – including second- and third-tier suppliers – are required to register with the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) and comply with ITAR regulations.

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A Holistic Look at Automated Blasting in the Modern Metal Fabrication Shop

Written by Rosler CEO Bernhard Kerschbaum, this article was originally published in The Fabricator.


Modern metal fabrication operations aren’t like the fab shops of old. Many are clean, well lit, with employees working in fresh, filtered air. Yes, some operations in fabrication are, well, just plain dirty—and manual blasting is a prime example. The work isn’t pleasant, requires protective gear, and if the booths aren’t maintained or set up properly, they can constrain workflow in a serious way.

Options in blasting automation abound, but before diving into all that technological wizardry, try laying some groundwork by answering a fundamental question: What must the blasting operation accomplish?

Shot Blasting Versus Shot Peening

Shot blasting (or just “blasting” if using a different media other than shot) prepares a metal surface while shot peening aims to change the metal’s properties (see Figure 1). Certain aerospace applications require precise levels of stress relief (or other changes to material properties), and they use specialized shot-peening technologies to achieve it. Precision shot peening of landing gears is a prime example, with the process optimizing surface stresses, eliminating microcracks and the stress risers around them.

Most metal fabricators employ blast cleaning for the vast majority of their applications, cleaning and preparing a metal surface for the next manufacturing step, usually painting. If a beam or plate isn’t blasted correctly, paint won’t adhere properly. However, some fabrication operations do employ a kind of peening—not as precise as high-end peening applications, but it’s peening nonetheless, with the media impacting the surface and causing compressive stresses that aim to change the material’s properties.

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Partnership Provides Excellent Finish for Deep-Drawn Medical Components

Deep-drawn functional components are increasingly being utilized in the production of medical and pharmaceutical products. To meet the strict standards for manufacturing and quality management in the field of surface finishing, Hubert Stüken GmbH & Co. KG has relied on mass finishing solutions and consumables from Rosler for more than 30 years.

Founded in 1931, Hubert Stüken GmbH & Co. KG is a family-owned business with manufacturing operations at five locations in Europe, Asia, and the United States. Its product range includes stamped and bent parts, plastic-coated components, and complex assemblies.

Rosler works with Stüken Medical, the company’s medical business division which focuses on medical and pharmaceutical engineering, to meet the increasing demand for deep-drawn metal components.

Andreas Hellman, Manager of the ISO 13485-certified business division, explained, “Components used in the field of medical and pharmaceutical engineering must meet strict quality standards. The same strict standards apply also to the actual production operations. For this reason, we have pooled the required know-how for the development and production of such precision components at Stüken Medical.”

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Shot Blasting and Mass Finishing Surface Finishing Experts

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