Dyrlægerne i Egtved: from FDM trial to a reliable resin spare part
A small valve spindle wasn't available as a spare part, and the FDM surface was binding up the mechanism. We ran FDM for the fit and resin for the finish, and skipped a full rebuild of the device.
The task
Dyrlægerne i Egtved had a concrete bottleneck in their anaesthesia and oxygen equipment: a small valve spindle in the relief valve wasn't moving freely.
The part couldn't be bought on its own, so in practice the alternative was rebuilding or replacing a much larger part of the device.
They'd already tried an FDM print. The geometry was close, but the surface on the thin pin came out too rough ("bobbly"), and the part bound in the tube instead of sliding cleanly against the spring.
The solution
I took the case on as a quick, practical fix: same function, but with a two-step production flow.
Phase 1: an FDM prototype to validate dimensions, fit and movement in the valve.
Phase 2: a resin print from the Fusion file to get the smooth surface and tolerance the moving valve spindle needs in operation.
That way we could keep the design but switch process exactly where surface quality actually matters.
The result
The new resin-printed part moves freely in the mechanism and works properly against the spring without catching.
The clinic avoided an expensive, unnecessary full rebuild of the equipment, because the critical little part could be reproduced locally.
The value was a fast return to operation, lower cost, and a documented path from prototype to a reliable spare part.