Burlington Medical
Radiology Drape Arm

Turnkey Manufacturing, Aluminum Machining, Laser Engraving, Industrial Design

 

Burlington Medical came to us with a mechanical design problem and came away with a complete design package and turnkey manufacturing partner.

Burlington Medical needed a specialized arm that could clamp to a wide variety of operating tables and support radiation protection for mobile X-Ray units.

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The result of several design iterations, mechanical force analysis, and field testing was a successful assembly of parts we now produce at a high level on a regular basis.

On the face of it, the project seemed like a straight forward proposition. Though, when we saw how complex the operating tables could be and their rigorous environment we understood the real challenges would pose us:

  • The rails for attaching our fixtures on the tables had a wide range of sizes.

  • The drape arm had to be quickly & effortlessly removed from the table in case of an emergency.

  • The drape arm would need to articulate to conform to myriad shapes around the operating table.

  • The arm needed to be ambidextrous to be able to be used on either side of the table

  • It had to support nearly 20 pounds at full extension of nearly 36 inches with 3 joints in the arm.

The scope of work included the design, prototyping, mechanical analysis, and manufacturing of the clamps, arms, and custom hardware (i.e. specialty bolts with precision shafts for the hinges and custom fast release knobs for the clamps).

Going straight from a complete design solution to manufacturing allowed us to jump right into producing the aluminum parts without hesitation. Once the parts are out of the CNC machining centers they are tumbled, clear anodized, laser engraved, and packaged for delivery. Custom machined brass bushings and bolts ensure a perfect fit and no sag.

As a lean manufacturer specializing in quality parts in small-medium quantities, Burlington Medical continues to rely on us for a sable supply of inventory. They also know we’re ready to easily jump into a design revision if necessary.