Revolution in Robotics Programming

Zimmer Biomet, a leading global supplier of orthopaedic implants, operates a production site in Winterthur, Switzerland, with around 1000 employees. The company specialises in products such as knee, hip and shoulder implants and uses almost all types of CNC machining in its state-of-the-art production facility. Antonio Bressi, Senior Team Leader Production at Zimmer Biomet, is responsible for two INSYS grinding centres that fine-grind titanium prosthesis parts. Previously, the company had to rely on INSYS service for adjustments or changes to the grinding process, which was time-consuming and costly.

In order to increase efficiency and reduce downtime, Zimmer Biomet decided to integrate the robot programming control into the Siemens NX CAM. JANUS Engineering Switzerland successfully converted the control of the entire grinding cell, including the robot, into a separate programme in XML format. This enabled an almost identical replication of the original INSYS control system in Siemens NX CAM for Zimmer Biomet. A reverse engineering process was used to reproduce all processes for each component of the grinding cell. Specific values such as the grinding pressure were generated in template masks in order to enter them manually in NX CAM. A separate control programme had to be created for each of the two existing INSYS cells, which accounted for the largest part of the project.

Thanks to this integration, robot programmes can now be created independently and without delays. Zimmer Biomet also benefits from a standardised software environment that makes it easier to manage and adapt the programmes. The collaboration with JANUS Engineering proved successful and the project was completed on time and on budget despite unexpected challenges such as the bankruptcy of INSYS Industriesysteme AG. The implementation of this standard marks an important step for Zimmer Biomet and sends a clear message about the importance of autonomy and flexibility in the modern manufacturing industry. Zimmer Biomet plans to continue to automate and expand its capabilities, with JANUS Engineering continuing to play a valuable role.

We are proud of the success of this collaboration and look forward to continuing to develop innovative solutions in the future.