The world of stiff polyurethane
Interview with Mr. Ianni – Technical Manager of General Project

What does your company deal with?
General Project is a company that manufactures electromedical appliances for surgical, vascular and dermatological applications and the field of cosmetic medicine. Established in 1995, we address international distributors and are present in about 85 countries.

How did you get to know about the existence of stiff polyurethane and what made you decide to choose this material?
Our designer Christian Theill suggested it to us in 2000 as part of the development of a diode laser.

How did you get to know RGS Europa?
Christian Theill suggested we contact RGS Europa as he trusted them and had previously had positive experiences with them.

What products have you made using stiff polyurethane?
Countless products have been deveIoped: from the laser diode mentioned previously (MD30), to the following MD60, the Silk Peel and Easy Peel dermoabrasion systems, the Flash1 pulsed lights, the MED family (MED Flash II, MED Sculpt and MED Stretch). Followed more recently by MED Contour, MED2 Contour and Prime Contour.

What advantages have you found in choosing stiff polyurethane compared to other materials?
The ease of making also complex shapes (undercuts, walls without draft), though the mould lock-up costs (especially if they are made of resin) are reasonably low, handling low production batches compared with other moulding technologies such as injection moulding and an excellent finishing level.

According to you why should a company choose stiff polyurethane?
I think that the stiff polyurethane technology compared with other moulding technologies is particularly competitive for businesses like General Project that operate in sectors such as cosmetic medicine where the annual figures are low and an appealing design is key to the success of a product.

What development potential do you foresee for stiff polyurethane?
Certainly good, also in view of the normal evolutions of the materials, with the possibility of further product specificities.

Med Contour: a brilliant example
of technology and design
Mr. Ianni tells us about the latest project developed in collaboration with RGS Europa

Tell us about a project developed with RGS Europa
One of the latest works developed is MED Contour. This is an ultrasound cavitation system for non-invasive liposculpture treatments. It is intended for use c/o clinics specialised in treatments for cellulite and/or localised adiposity.

Why did you think about stiff polyurethane for the development of this product?
We wanted a product with a high degree of finishing and we had had a pair of not completely satisfactory experiences with other technologies like thermoforming and injection.

What materials were used for your product?
For making the trolley we chose to use tubes made of steel and powder-painted sheet metal, while for the styled bodies we decided for stiff polyurethane. We have the upper body, the handpiece rests and the front panel made of stiff polyurethane through resin moulds, while the lid (used for the trolley version) has been made of Baydur®60 through an aluminium mould and high-pressure moulding.

What problems did you encounter during the design stage and how were they solved?
The most difficult parts to engineer were the handpiece supports.
We needed to develop three versions of handpiece support with sophisticated geometry and internal undercuts. Together with RGS Europa, taking account of the actual dimensions of the piece, we decided it was best to make a single resin mould with three impressions fitted with mobile wall to eliminate the three undercuts with a single movement. RGS Europa's contribution was also decisive in fine-tuning the geometries of the trolley lid, made with an aluminium mould where the magnets used for closing the lid are co-moulded.
Previously the lid was made of fibreglass with countless assembly problems that called for the presence of highly skilled technicians to adjust the hinges.

Are you satisfied with the results obtained?
I am more than satisfied. Med Contour represents a perfect example of the potential that stiff polyurethane can offer to companies like ours, solving the technical difficulties while at the same time reconciling straightforwardness and style.