Manufacturer of endoprostheses and surgical instruments made of titanium, CoCrMo and stainless steel since 1972.
SQ Products AG
Inwil LU (headquarters, production)New on Amplifa
About SQ Products
SQ Products AG, based in Inwil in the canton of Lucerne, is an international supplier to human and veterinary medical technology. The focus is on the manufacture of endoprostheses – hip stems, hip cups, knee joints, spinal and shoulder implants – as well as the associated surgical instruments. The company manufactures from prototype to large-scale series with high-precision turning and milling processes, wire/sinker EDM, powder-bed-based 3D printing of titanium implants, laser marking, blasting treatment, grinding and polishing as well as pre- and final cleaning for medical devices. Materials used are titanium and Ti alloys, CoCrMo alloys, stainless steels and engineering plastics. Over 300'000 items are produced annually, with around 90 employees. The new building of over 6'000 m² in Inwil, occupied in 2019, houses highly automated turning/milling centers, 5-axis milling centers, Swiss-type lathes, measuring machines and cleaning lines; an extension building is under implementation.
- Site
- Inwil
- Processes
- High-precision turning and milling processes, Laser marking of implants, Surface treatment with corundum and zirconium blasting, Powder-bed-based 3D printing of Ti implants, Grinding and polishing, Bonding, pressing, embossing, bending, Assembly, press-fitting, straightening, Careful testing of systems and assemblies
- Materials
- Titanium, Ti alloys, CoCrMo alloys, Stainless steels, Engineering plastics, High-precision turning and milling processes, Wire/sinker EDM, Powder-bed-based 3D printing
- Certificates
- ISO 13485:2016 (DIN EN), ISO 9002:1994, FDA registration (contract manufacturer), ISO 13485:2016
- Founded
- 1972
- Employees
- 90
- Industries
- Human medical technology (endoprosthetics), Veterinary medical technology
- 01
CNC turning and CNC milling
- 02
Wire/sinker EDM
- 03
3D printing (powder bed, titanium)
- 04
Blasting treatment (corundum/zirconium dioxide)
- 05
Grinding and polishing
- 06
Laser marking
- 07
Bonding, pressing, embossing, bending
- 08
Assembly, press-fitting, straightening
- 09
Pre- and final cleaning
- 10
Testing of systems and assemblies
Materials & Processes
Titanium
Base material for implants, also used in powder-bed-based 3D printing of Ti implants.
Ti alloys
Titanium alloys for high-load joint implants.
CoCrMo alloys
Cobalt-chromium-molybdenum alloys for implants and instruments.
Stainless steels
Used for surgical instruments such as rasps and burrs.
Engineering plastics
Processed in machining and joining processes.
High-precision turning and milling processes
Core processes from prototype to large-scale series, including highly automated turning/milling centers and 5-axis milling centers.
Wire/sinker EDM
Machining of implants and surgical instruments.
Powder-bed-based 3D printing
Additive manufacturing of titanium implants.
Surface treatment with corundum and zirconium blasting
Surface structuring of implants.
Laser marking
Marking of the implants.
Pre- and final cleaning for medical devices
Ultrasonic and alcohol cleaning lines for medical devices.
Sites
Inwil
CHHeadquarters, production and administration
- Lot size
- Single-unit production to large-scale series
- Materials
- Titanium, Ti alloys, CoCrMo, stainless steels, engineering plastics
- Highly automated turning/milling centers (11)
- 5-axis milling centers (9)
- Turning machines with 2 spindles (5)
- Swiss-type lathe up to 32 mm diameter
- Wire/sinker EDM machines (6)
- SLM 3D printers for titanium implants
- 3D measuring machines tactile/optical
- Ultrasonic and alcohol cleaning lines
- Blasting machine
Components
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High-precision turning and milling processesMachining | – | – | – | Single-unit production/prototype – Large-scale series | Titanium, Ti alloys, CoCrMo alloys, Stainless steels, Engineering plastics |
| Laser marking of implantsSurface | – | – | – | – | Titanium, Ti alloys, CoCrMo alloys, Stainless steels |
| Surface treatment with corundum and zirconium blastingSurface | – | – | – | – | Titanium, Ti alloys, CoCrMo alloys, Stainless steels |
| Powder-bed-based 3D printing of Ti implantsAdditive | – | – | – | – | Titanium, Ti alloys |
| Grinding and polishingSurface | – | – | – | – | Titanium, Ti alloys, CoCrMo alloys, Stainless steels |
| Bonding, pressing, embossing, bendingJoining | – | – | – | – | Titanium, Ti alloys, CoCrMo alloys, Stainless steels, Engineering plastics |
| Assembly, press-fitting, straighteningAssembly | – | – | – | – | Titanium, Ti alloys, CoCrMo alloys, Stainless steels |
| Careful testing of systems and assembliesTesting | – | – | – | – | Titanium, Ti alloys, CoCrMo alloys, Stainless steels, Engineering plastics |
| Pre- and final cleaning for medical devices (ultrasonic cleaning, alcohol cleaning)Surface | – | – | – | – | Titanium, Ti alloys, CoCrMo alloys, Stainless steels |
| Wire/sinker EDM of implants and surgical instrumentsMachining | – | – | – | – | Titanium, Ti alloys, CoCrMo alloys, Stainless steels |
| Manufacture of endoprostheses (hip stems, hip cups, knee joints, spinal andMachining | – | – | – | – | Titanium, Ti alloys, CoCrMo alloys, Stainless steels |
| Manufacture of surgical instruments (rasps for hip stems, burrs for shoulder/hip cup/small joint,Machining | – | – | – | – | Stainless steels |
| Manufacturing from prototype to large-scale series (contract manufacturing)Machining | – | – | – | Prototype – Large-scale series | Titanium, Ti alloys, CoCrMo alloys, Stainless steels, Engineering plastics |
10 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turning/milling centers (highly automated) | – | 11 (ab 202 | – | 2015/2020 | Inwil LU |
| Milling centers with 5 axes | – | 9 (ab 2020 | – | 2015/2020 | Inwil LU |
| Turning machines with 2 spindles | – | 5 | – | ab 2020 | Inwil LU |
| Wire/sinker EDM machines | – | 6 | – | ab 2020 | Inwil LU |
| Swiss-type lathe | – | 1 | Diameter up to 32 mm | ab 2020 | Inwil LU |
| SLM 3D printer (powder-bed-based) for titanium implants | – | 1 | – | ab 2020 | Inwil LU |
| 3D measuring machines (tactile/optical) | – | 5 addition | – | ab 2020 | Inwil LU |
| Ultrasonic cleaning lines | – | 2 addition | – | ab 2020 | Inwil LU |
| Alcohol cleaning line | – | 1 | – | ab 2020 | Inwil LU |
| Blasting machine | – | 1 addition | – | ab 2020 | Inwil LU |
Additional services
Quality
SQ Products AG is certified according to DIN EN ISO 13485:2016 and registered with the FDA as a contract manufacturer. Qualified equipment, validated processes, a modern tactile/optical measuring machine fleet and coordinated testing strategies (e.g. GR&R) ensure process capability and measurement verification.
| Evidence | Inwil |
|---|---|
| ISO 13485:2016 | |
| FDA registration (contract manufacturer) |
History
- 1972
Foundation of W. Hermann AG
- 1987
Occupancy of new building with 2000 m² in Steinhausen ZG
- 1990
W. Hermann AG becomes SQ Products AG, entry in the commercial register
- 1995
Certification according to ISO 9002:1994
- 2003
Certification according to ISO 13485:2003
- 2013
FDA registration as contract manufacturer
- 2014
Change of ownership and handover of management to M. Glaeske / M. Lehnert
- 2015
Expansion of machine fleet with highly automated turning/milling centers and 5-axis milling centers
- 2019
Relocation from Steinhausen ZG to Inwil LU, new building over 6'000 m²
- 2020
Continuous expansion of production (turning/milling centers, 5-axis, wire/sinker EDM, SLM 3D printers, 3D measuring machines, cleaning lines)
- 2024
Establishment of a training center for polymechanics
Extension building in Inwil planned/under implementation