Artec Group Signs Distribution Deal with Ottobock

Artec Group, a developer and manufacturer of professional 3-D software and hardware, closed a distribution agreement with Ottobock, which develops medical technology products and supply concepts in the fields of prosthetics, orthotics, mobility solutions (wheelchairs, rehabilitation aids), neurorehabilitation and medical care for people with reduced mobility.

Under this partnership, Ottobock will re-sell Artec 3-D scanners for prosthesis manufacturing. The first Artec 3-D scanners have been delivered to Ottobock and staff has received applications and sales training by Artec specialists.

The medical device field, in general, and orthopedics and prosthetics, in particular, are good examples of how 3-D solutions advance scientific and technological progress. Increasingly, in medical practice, orthopedists use 3-D technology before creating a plaster cast to enure a higher level of quality, precision, adaptability and ease of use.

Artec manufactures 3-D scanners that analyze real-world objects and gather data on shapes, which is then used to create a 3-D physical replica. Artec offers the only handheld scanners that are lightweight, precise, and able to capture objects quickly, in high resolution and vibrant color, according to the company. Ottobock is reselling both Artec’s Eva and Spider 3-D scanners.

The Artec Eva scans in color and requires no markers and no calibration. It digitizes objects quickly in high resolution. Artec Spider is a new 3-D scanner that is specifically designed for CAD users. It is perfect for reverse engineering, product design, quality control and mass production.

“Three-dimensional technology is the future of orthopedic prosthesis because it facilitates the prosthetists’ work, said Hans Dietl, CFO of Ottobock. “[The use of] 3D scanning shortens the production time and improves the quality of the final product. We consider the Artec 3-D Scanner to be the ideal solution for our products and services.”

“We are pleased with the confidence that Ottobock, one of the most important and innovative players in the orthopedics industry, has placed in us,” noted Artyom Yukhin, president and CEO of Artec Group. “Ottobock is an expert in meeting the needs of amputees around the world. Our 3-D scanners are multi-functional—whether used in medical, historic monument conservation, industrial applications, etc. The partnership is confirmation of our commitment to ensuring quality of our 3-D scanners. A reliable partner like Ottobock enables Artec to better align our scanners to meet the needs of professional users.”

The Artec Group is an international group with subsidiaries in Palo Alto, Calif.; Moscow, Russia; and Luxembourg. Artec’s products and services can be used in many industries, such as in security technology and in engineering, medicine, media and design, entertainment, fashion, historic preservation, and others.

For Ottobock has subsidiaries and employs more than 6,000 people. The company, based in Duderstadt, Germany, has been a family-run business since its founding in 1919 (by a prosthesis maker named Otto Bock). U.S. headquarters had been in Minneapolis, Minn., but have moved to Austin, Texas.