OMTEC - Orthopaedic Manufacturing & Tech Expo & Conference

Attendees, exhibitors & solutions

Who this event is for

Industry trends

Key trends shaping this market and its wider industry.

Hotel tiers

A range of accommodation options near the venue and across key areas.

Local transport

Get around the city with these convenient transport options.

Frequently asked

Glossary

1

Orthopedic OEM

The original equipment manufacturer that designs and owns the implant or instrument system and sells it under its own regulatory clearances. OEM engineers and sourcing teams are the primary buyers walking OMTEC.

2

Contract manufacturer (CM)

A supplier that machines, forges, molds, coats or assembles components to the OEM's drawings and specifications. Much of the OMTEC floor is contract manufacturing capacity rather than finished-device brands.

3

Implant vs. instrument

Implants stay in the body (hips, knees, spine, trauma plates, extremity components); instruments are the reusable or single-use tools used to place them. Both families have different material, cleaning and inspection requirements.

4

Ti-6Al-4V ELI

Extra-low-interstitial titanium alloy used for implants where toughness and biocompatibility matter. ELI grade controls oxygen and iron content more tightly than standard Ti-6Al-4V.

5

Cobalt-chrome (CoCr)

Wear-resistant alloy common in hip and knee bearing surfaces and in some dental and spine components, usually produced by casting, forging or additive manufacturing.

6

PEEK

Polyether ether ketone, a radiolucent high-performance polymer used in spinal cages and other implants; often compounded with carbon fiber for stiffness or with hydroxyapatite for bone on-growth.

7

UHMWPE

Ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene, the standard bearing material in hip and knee arthroplasty, supplied as bar, sheet or near-net shapes and often cross-linked or vitamin-E stabilized.

8

Additive manufacturing (LPBF / EBM)

Laser powder bed fusion and electron beam melting build lattice, porous and patient-specific orthopedic structures layer by layer. Suppliers present machine capacity, powder handling and post-build machining and inspection.

9

Passivation

A nitric or citric acid surface treatment that removes free iron from stainless steel and restores the chromium oxide layer, a standard finishing step before cleanroom packing of instruments.

10

Hydroxyapatite (HA) coating

A plasma-sprayed or otherwise applied calcium phosphate coating used to encourage bone fixation on cementless implants. Coating thickness, crystallinity and bond strength are the usual qualification points.

11

ISO 13485

The quality management system standard for medical device organizations. Buyers typically ask for the certificate scope to confirm which processes and sites are actually covered.

12

Design controls and DHF

The documented design process and Design History File required for US medical device submissions; contract manufacturers feed verification and validation evidence into the OEM's design controls.

13

First article inspection (FAI) and PPAP-style packages

Dimensional and process evidence proving a production run matches the drawing and specification. Orthopedic buyers use these to release a new supplier or a new process into production.

14

Cleanroom packaging and sterilization

Implant and instrument packaging is performed in controlled environments and validated for the sterilization method used, commonly ethylene oxide, gamma or electron beam irradiation.

15

Trauma, recon, spine, extremities

The main orthopedic market segments. Trauma covers fracture fixation, recon covers hip and knee replacement, spine covers fusion and motion preservation, and extremities covers shoulder, hand, foot and ankle.