Otto Bock (Round Two)

Today we went to one of Otto Bock’s major manufacturing facilities in Europe, located in Duderstadt. So, in this sleepy little relaxed town, a person can find one of the most high tech, cutting edge plants in the area. We first arrived and were given a presentation on the company and some of the statistics (1,700 employees in Duderstadt and 4,500 worldwide). After that, our next stop was the showroom floor; here we were able to see most of the products we saw in the presentation video. The major standouts of the products were the brand new Genius new replacement and the full arm replacement prosthetic device. The Genius leg features a complex process, which receives inputs to determine how much pressure needs to be exerted on the hydraulic cylinder. This allows for strong support on the application of force on heel strike, yet also a natural swinging gait after toe removal from the ground. It also has an amazing safety feature allowing the joint to stiffen if premature load is put on the leg before the completion of the swing, and preventing the patient from falling. After that, we toured the manufacturing and assembling facility. We saw some massive presses for metal rod pressing and molding, methods used for polyurethane injection molding, and the complicated hand assembly of the prosthetics. One of the most fascinating areas was the quality control and testing department. This was where the synthetic body parts were put to the test and cycled millions of times. This very noisy room is a vital unit to the Otto Bock body, so that customers continue to get quality products for today and the future. This area single handily allows for the perpetuation of the company in the future. To wrap the day up, we were given a presentation from a Human Resources representative on the process of advancing in a company and succeeding in a corporation like Otto Bock.