Sonova is a leading provider of all types of solutions for hearing loss. The company's main products include hearing aids, cochlear implants and other audiology products with digital solutions. The goal of the collaboration with Injex was to produce thin-walled battery holders that can be manufactured and delivered within one week.

Valox 815 - A look at the material properties

Valox 815 has excellent injection molding properties due to the presence of PBT, which has a very low coefficient of friction against metal. For the Sonova prototypes, Injex experts took advantage of the physical properties of Valox with 15% glass fiber, which has excellent strength, good insulation properties and high thermal resistance.

The collaboration between Sonova and Injex

Sonova sought collaboration with an experienced injection molding manufacturer to produce prototypes of a battery holder for a new product under development. These thin-walled parts needed to achieve enormously high strength values. No conventional 3D printing process could meet these specifications. In addition, a fast turnaround time and excellent product surface finish was required.

Injex could meet these conditions and at the same time deliver the product with a tolerance of +/-0.1 mm. Sonova commissioned Injex to produce prototypes of the battery holder in order to be able to carry out the necessary tests cost-effectively and to obtain design validation.

In the first phase of the collaboration, the design intent and functionality of the battery holder were elicited in discussions with Sonova's developers. Based on the requirements profile developed, the use of Valox 815 was proposed. This made it possible to achieve the required physical properties of parts with a wall thickness of around 0.5 mm.

The entire production chain takes place in-house at Injex. This saves a lot of valuable time on the way to market. The agile team quickly addressed Sonova's iteration requests and delivered the parts in just five days - the fastest possible time frame for such an order.

By working together, Sonova saw a significant reduction in overall costs. Sonova was able to perform multiple tests in a timely manner with reliable results for the battery holder prototype, and make informed decisions.