From INTECH3D we are especially excited to review one of our latest success stories in the electronics sector together with the company Grupo Saltó for two main reasons: Grupo Saltó, in addition to being a leading company in the development of software and ICT services, is a company of our city, Lleida.

Recently, the company Grupo Saltó has won several innovation awards, thanks to the development of its solution with a SOMCARE assistance robot. It is a robot controlled through the SOM platform designed by Grupo Saltó that automatically directs the robot helping the elderly, people with functional diversity or reduced mobility with daily tasks, making their lives a little easier.

About Grupo Saltó

The Lleida-based company Grupo Saltó opened its doors in 1994 as a company dedicated to providing ICT services to clients from different sectors, in the installation, repair and maintenance phases of their equipment. Throughout these years, the company has experienced an evolutionary growth and, today, stands as one of the leading companies in the telecommunications sector. This has been possible thanks to permanent effort and continuous investment in development and innovation.

After the success cultivated during these years, the company has specialized in providing more flexible solutions adapted to each client. Their experience in the new technologies sector has allowed them to offer the added value of customer support and advice, in a work of continuous work and constant growth. In this sense, they have created the SOMCARE robot, a robot that assists the elderly or dependent people, that moves around the house, gives them conversation, reminds them of issues such as the medication they should take, and also allows them to have video calls with relatives or caregivers, so that they can see, through their camera and a mobile phone connected to it, what happens inside the house.

The development of SOMCARE is a pioneering project throughout Spain, which won the "5G Challenge" to improve the autonomy of the elderly, convened by the Mobile World Capital Foundation and the Barcelona City Council earlier this year.

After proclaiming themselves champions, the founder and director Jaume Saltó, who is also the president of PIMEC in Lleida, explained that "this award gives us a lot of strength, because it shows that a Lleida PIME is competing in technology with the multinational Cisco".

Grupo Saltó has more than 25 years of experience in the sector. It is a business group that works for both private corporations and public institutions, with the mission of putting technology at the service of people.

Grupo Saltó specializes in the management of information systems and development of technological projects, dedicated to the installation and maintenance of ICT services, to which they add value from their implementation, evolution and subsequent maintenance processes. These services are related to the development of software for IoT, robotics, artificial intelligence development, big data, geolocation and mobility. In addition, this company also develops ICT services related to technical infrastructures.

The challenge: manufacture a 3D printed part to improve the charging process of your SOMCARE robot

At Grupo Saltó they develop technological solutions to provide assistance to the elderly, people with disabilities or little mobility. The SOMCARE assistance robot is capable of living with people who need assistance in closed environments, such as homes and hospitals.

These robots have the appropriate technology to provide them with care, support and even training, to improve their quality of care and life. The robot can move on flat surfaces, and it works with a battery that can be recharged when it is placed on its charging base, located on the ground.

The challenge that Grupo Saltó proposed to us was to develop a piece that acted as a guide for the robot assistance, and in this way to be able to be placed correctly on its charging base without manual human intervention. Thanks to this part, we guarantee that the robot charges its battery and continues its operation correctly and without human help.

The solution: manufacture of a guide piece with 3D printing for Grupo Saltó

Our company has long stood out for being innovative in 3D design and printing, in order to advise companies to make the leap to this new technology and start producing with additive manufacturing.

In this way, we support the business ideas of companies that want to reduce costs and shorten the production times of their products. As is the case of Grupo Saltó, who entrusted us with the development of an efficient charging system for their SOMCARE robot. Thus, the proposal that we made to them from INTECH3D, was based on the design of a part that would function as a guide so that the robot could be correctly located on its base, so that it could be loaded comfortably, efficiently and without human intervention.

The piece manufactured with 3D printing is a support to be positioned on the charging base previously installed on the ground. The material with which it is made is high resistance plastic, with a specific shape so that the robot can be easily located on the base to recharge its battery.

This support works at room temperature and within closed environments, that is, it is not placed outdoors. You run the risk of suffering some friction due to its guiding function to face the robot and help it to be positioned correctly. Even so, we do not estimate that it suffers too much wear due to this friction, since it has been specifically created so that it fits well and does not deteriorate.

Project results: creation of various prototypes and final part with additive manufacturing

Grupo Saltó chose design and additive manufacturing for this project. In our company, we support any idea from the beginning through our consulting service. We advise our clients in the choice of material and the type of technology to use for the manufacture of the part.

In the case of Grupo Saltó, they needed to guarantee that the robot was capable of positioning itself correctly on the charging base, taking into account that it is a device intended to support people with reduced mobility, who might be unable to place it themselves on said basis.

The result has allowed our client to obtain a customized piece that meets the necessary requirements. In turn, Grupo Saltó was able to save costs thanks to the use of 3D printing and, in addition, the manufacture of the part was done in record time, since it only took 1 day and 5 hours to manufacture it.

“Additive manufacturing is a way to improve prototypes in a sustainable way”

Thanks to the use of additive manufacturing technologies, our client found a fast, economical and practical solution to perfect their SOMCARE assistive robot. Additive manufacturing brought multiple advantages to the company, since this technology allows testing of economic prototypes in a short time.

In this way, we have been able to validate the conceptual idea of the client, and cover his needs. Thanks to the use of 3D printing, aspects such as the best material to choose or the exact shape of the final prototype that we want to achieve can be controlled, whether it is a part, a spare part or serial production.

If, like Grupo Saltó, you want an effective and viable solution to develop your product prototype or final piece, do not hesitate to contact our advisors, who will offer you the best alternatives and the most advanced 3D printing technology.

The INTECH3D 3D Consulting process

INTECH3D we are business advisers and consultants, in the field of the integration of additive production technologies in the value chains of companies. We take responsibility for the correct integration of the teams in the value chain of each company or business:

• Advice during the choice of the right technology
• Marketing of equipment, consumables and spare parts
• Training for the use of the necessary Hardware and Software
• Integrated equipment maintenance
• Official technical service for all products marketed

The INTECH3D technical team has more than 6 years of experience in various 3D printing technologies. We have different technologies and manufacturing materials with 3D printing, to cover the different technological or business needs of each sector:

• Conceptual prototypes
• Functional prototypes
• Final components
• Workshop tools
• Spare parts
• Short and medium production series.

It is also very important that all the departments of the same company know all the possibilities and benefits that 3D printing can bring to their sector:

• Risk reduction in manufacturing
• Reduced manufacturing costs
• Reduced manufacturing time
• Validation with a prototype before making an investment in final manufacturing
• Manufacture "on demand", without discarding material.
• Reduction of the "Time to Market" of the final product
• Manufacture of "Bridge" series to know its fit in the market
• Possibility of making short production series
• Elimination of time in the provision of Stock

If you want to apply 3D printing technology in your company or business, do not hesitate to contact us. We are at the service of companies for the immediate resolution of any doubt or query related to the use of the equipment.