Factory for dental and surgical instruments – from design to the finished medical device
HELMUT ZEPF Medizintechnik GmbH
Plant I: Obere Hauptstraße 16-22, 78606 Seitingen-Oberflacht · Plant II (Production): Hauptstraße 60, 78606 Seitingen-OberflachtNew on Amplifa
From Idea to Product
HELMUT ZEPF Medizintechnik GmbH is a manufacturer of dental and surgical instruments based in Seitingen-Oberflacht near Tuttlingen, family-run since 1921 and now in its fourth generation. The company manufactures instruments for dentistry, orthodontics, oral surgery/implantology and CMF surgery 'Made in Germany'. The entire value chain is in-house: design, in-house toolmaking, stamping, pressing and embossing up to 60 tonnes, CNC long turning (SR/SV series, bar pass-through Ø 32 mm), 4- and 5-axis milling, 5-axis grinding, an in-house hardening shop with continuous, batch and vacuum furnaces, as well as validated finishing processes such as vibratory grinding, vibratory polishing, electropolishing and passivation. Materials processed include stainless steel, implant steel, titanium, forged high-grade steel, carbide, NITI, light metals and plastics. With around 125 employees, Zepf supplies more than 50 countries via a dealer network; the quality management system is certified to DIN EN ISO 13485.
- Site
- Seitingen-Oberflacht
- Processes
- Design, Stamping, Pressing, Embossing, Toolmaking (in-house), CNC Turning (Long Turning), CNC Milling (4-Axis), CNC Milling (5-Axis)
- Materials
- High-Grade Steel (Forged), Carbide (Insert), Tungsten Carbide (Sprayed-On), NITI (Nickel-Titanium), Stainless Steel, Titanium, Implant Steel, Light Metals
- Certificates
- DIN EN ISO 13485, ISO 13485
- Founded
- 1921
- Employees
- 125
- Industries
- Dentistry, Orthodontics, Oral Surgery/Implantology, CMF Surgery, Medical Technology
- 01
Design
- 02
Toolmaking
- 03
Stamping/Pressing/Embossing
- 04
CNC Turning (Long Turning)
- 05
CNC Milling (4-/5-Axis)
- 06
CNC Grinding (5-Axis)
- 07
Heat Treatment (In-House Hardening Shop)
- 08
Vibratory Grinding/Vibratory Polishing/Electropolishing/Passivation
- 09
Fine Finishing/Craftsmanship
- 10
Assembly and Inspection
Materials and Processes
Stainless Steel
Main material for dental and surgical instruments, also available as implant steel.
Titanium
For lightweight instruments and difficult-to-machine medical technology components.
Forged High-Grade Steel
Plier bodies and wire-bending pliers with high demands on hardness and fatigue strength.
Carbide / Tungsten Carbide
Inserts and sprayed-on working surfaces for wear-resistant working ends (e.g. contour grinding).
Nickel-Titanium (NITI)
For wire-bending pliers and instruments for processing superelastic orthodontic wires.
Light Metals
For components and housings in CNC manufacturing.
Plastics
For handles, inserts and cheek retractors in CNC machining.
In-House Hardening Shop (Continuous, Batch and Vacuum Furnaces, Shock Cooling)
Coordinated heat treatment of instruments, also as contract work.
Vibratory Grinding, Vibratory Polishing, Electropolishing, Passivation
Validated surface finishing under own control as a downstream step of the hardening shop.
Sites
Plant I – Headquarters
DEHeadquarters, administration, design
Plant II – Production
DEProduction (machining, hardening shop, finishing)
- Lot size
- Micro series from 250 pieces to large series
- Materials
- Stainless steel, implant steel, titanium, high-grade steel, carbide, NITI, light metals, plastics
- CNC long turning machines SR/SV series (bar pass-through Ø 32 mm)
- 4-axis machining centers from bar stock
- 5-axis machining center with pallet changer and laser measuring system
- CNC milling center with rocker and zero-point clamping system
- 5× 5-axis grinding machines
- Presses up to 60 t
- Continuous furnace, batch furnace, vacuum furnace
- Shock cooling system
- Vibratory grinding/polishing systems
Components
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DesignEngineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| StampingForming | – | – | – | – | Stainless Steel, Sheet Metal |
| PressingForming | – | – | – | – | Sheet Metal |
| EmbossingForming | – | – | – | – | Sheet Metal |
| Toolmaking (in-house)Engineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| CNC Turning (Long Turning)Machining | – | – | – | 250 pieces | Stainless Steel, Specialty Medical Technology Materials, Titanium, Implant Steel |
| CNC Milling (4-Axis)Machining | – | – | – | Large series | Titanium, Implant Steel, Light Metals, Plastics |
| CNC Milling (5-Axis)Machining | – | – | – | Micro series – Large series | Titanium, Implant Steel, Light Metals, Plastics |
| CNC Grinding (5-Axis)Machining | – | – | – | Micro series – Large series | Carbide, Stainless Steel |
| Contour GrindingMachining | – | – | – | – | Carbide |
| Hardening (In-House Hardening Shop, Contract Work Possible)Heat Treatment | – | – | – | – | Steel, Stainless Steel |
| Vibratory GrindingSurface | – | – | – | – | Stainless Steel, Steel |
| Vibratory PolishingSurface | – | – | – | – | Stainless Steel, Steel |
| ElectropolishingSurface | – | – | – | – | Stainless Steel |
| PassivationSurface | – | – | – | – | Stainless Steel |
| Fine Finishing/Craftsmanship (Surgical Mechanics)Assembly | – | – | – | – | – |
| Laser Welding/Marking (Laser Measuring System Mentioned)Inspection | – | – | – | – | – |
| Black Surface Finish (TI Version, Scratch-Resistant)Surface | – | – | – | – | Stainless Steel |
13 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CNC Long Turning Machine | SR series | – | Bar pass-through Ø 32 mm | – | Seitingen-Oberflacht |
| CNC Long Turning Machine | SV series | – | Bar pass-through Ø 32 mm | – | Seitingen-Oberflacht |
| 4-Axis Machining Center | – | – | from bar stock, for long parts | – | Seitingen-Oberflacht |
| 5-Axis Machining Center (Milling) | – | – | with pallet changer and laser measuring system | – | Seitingen-Oberflacht |
| CNC Milling Center with Rocker | – | – | Zero-point clamping system | – | Seitingen-Oberflacht |
| 5-Axis Grinding Machine | – | 5 | with pallet changer and laser measuring system | – | Seitingen-Oberflacht |
| Press | – | – | Embossing work up to 60 tonnes | – | Seitingen-Oberflacht |
| Continuous Furnace | – | – | – | – | Seitingen-Oberflacht |
| Batch Furnace | – | – | – | – | Seitingen-Oberflacht |
| Vacuum Furnace | – | – | – | – | Seitingen-Oberflacht |
| Shock Cooling System | – | – | – | – | Seitingen-Oberflacht |
| Vibratory Grinding/Polishing Systems | – | – | multiple systems | – | Seitingen-Oberflacht |
| Training Workshop Machine with Simulator | – | – | – | – | Seitingen-Oberflacht |
Additional services
Quality
The quality management system is certified according to DIN EN ISO 13485:2021 (EN ISO 13485:2016 + AC:2018 + A11:2021 / ISO 13485:2016). Risk management follows ISO 14971; in addition, international guidelines such as those of the American FDA are taken into account.
| Evidence | Plant I – Headquarters | Plant II – Production |
|---|---|---|
| ISO 13485 |
Craftsmanship since 1921
- 1921
Founding of the instrument-making company Zepf in Seitingen by Isidor Zepf; collaboration with Prof. Ferdinand Sauerbruch on surgical instruments and prototypes for arm and leg prostheses.
Helmut Zepf Senior and Junior shaped the company over the following decades into a leading manufacturer of dental instruments in Germany.
- heute
Management of the family business in the fourth generation by Patrick Zepf; site in Seitingen-Oberflacht since 1921.