From Past to Present
For over a century Blatchford has been associated with the finest principles of amputee care. The company's motto has always been ‘the amputee comes first'. Founded in 1890, the company is family owned, with a list of accolades that includes the Duke of Edinburgh's Designer Prize to their then Managing Director, Brian Blatchford, who also received an MBE in 1974 for services to the prosthetic industry. Three Queen's Awards for Technological Achievement, a Design Council Award and The Prince of Wales Award for Innovation testify to the continuing excellence of Blatchford Products.

In the late 1970's Blatchford broke new ground with the introduction of carbon fibre composite materials resulting in the most dramatic technological change in prosthetics this century. Unlike other structures, the carbon fibre composite used in Endolite possesses superior strength, light weight and is easily formed to difficult shapes. The Endolite system was launched in 1982 and has set standards in technology, weight and function which other manufacturers are now striving to achieve. Operating from headquarters in Basingstoke, United Kingdom, Blatchford's commitment to excellence extends across its design, manufacturing and customer service operations.


Continuing Development
Blatchford's policy of continual reassessment and improvement of design and manufacturing methods maintains Endolite's competitive edge. The introduction of Computer Aided Design linked to Computer Aided Manufacturing facilitates innovation. New designs are now optimised by the use of Computer Aided Engineering for production with CNC machining centres. The full potential of design can now be explored. This in turn contributes to the reputation of Endolite for total quality and reliability.


Towards the 21st Century
Endolite is produced by Blatchford Products Division which is part of the Blatchford group of companies focused on the development of advanced prosthetic hardware. The division has built up one of the largest R & D Departments in the industry and is now considered a world leader not only in prosthetic componentry but also in carbon fibre design and technology. Manufacturing, distribution and after sales service are separate departments within the division. The division further demonstrated that innovation is the key to successful product development when Endolite introduced the first commercial application of microprocessor technology in a Trans-femoral limb in the early 1990's. This unique product won the Queen's Award for Technological Achievement and the Prince of Wales Award for Innovation in 1996. Development continues tirelessly on ever more exciting products utilising state-of-the-art technology and prosthetic procedures.

Blatchford's experts have participated over many years in the working groups and committees dedicated to enhancing the safety of products for amputees. One such example is the creation of IS010328 for structural testing of lower limb prosthetics. This is now the standard that ensures safety and reliability of all Endolite systems.

Blatchford Products Division's high standards are approved by the international quality assurance standard - 1S09001 and the special European Standard for Medical Devices EN46001.