UM Custom IEM Digitization

UM Custom IEM Digitization

Making ear impressions is the key step in customizing in-ear monitor. A pair of highly precise ear impressions is the precondition of making a perfect fitted custom in ear monitors (CIEM). A fine built CIEM can fit perfectly with the ear canal, and it has no pain feeling when worn for a long time. It can listen to music without external interference and isolate external noises to the greatest extent.

Perfect fit

No swelling feeling

No interference

UM Brief History

UM has been making CIEM since 2006 and has over 16 years of experience in custom monitors. With a professional acoustic team, each audiologist has many years of experience in the manufacture of CIEM and holds the state-recognized Level 3 Audiologist Certificate.

Before making custom earphones, UM's core audiologists were engaged in R&D work in the hearing aid industry, with profound knowledge of acoustics and human ear structure. During the continuous development of UM earphones, we have introduced many high-tech precision instruments and equipment to ensure that every earphone can be completed digitally. We aim to provide every customer with accurate, safe and convenient high-end customized experience.

Four Ways For Take Ear Impressions

There are four ways for UM to take ear impressions. From the beginning of using artificial mixing materials to take physical ear impressions to 3D scanning of ear canals, the technology of UM to take ear impressions is making constant improvements, and the equipment is gradually advanced.

Either way, UM digitized the ear prints using sophisticated instruments and specialized technicians.

Hand mixed materials

The most common way to obtain ear impressions is to manually mix A and B materials 1:1 and evenly into a syringe, then inject the silica gel into the ear with an injection gun and take out the ear marks after the silica gel solidifies. This is called solid ear impressions. Due to the error of manual mixing and material taking, 100% accuracy cannot be achieved, and there are differences in material mixing.

Electric ear print syringe

Electric ear print syringe--no manual mixing and adjustment of the material. A and B materials are respectively embedded in the pipe of the syringe, which can automatically mix during injection to ensure no error in the mixing ratio. Compared with manual ear print, the accuracy and efficiency will be much higher.

3D Ear Print Scanners

In 2012 UM imported a digital 3D ear canal scanner, which can fit in any size of ear impressions. The scanner's built-in high-definition cameras, infrared, precision optical devices work for ear impressions scanning at the same time. Through special graphics processing software, the scanned data can be quickly transformed into high-precision 3D graphics. The whole scanning process takes only 2 minutes to complete.

Ear canal scanning gun

Ear canal scanning gun. Professionals scan the ear canal with a 3D ear canal scanning gun to obtain a 3D data model of the ear canal. This is a convenient and safe way to obtain ear impressions. As long as the user sits in a normal posture, the audiologist moves and scans the ear with a sensing probe. The micro high-definition camera can observe the internal conditions of the ear canal and obtain 3D image data of the inner ear by real-time imaging. 

Using a 3D ear print scanner and an ear canal scanner, both can be edited into a 3D electronic ear print by software. The earphone shell is 3D printed directly.

Production Digitization

UM imported 3D resin printers from Germany in 2012 and titanium printers from Germany in 2018. Through the programming and printing of equipment by professional technicians, high-end custom resin and titanium earphones can be produced with various contours and details. The combination of handcraft and precision equipment, continuous excel the traditional methods until the realization of digital production.

3D resin printers

titanium printers

titanium printing

Storage Digitization

The digitization of ear impressions makes it possible to digitize the storage of ear impressions. Whether physical or digital ear impressions, we will transform them into 3D ear print data and establish the ear print database belonging to UM customers. No matter how many years have passed, the customer's digital ear print can be found by the customer's name or the serial number of a previous UM CIEM. Customers can enjoy a fast and convenient digital service without having to take ear prints repeatedly.