Case Study
Industry: Medical
This company had been using a range of medical devices since 1949, and its 90,000+ employees and numerous science and technology breakthroughs had earned it a reputation as a pioneer in the medical industry.
To improve surgical outcomes, the company had recently developed a surgical arm designed to assist in multiple types of operations, but because the arm had so many moving parts, the company was worried that it wouldn’t be able to find a manufacturer who could handle the project without outsourcing. This would have introduced unnecessary complexity into the supply chain and increased the time needed to develop each part.
Seaway Plastics Engineering and Wright Engineered Plastics were able to take care of this project expertly, efficiently, and without outsourcing.
Our Objective
The surgical arm required 45 different parts. Producing all these parts in a single location was impossible for most manufacturers, but changing the original design wasn’t an option because it would lead to problems with accuracy during surgeries.
The medical device company wanted to work with a single manufacturer to reduce supply chain complexities, but it also had concerns about patent security. The company’s employees were worried about what could happen if the product and its plans changed hands too many times.
The Results
Seaway Plastics Engineering and Wright Engineered Plastics were able to meet this client’s needs by taking care of the entire process from design to product launch in their own facilities. They also performed all the required quality assurance and control procedures and provided reports within days after sampling, adding even more transparency and reliability to the process.
Manufacturing the surgical arm in one facility enhanced security while also safeguarding the integrity of the device itself. Working with a single manufacturer also improved design-for-manufacturing (DFM), tooling creation, and product testing.
This client saved over $16,000 in shipping and handling costs on top of the other expenses they would have incurred by outsourcing the manufacturing process, quality tests, and validations to another third party. This company also enjoyed more security and device integrity than it would have if it had to work with multiple manufacturers, and although these elements are hard to quantify, they represent significant value for the client.
Conclusion
The surgical arm required 45 different parts. Producing all these parts in a single location was impossible for most manufacturers, but changing the original design wasn’t an option because it would lead to problems with accuracy during surgeries.
The medical device company wanted to work with a single manufacturer to reduce supply chain complexities, but it also had concerns about patent security. The company’s employees were worried about what could happen if the product and its plans changed hands too many times.
