TPT November 2011

I ndustry N ews

Marshall repositions precision medical machining services

MARSHALL Manufacturing has announced the repositioning of its precision machining services to accommodate a growing need from medical OEMs who increasingly outsource engineering and design assistance responsibility as they downsize their in-house engineering departments. Responding to these changes, Marshall Manufacturing has repositioned the company as an integrated precision services solution provider. This includes a broadened spectrum of design for manufacturability (DFM), including design engineering assistance, prototyping, device validation implementation and precision manufacturing. Marshall’s medical speciality is the process design and manufacturing of high Marshall Manufacturing is an ISO 13485:2003 and ISO 9001:2008 certified manufacturer of medical components

precision Swiss machined components, machined needles, 2D and 3D contouring, and bending of machined wire and tubes. End-use products include urethral needles for sling implants, trocars, surgical tools and spine implants. Explaining the move, Michael Burchill, president of Marshall Manufacturing stated, “Simply being a precision parts manufacturer in today’s medical device industry is not enough. We will be making more of our experience and resources available to assist customers with the development and manufacturing of their products. As the engineering outsourcing trend has grown, it has been a challenge and opportunity for our talented staff to step up and play a greater role in our medical customers’ innovation.” “Marshall Manufacturing has been performing these services for many years in a less structured way than our new plans going forward,” Mr Burchill said. “One example of how we responded to the new outsourcing trend occurred when a medical company asked us to develop a process for 3D contouring an MP35N tubular component after it had been Swiss machined. The challenges were many, but we developed a proprietary process for making the component that actually improved the efficacy of the device.” Another area of increased activity has come directly from surgeons. “We’ve had many surgeons approach us seeking manufacturing assistance for surgical tools

they’ve envisioned,” Mr Burchill reported. “With little more than their napkin sketch, we’ve developed workable prototypes, proceeded into test quantities, and worked through arduous design change and acceptance stages and finally into quantity manufacturing for the medical industry.” Also driving Marshall Manufacturing’s repositioning efforts are time-to-market considerations, difficult to process new materials and cost reduction pressures. “Marshall Manufacturing is experienced in meeting these challenges,” reported Mr Burchill. “We have a 20-year wealth of knowledge that we bring to the design and manufacture of sophisticated metal surgical instruments and implants. Our knowledge and experience can bring about important changes for the better. “For example, in the medical industry there is a tendency to specify tighter tolerances than necessary, which contributes to higher costs and longer development times.Another problemarea is incorrect material selection and processing techniques. They negatively influence the contouring of medical tubes and rods for needles, contributing to productivity losses and increased costs. We have the skilled teams and manufacturing resources to do things better in all of these areas.” Marshall Manufacturing – USA Fax: +1 800 321 6728 Email: contact@marshallmfg.com Website: www.marshallmfg.com

Intelligent Trench wins prestigious health and safety award

THE Intelligent Trench underground mapping solution won the Health & Safety at Work award at the Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation annual awards ceremony, which took place in June. Judges for the award, who represent a variety of stakeholders from across the industry, were looking for solutions that demonstrably led to improvements in health and safety, and which could in particular show originality, robust implementation, best value cost-benefit and wider implementation potential.

By deploying RFID markers in excavations and collecting data and photo- graphic evidence about buried apparatus using GPS enabled PDA software, this information is thereafter available free of charge at any time, making future works safer and more effective. Data can be obtained during any excavation or as part of a non-invasive survey. The Intelligent Trench solution provides instant access to the data through both a desktop portal and directly to the field via supported devices. RFID locators enable

the position of previous works and the location and depth of buried plant to be accurately determined, even in built up areas where techniques such as GPS often fail. Future works may then benefit from access to photographs and other asset data, enabling better compliance with health and safety guidelines such as HSG47. Infotec – UK

Email: sales@infotec1.net Website: www.infotec1.net

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N ovember 2011

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