Sandvik Enhances OEM Access to its R&D

In an effort to add value for medical device OEMs, the global industrial group Sandvik has created a new business development team dedicated to enabling customers to better exploit the company’s research and development (R&D), manufacturing and materials science capabilities.
 
The team will forge collaborative relationships between OEMs’ product design engineers and Sandvik’s own experts to create an early starting point of common innovation. The team will focus on materials technology and manufacturing techniques, and customers will be able to capitalize on Sandvik’s track record in other application areas.
 
The new team is being led by Simon Grant and comprises medical market expert Bob Bruce and technical specialist Dr. Ola Wilhelmsson, Ph.D.
 
“Our customers are experts in designing products that surgeons want to work with,” explained Grant. “The depth and breadth of our R&D capability means we can exploit our materials and manufacturing expertise such that they complement and enhance our customers’ designs. As a result we can work in partnership with OEMs to develop new initiatives that will result in product innovation that truly gives our customers a competitive edge.
 
“In essence, it is now easier to translate our R&D resource into collaborative programs, between ourselves and our customers, designed to enable OEMs to develop and bring new and exciting products to market.”
 
Sandvik currently invests about 4 percent of its total sales in R&D and has more than 2,000 employees dedicated to research and product development, including 350 materials scientists, of whom 100 are Ph.Ds. Sandvik also has Europe’s largest R&D facilities for the development of special-metal alloys and ceramics, according to the company. 

“This is a phenomenal commitment, encompassing a wealth of technologies, and is unrivalled in the medical sector,” Grant added.  “We’d like to take this opportunity to invite medical device OEMs to meet with us and explore how we can bring this capability to bear on their behalf.”
 
Particular areas in which medical device OEMs may wish to collaborate with Sandvik include:
·         Material design and analysis
·         New metal alloys
·         Metallic powders
·         Ceramics
·         Surface modification
·         Modelling
·         Fine powder technology
·         Machinability
 
This move echoes the way Sandvik operates in other industry sectors. Throughout the company’s 150 year history it has built collaborative partnerships with customers based on a long-term commitment, clearly defined boundaries and a joint creative approach to problem solving, an approach that has proved incredibly successful, officials explained. 

The Sandvik Group is a global high technology enterprise with 47,000 employees in 130 countries. Sandvik’s operations are concentrated on three core businesses: Sandvik Tooling, Sandvik Mining and Construction and Sandvik Materials Technology.