Sean Fenske, Editor-in-Chief11.14.22
It’s been quite the hiatus since attending the Medica and CompaMed trade shows in Dusseldorf, Germany. My last visit to the event was 2019, prior to all the disruption created by the COVID-19 pandemic. With renewed enthusiasm, I was anxious to get back onto the show floor to meet with those companies attending the 2022 event. In anticipation of my visit, I reached out to a number of companies to get the scoop directly from them on what they are showcasing at the event, what challenges customers have brought them, and where they see their role within the industry in aiding medical device manufacturers. With that in mind, Ryan McFarland, product manager at Ulbrich Specialty Wire Products, and Christian Prischmann, director of business development at Ulbrich of Austria GmbH, shared the following insights to help you determine if the firm should be a potential services partner for you in 2023 or beyond.
Sean Fenske: What technology or service are you emphasizing at Medica/CompaMed this year?
Ryan McFarland: Ulbrich offers a variety of wire products for the medical device industry, including silver-plated copper wire for medical tubing mandrel; nitinol, stainless steel, tungsten (Radiopacity), Co-Cr (Biocompatibility), and composite wires (Nitinol-Platinum and other bi-metals) for catheters, reinforced medical tubing, catheter steer wires, braided stents, etc.; and nitinol and stainless steel wire for guidewire products.
Fenske: What's the most common challenge customers inquire about and how do you address it?
Christian Prischmann: Providing products with no specification and relationship to our customer's product development and engineering organization. Ulbrich always looks for possibilities to connect with our customer's product developers and engineers who are needed to complete development projects successfully. Collaboration and teamwork are the keys to Ulbrich's and our customers' growing demand and success.
Fenske: If you could give one piece of advice to companies seeking a manufacturing partner before they make a decision, what would it be?
McFarland: Trust Ulbrich as a leader, innovator, and reliable solution provider for medical device applications. We're privately owned, financially stable, and have almost 100 years of experience—all good reasons to be included and considered when searching for a manufacturing partner.
Fenske: What are the forces driving medical device manufacturers to seek your technology/services over doing it in-house?
Prischmann: Ulbrich is a specialized metal solution provider with decades of experience in processing different materials. Mechanical and process engineers, metallurgists, and product managers have designed products, processes, and manufacturing technologies to make exceptional and high-quality products according to our customer's requirements. Constant developments and implementations of innovations and technologies are an essential part of our technical organization responsibilities. They require significant knowledge of the metal processing industry and our products' applications.
Fenske: In what ways is your company able to aid in getting a product (project) to market faster?
McFarland: Ulbrich's Standard and Rapid Prototype Braid Wire Accelerator Program offers a wide variety of braid wire products with enhanced delivery times and low MOQs. Global customer service and product development presence and manufacturing sites in North America (South Carolina) and Europe (Austria) support our customers to bring their standard products and new developments to market faster.
Ulbrich Wire Group is located at Medica/Compamed in Hall 8B, Booth/Stand G20-6.
Sean Fenske: What technology or service are you emphasizing at Medica/CompaMed this year?
Ryan McFarland: Ulbrich offers a variety of wire products for the medical device industry, including silver-plated copper wire for medical tubing mandrel; nitinol, stainless steel, tungsten (Radiopacity), Co-Cr (Biocompatibility), and composite wires (Nitinol-Platinum and other bi-metals) for catheters, reinforced medical tubing, catheter steer wires, braided stents, etc.; and nitinol and stainless steel wire for guidewire products.
Fenske: What's the most common challenge customers inquire about and how do you address it?
Christian Prischmann: Providing products with no specification and relationship to our customer's product development and engineering organization. Ulbrich always looks for possibilities to connect with our customer's product developers and engineers who are needed to complete development projects successfully. Collaboration and teamwork are the keys to Ulbrich's and our customers' growing demand and success.
Fenske: If you could give one piece of advice to companies seeking a manufacturing partner before they make a decision, what would it be?
McFarland: Trust Ulbrich as a leader, innovator, and reliable solution provider for medical device applications. We're privately owned, financially stable, and have almost 100 years of experience—all good reasons to be included and considered when searching for a manufacturing partner.
Fenske: What are the forces driving medical device manufacturers to seek your technology/services over doing it in-house?
Prischmann: Ulbrich is a specialized metal solution provider with decades of experience in processing different materials. Mechanical and process engineers, metallurgists, and product managers have designed products, processes, and manufacturing technologies to make exceptional and high-quality products according to our customer's requirements. Constant developments and implementations of innovations and technologies are an essential part of our technical organization responsibilities. They require significant knowledge of the metal processing industry and our products' applications.
Fenske: In what ways is your company able to aid in getting a product (project) to market faster?
McFarland: Ulbrich's Standard and Rapid Prototype Braid Wire Accelerator Program offers a wide variety of braid wire products with enhanced delivery times and low MOQs. Global customer service and product development presence and manufacturing sites in North America (South Carolina) and Europe (Austria) support our customers to bring their standard products and new developments to market faster.
Ulbrich Wire Group is located at Medica/Compamed in Hall 8B, Booth/Stand G20-6.