Shrinking Device Sizes Increase Medtech Automation Challenges

The timing couldn’t have been better.
 
Three years ago, NuTec Tooling Systems Inc. began building a syringe coating machine for a large pharmaceutical firm. The client wanted to mass produce plastic syringes with a glass-like coating to provide an alternative to the more costly glass versions typically manufactured by its competitors.
 
The machine NuTec constructed included four Epson Cleanroom SCARA robots (developed by Epson Robots), each of which were strategically placed at various points in the apparatus to precisely and cost-effectively automate the syringe manufacturing process.
 
The automated process coats syringes at a rate of 38 parts per minute, passes the parts through various inspection stations, then siliconizes the hypodermics before changing temporary caps to final caps and subjecting them to a final X-ray inspection. The robots handle the syringes both before and after their glass-like coating is applied; in the final stages, the robots apply inner and outer covers to full containers of syringes and applies labels with a laser marker.
 
The machine was operational in November 2020, enabling NuTec’s pharmaceutical customer to work with the government and manufacture massive quantities of syringes for use in battling COVID-19.
 
“Epson’s high-speed G6-Series SCARA robots with Epson RC+ software enable precision processes with exceptional repeatability assembly pick and place capabilities,” Brent Martz, NuTec Tooling Systems sales and marketing director, said in an Epson news release. “The ease of use and application versatility within the Epson RC+ development environment plus an ISO-3 rating and compliance with cleanroom standards makes them ideal for this project and the medical sector in general, where speed and precision are vital to the manufacturing process.” Bürkert
 
Indeed, speed and precision are vital to medtech manufacturing, particularly as the types of medical devices that can be automatically assembled are constantly expanding. MPO’s feature “Complex Coupling” details the trends and market forces impacting the medtech assembly/automation sector. Robbie Atkinson, CEO of Medical Manufacturing Technologies, was among the more than half-dozen experts interviewed for the feature; his full input is provided in the following Q&A:
 
Michael Barbella: What current trends are shaping the medical device assembly and automation sector?
Robbie Atkinson: Our customers’ desire for more customized and integrated solutions is only increasing.The desire is for “lights-out” operation, smaller diameter, and thinner walled materials, steerable catheters, and diagnostic guidewires. These are more difficult to automate; however, our equipment and applications can meet those demands. As an example, Glebar offers automation in in the manufacturing of diagnostic guidewires—grinding, cleaning, gauging, closed-loop process adjustment, and pass-fail binning. CathTip and SYNEO offer automation for catheter tipping and hole making.   
 
Barbella: What factors are driving the need for automation in medical devices? 
Atkinson: The continued increase in precision, coupled with cost, quality, skilled labor gap, need for consistency, repeatability and increased throughput, and the desire to build a “connected factory floor to measuring over all equipment efficiency. 
 
Barbella: What new innovations have been developed within the medical device assembly and automation space? 
Atkinson: We are constantly innovating. Our equipment technologies and service offering are all tailored meet the needs of our customers.
 
Barbella: What specific market needs to these innovations address? 
Atkinson: Demand for minimally invasive devices for cardiovascular and neurovascular surgeries—Steinman pins and k-wire.
 
Barbella: How is Industry 4.0 affecting medical device assembly and automation? 
Atkinson: Driving innovation and forcing a more connected manufacturing floor—these are bringing inefficiencies to light.
 
Barbella: What are some of the challenging aspects of medical device assembly and automation? 
Atkinson: Materials, low durometers, and thin walls make material handling and assembly increasingly more challenging. 
 
Barbella: What kinds of device assembly technologies have made a significant impact on your organization? 
Atkinson: Combining multiple manufacturing processes into one integrated machine, which reduces labor, increases quality and throughput.  
 
Barbella: How did COVID-19 impact medical device assembly and automation processes or technology, if at all? 
Atkinson: Like everyone else, we definitely felt the impacts of COVID-19. We were able to weather those impacts on the strength of our people and great relationships with our customers.
 
Barbella: How might medical device assembly and automation evolve over the next half-decade? 
Atkinson: As machines become more connected and manufacturers make capital investments, the drive for a more dynamic and comprehensive solution to managing the manufacturing floor will be needed. We are well-positioned to bring that connected partner platform to our customers. We can solve their most complex production challenges, ensure those machines stay up and running with our Total Care offering and ultimately help them drive better patient outcomes as a result.