Moving Machining Forward for Medtech Manufacturing

As medical device manufacturers (MDMs) continue to make smaller and more complex products, often from challenging advanced or sensitive materials, machining equipment companies must improve their machines to reliably make these new designs, some of which push the limits of what machining can do—all while speeding up production and keeping costs down.

“The payoff is big if you can solve a problem that others can’t, but the level of difficulty is at another level now as ophthalmic, neurovascular, and cardiovascular devices push the limits of micro-machining metals and polymers,” said John Shegda, CEO for KMM Group, a Hatboro, Pa.-based contract manufacturer of high-precision components for several industries, including medical devices.

Internet of Things (IoT) and Industry 4.0 technologies—especially automation and robotics—are critical for improving efficiency, quality, tolerance control, and speed of production. Boosting these capabilities