Medical Device Manufacturing | Assembly Magazine

Medical Device Manufacturers Require Tighter Leak Test Requirements

Tighter leak rate requirements are driving demand for smarter equipment in medical device manufacturing.

May 1, 2018

Catheters, pacemakers, ventilators and dialysis filters are vastly different products. But, they all have one thing in common: they must be checked for leaks, whether into, or out of, an assembly.

Find the Right Medical Adhesive

Answer these five basic questions to select the ideal adhesive for your medical application.

Robert Michaels

May 1, 2018

Picking the right adhesive almost always entails a balancing act as engineers attempt to find products that meet conflicting end-use and manufacturability requirements. Medical device engineers, who also have to contend with a strict regulatory environment, often have the toughest time striking that balance.

Bubble-Free Potting of Capacitors

Scheugenpflug’s vacuum potting system ensures quality encapsulation of high-voltage capacitors for medical devices.

Karin Prechtner

May 1, 2018

From cameras to pacemakers, hybrid race cars to solar-powered ships, capacitors are indispensable in both industrial and everyday life. In electrical systems, they ensure that voltage peaks are smoothed out and fault currents are eliminated.

Laser Welding Plastic Medical Devices

Established, and evolving, laser technology is helping medical device manufacturers produce smaller, lighter and safer products

Jim Camillo

May 1, 2018

Comfort food can do more than just make a person feel good after a rough day. It can also be used, believe it or not, to help someone better understand a complex assembly technology.

Fastening or Pressing of Medical Devices

For a wide range of medical devices, fastening or pressing is often the best assembly method

Jim Camillo

May 1, 2018

Fastening and pressing equipment have been used to assemble medical devices for decades, and that's not likely to change anytime soon.

Laser Wire Stripping for Medical Device Assembly

Small wires in medical devices can be safely stripped with lasers

Pete Doyon

May 1, 2018

Laser wire stripping was developed by NASA in the 1970s as part of the Space Shuttle program. The technology made it possible to use smaller sized wires with thinner insulations, without risk of the damage that can be caused by traditional mechanical wire stripping methods.

MEP Aids Medical Device Manufacturers

Many medical device companies have benefitted from the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership

John Sprovieri

May 1, 2018

Bringing a medical device to market is a daunting prospect for even the largest manufacturers. There's nurturing a concept from prototype to finished product; determining how and where to manufacture it; conducting trials for safety and efficacy; and getting FDA approval.

Sterilizing Medical Devices Requires Friendly Agents

The best sterilization process for a medical device depends on the materials and methods used to assemble it

Michael E. Fitzgerald

May 1, 2018

When it comes to sterilizing medical devices, material compatibility is the Achilles' heel.

New Plastics for Medical Devices

New materials are meeting the varying performance demands of medical devices

John Sprovieri

May 1, 2018

Medical devices represent both a challenge and an opportunity for plastics manufacturers.

Automated Assembly of Medical Devices

Sharps, test cards, sensors and miniature gas canisters are among the many medical devices produced on automated assembly systems

John Sprovieri

May 1, 2018

Disposable devices are essential components of every medical, dental and veterinary practice. Using disposables lowers costs, increases efficiency, and reduces the spread of infection. According to market research firm The Freedonia Group, sales of medical disposables in just the U.S. are expected to top $49.3 billion this year.

Feeders for Medical Device Assembly

From vibratory bowls to shaker tables, medical device engineers have many options for feeding parts to automated assembly systems.

John Sprovieri

May 1, 2018

Medical devices pose a special challenge to designers of parts feeding equipment. Parts for such devices can be tiny, sharp, clingy, floppy, tangly; or some combination of those properties.

Additive Manufacturing for Medical Device Production

3D Printing Goes from Prototyping to Production

Austin Weber

May 1, 2018

Additive manufacturing is the hottest thing to hit the medical device industry since the first pacemaker was implanted in a patient 60 years ago. The technology has transformed the way that engineers design numerous products. Now, it’s starting to move beyond prototyping into production.