Shaping medical device manufacturing in North America

Jan 09, 2024

GF Machining Solutions

A 50,000-sq.-ft., state-of-the-art Medical Center of Competence

GF Machining Solutions LLC, 560 Bond St., Lincolnshire, Ill., 60069

Officially opened on April 19, 2023

To provide medical device manufacturers application support and access to the latest machining technology

North American manufacturers can reach out to Donn Wuestenberg, GF Machining Solutions’ medical business development manager, at [email protected] to discuss consultation or visit the company website www.gfms.com/en-us/solutions/industries/medical.html.

Medical device manufacturers now have a North American partner and resource in GF Machining Solutions (GFMS). On April 19, 2023, the company officially launched its long-awaited Medical Center of Competence, located at its headquarters in Lincolnshire, Ill.

What does this mean for the medical device manufacturing community? Machine shops looking to take on projects related to the medical industry, whether it's devices, implants, inserts, tooling, or packaging, can reach out to consultants and engineers at the Medical Center of Competence for guidance.

"The average application engineer at our main headquarters has at least seven years plus of experience in manufacturing," said Eric Ostini, head of business development, North and Central America at GFMS. "The goal is to bring our knowledge—both locally and globally—to medical device manufacturers that need our help. Customers across North America can come to us with their projects, and we will use our knowledge, skill, and technology to help determine the best way to produce the part."

The center carries a full range of technologies, including automation hardware and software from System 3R; 5-axis laser surface structuring; wire and die sinker EDMs, one of which—the CUT F wire EDM—was launched at the center's opening and designed specifically for the medical industry, offering high accuracy, an affordable price point, and small footprint; 3-and 5-axis milling machines; laser texturing machines, used not only for barcoding or identification codes but also for creating textures needed for bone to grow around the material; laser micro-machining; and digital services consulting such as the integration of enterprise resource planning (ERP) software within automation cells.

Bone saw guide blocks are used to position and guide a saw blade during hip and knee replacement surgery. Typically made from hardened stainless steel, they have a matte exterior surface so that the bright overhead lighting does not reflect and disturb the surgeon's vision.

"There is no single answer driving a given process, and no part of medical where a given set of parameters works for all requirements," said Erik Poulsen, medical market segment manager, GFMS Management SA. "However, focusing on this segment, we are pushing some technology boundaries to get better results on machining some materials that are typical to medical, for example milling titanium. We have been doing a lot of work on using supercritical carbon dioxide as a coolant for machining titanium and the results are very promising."

Beyond pushing the limits of medical device manufacturing, the center also is designed to meet specific needs and concerns often found in this industry. For example, if a manufacturer is looking for consultation on a part requiring a non-disclosure agreement, the applications engineers can work in a secure area.

"We have the ability to bring our customers in and work in a more secretive area for those requiring that level of privacy," said Ostini. "We can do test cuts and time studies away from our main demo area, and we can show our customers how to do the cuts. We’ve designed our facilities to cater to those type of needs as well."

Beyond offering machining consultations, GFMS also is focused on making medical device manufacturers better at the day-to-day operations. The center is currently offering demonstrations for companies interested in learning how to better use ERP systems or integrate ERP into an automation cell to create an order and send it down to the cell automatically to produce the parts. It's all about showcasing possibilities and helping make the work of medical device manufacturers better and easier.

"To do good work for customers in the medical segment, you need to understand specific needs and language—so the idea of a Medical Center of Competence, bringing together tools, machines, and experienced people to a single place, makes sense," said Poulsen.