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However, themost obviousoutcome of theevent is synergy,the buzz wordthat describeswhen thecombined effectof a merger isgreater than thesum of its parts.And afteranalysing whatPhillips and

Medisize have to offer in terms of technology, innovationand regional prowess, synergy really is the only word thatsprings to mind.

Already the combination of key strengthsare shining through — Medisize is renownedfor its industry-leading automated assembly,particularly in the lucrative mid to high volumeassembly runs while Phillips’s expertise in multi-shot moulding is second to none. To give youthe full picture, Bill Welch, the newly formedcompany’s Chief Technical Officer, and MattJennings, President and CEO, write exlusively forMPN.

Bill Welch, Chief Technical Officer on Multi-MaterialMoulding and Automation

Multi-Material MouldingMulti-material (multi-

shot) moulding has beenextensively used in thecommercial markets for over25 years, but has had sloweradoption in medical. Whenproperly integrated into adesign, it can be the elegantsolution to reduce overallcost and improve quality,being mindful to balance the upfront tooling costs with themanufacturing savings and quality improvement. Whilemulti-material moulding was initially focused on twomaterials, we today have examples of four materials beingused in a single injection mould. In cases such as this,multiple benefits are being realised in a single part,including integrated sealing, reduced part count (eliminatesassembly), integrated graphics (eliminates secondaryprinting operations), soft touch (improves tactile feel and

grip) and dampening — sound and vibration isolation.Another specialty within multi-material moulding is the

creation of a Moulded Interconnect Device (MID). An MIDis created by moulding two materials — one that can beplated and one that resists plating — to form a 3D circuitboard. This can be very effective in eliminating the needfor multiple flex or hardboard circuits, and provides theadded benefit of creating complex shapes.

Phillips-Medisize has also developed a system forhardcoat (a common requirement for PC lenses) thatenables digital printing of the hardcoat, effectively reducingcost and lead time, and masking requirements when amulti-material component requires a hardcoat.

<< The OmniPod is a modern diabetic meter and drug delivery device. It contains a multi-

material, multi-shot MID electronic componentmanufactured by Phillips-Medisize. >>

Automated AssemblyThe Phillips-Medisize approach is to offer customers

both technology and market-focused facilities in multiple,convenient locations. Consistent with this approach is thedevelopment of Centers of Excellence for varying levels ofautomated assembly.

Several Phillips-Medisize facilities have unique expertisein advanced assembly, for example, the new Richmond,Wisconsin facility is focused on lower volume, complexsingle-use products, and heavily leverages low volume“smart” assembly.

The Menomonie facility, also in Wisconsin, is focused onmid- to mid-high volumes and has demonstrated expertisein complex flexible automation cells with many operations,and higher volume automation modules with compactmachine footprints.

World English Dictionarysynergy

— n , pl -gies1. Also called: synergism, the potential ability of individual organisations or groups to be more successful or productive as a result of a merger2. The interaction of two or more agents or forces so that their combined effect is greater than the sum of the effect of their individual parts.

[C19: from New Latin synergia, from Greek sunergos; see synergism]

COVER STORY

The plant in Kontiolahti, Finland, is focused on highvolume, fully automated assembly and is best-in-class inmanaging and validating complex systems that havemany moulded and purchased components.

All Phillips-Medisize facilities leverage robotics andpress-side automation to reduce cost and lead time byworking within the machine cycle time.

Customised production — partnerships built oninnovation

The primary benefit of the Phillips-Medisize approach isto develop a customised solution based on programmevolume, compexity and risk. By offering our customersoptions from manual assembly in low-cost countries tohighly automated and engineered solutions, Phillips-Medisize is able to select a manufacturing strategy that is inthe customer’s best interest. Further, by gaining earlyinvolvement via its design centres, Phillips-Medisize can scaleoperations, starting with low-volume clinical or pilot buildsand ending at the desired scale, managing capital cost andmanufacturing risk along the way.

A meeting of mindsMatt Jennings, President and CEOon Partnerships ThroughInnovation

Today there’s continued pressurefor our drug delivery and medicaldevice manufacturers to innovate withnew products appropriate for theglobal markets to drive top linegrowth, continually improve quality,stay compliant with the changing

regulatory landscape and simplify the supply chain to reducecosts. That is a mouthful but true.

As a result, our customers are looking for partners thatunderstand the market challenges and that can be a valuedresource to help them achieve their goals. Partners that canhelp them design, develop and industrialise their ideas to helpwith accelerating products’ time to market is critical.

Our customers are also looking for partners that canreduce supply chain length and complexity by offeringlocations close to end markets. Partners that proactively findways to take out costs in the supply chain and improve qualityis always a requirement. That’s what Phillips–Medisize doeswell every day. We take a customer-centric approach andalign our strategy from design and development throughmanufacturing with what they’re trying to accomplish aroundthe globe. But true partnerships need to be a two-way street,with the OEM willing to share their strategy and objectives, beopen about resource constraints and limitations and have awillingness to share the responsibility.

Medical devices are becoming smaller and smarter andOEMs are placing more focus on cosmetic and human factorengineering into the product design in addition to thetraditional form, function and fit of medical design elements.As a result, drug delivery devices and diagnostic devices thatmust maintain very high tolerances and quality standards whileincorporating cosmetic finishes is something we see more andmore, particularly with high-volume patient use items. Anotherimportant development is people are increasingly integratingelectronics into their devices. It’s something that we’ve beenpositioned well to do with our advanced capabilities in multi-shot moulding, automated assembly and quality control andadvanced inline coatings and finishing technologies to helpachieve the desired design intent and user experience.

Today we offer advanced multi-material (multi-shot)capabilities that include up to four different materials in asingle, complex mould. We also have the capability to haveone or two of the materials be a silicone. This provides anelegant solution to sealing issues, while reducing part countand creating a shorter supply chain. Also, our metal injectionmoulding (MIM) is a great process for components thatrequire tight tolerances, with surface finish that is muchimproved compared with the industry’s early years.

On hearing the news of themerger between Phillips and

Medisize, a number of keywordssprung to mind, such as Euro-US

transatlantic cooperation, what agreat idea and why didn’t they

do it earlier? What I didn’t expectwas that the new logo would be

everywhere at MD&M West,including on the room key of the

Marriot hotel at the AnaheimConvention Center.

<< The images show the automation capabilities of thecompany. Notice the blur in the first image, reflecting the

speed at which devices are being assembled. >>

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