Tony Doan, CEO, Halcyon Manufacturing
Within the dynamic medical device manufacturing sector, changes to part specifications and quantities are frequent and often unpredictable. As a result, clients require a machining partner who can respond adaptably and nimbly to design and production changes as they occur and be capable to scale up to lights out manufacturing when needed.
Medical device manufacturing customers may prefer large machining operations, but size alone does not equate to capacity. Smaller, precision machine shops such as Halcyon Manufacturing can have an advantage when a client needs a machining partner to be adaptable and nimble. For our clients, the ability to problem-solve by being flexible is incredibly important as complex manufacturing requirements frequently evolve and change.
Medical device machining involves a lot of low-volume, high-mix work. The reality is that not every machine shop wants to take on small orders or highly complex jobs. A client needs a machining partner who really embraces this kind of work in addition to the high-volume orders.
When evaluating the capacity of a precision machine shop, the capability to respond to changes in specifications and production quickly becomes a key factor.
Building capacity through cross-training
Staff cross-training is one way a machine shop can improve their ability to respond to unexpected and time-sensitive machining needs. While today’s machine shops are filled with a mix of high-tech precision CNC equipment, each requires trained staff to manage, maintain and operate.
A lot of machine shops will assign an operator to a specific CNC machine. This can create a situation where a particular operator has to be available and not working on other orders to operate a given machine.
Having the ability to move people from machine to machine, as well as from line to line and from shift to shift, without interruption, enables a machine shop to respond to changes in demand more quickly.
At Halcyon, where bar grade 6061 aluminium, brass, copper, titanium, stainless steel and plastics are machined, we have cross-trained our entire staff to work across all equipment to maximise our capability for scale up.
In addition, we all work multiple shifts, and we have the same controls throughout our shop, making it easy for our people to be able to move around as needed. So, when a client needs something over a weekend, we don’t have to completely rethink how we’re going to schedule. We can easily plug in people for surge hours or to increase our manpower as needed.
The company made the decision to further enhance cross-training through our selection of machining equipment. Unlike shops that purchase a variety of types and brands of CNC equipment over time, Halcyon intentionally purchases the same model of high-end, 5-axis CNC machine from Doosan Machine Tools with FANUC controls as they expand. This further reduces the learning curve for staff.
Lights out manufacturing capability
Adaptability and nimbleness are also needed to be able to scale production up quickly. Some machine shops such as ours operate on a 24/7 basis, enabling customers to connect with them outside of traditional office hours. It takes scaling up production to the next level. CNC operators can set up the equipment to run on its own without supervision overnight.
Lights out manufacturing capability means smaller shops can maximise their capacity without adding more staff.
It starts with culture
The mindset that a machining partner brings to precision medical device machining is also critically important. It starts with the culture of the shop and the problem-solving mindset they bring to a project, particularly for complex, precision parts. You also need a machining partner to be proactive. By engaging early in the process, a machine shop can anticipate and resolve machining issues before any parts are produced.
Recently, a customer approached Halcyon with what appeared to be a simple job that other machine shops had turned down. The part had a 6 in. threaded shaft with a hex head. There was an 832 thread across the outside diameter (OD) of the shaft. Most lathes are not able to cut those threads across six inches. We had to get creative since we could not use round stock, which is generally used when cutting OD threads.
We determined how to form the thread while accounting for the growth that occurs when the thread is formed on plate steel to meet the tight requirements. For it to run on a CNC machine, we also had to create a modified thread using a cut die. We were able to meet the client’s deadlines with parts that met specifications.
Adaptability and nimbleness in precision machining represents a key consideration for medical device clients as they seek partners to provide solutions to their complex design problems and production scale-up needs. Through cross-training, lights out manufacturing and a problem solving, proactive mindset, smaller machine shops are well-equipped to meet the demand.
Halcyon Manufacturing