Originally Published EMDM
September 2003
INDUSTRY NEWS
Swiss Supplier to Device OEMs Banks on Bright Future |
| CM will officially celebrate its plant expansion next summer, when everything down to the landscaping will be completed. |
In the present economy, success stories are in short supply. So when a Swiss company doubles its production space—and quietly lays a foundation for additional growth—one is compelled to take notice. Cendres & Métaux S.A. (CM; Biel/Bienne, Switzerland) will officially unveil its new 7000-m2 production facility, technical center, and reception area on 11 June 2004, but the new production area is already buzzing with activity. A contiguous plot of land has been purchased in case further expansion is needed.
CM manufactures semifinished and finished products from precious metals, titanium, and related materials. The US FDA–registered firm processes the materials on-site, where it also creates the master alloys and performs vacuum and continuous casting. Rigorous testing ensures the materials remain pure during the entire process. A battery of turning, milling, and stamping machines transform the materials into micromechanical components for the medical device, dental, and jewelry industries. At the end of the chain, another strict quality control regimen ensures that material purity and parts dimensions are beyond reproach. Micromachining expertise and a corporate culture that prizes quality partly explain the company’s success, says CEO Marc Diserens, but they don’t tell the whole story.
“Our vision can be summed up with the phrase ‘precious precision,’” says Diserens. “We strive for precision. But the fact is that quality is a given in our field. You can’t survive in Switzerland without it.” What has given CM an edge, he adds, is its ability to meet short lead times. The company has wholeheartedly adopted just-in-time production practices and focused efforts on process control and planning. That, combined with its savoir-faire, has been a recipe for success.
“We tend to serve niche markets and go for high market share,” says Diserens, a strategy that has worked well in the dental field. In addition to being a contract manufacturer for dental implant companies, CM markets dental products under its own name. Although dental represents 40% of the company’s activity and continues to show solid growth, it is a mature business, says Diserens. The company’s skill set and its commitment to quality make it a natural link in the medical device supply chain, he adds. Besides, the company loves a challenge. CM is especially interested in producing complex parts that may pose difficulties for other suppliers, adds
Diserens.
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| CM will officially celebrate its plant expansion next summer, when everything down to the landscaping will be completed. |
CM has produced a number of micromechanical parts from titanium and precious metals for use in medical products. The company primarily serves the cardiology and orthopaedic sectors. “We are developing a cardiovascular stent and tubing made from a precious-metal alloy,” says medical product manager Andreas Zürcher. “For example, we can produce tubing measuring 2.2 mm diam with walls that are 90 µm in thickness,” he adds.
The company also has packaging capabilities on-site, and it partners with a nearby contract sterilizer. “We can do it all,” stresses Zürcher, “from the processing and machining of raw materials to the delivery of a packaged and sterile product. Our customer relations are really partnerships that result in mutual trust,” says Zürcher. “That is a basis for long-term success.”
For a company that has all the answers, one question does remain: how long will that parcel of land to the south remain vacant?
For more information, contact Cendres & Métaux S.A., rue de Boujean 122, CH-2501 Biel/Bienne, Switzerland; phone: +41 32 3442211; fax: +41 32 3442213; e-mail:
info@csma.ch; Internet: www.cmsa.ch/industrie.
Norbert Sparrow
Copyright ©2003 European Medical Device Manufacturer
