Originally Published EMDM
October 2003
INDUSTRY NEWS
Globalization from Within: Supplier Consolidates International R&D |
| Regional technical centres allow IMI Norgren to focus on developing products for the global market. |
Think global, act central. Such is the case for IMI Norgren Ltd. (Lichfield, Staffs, UK). The international supplier of pneumatic and automation control components has consolidated the expertise of its staff of 270 engineers into three regional technical centres
(RTCs).
Based in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany, the centres were created so that teams of experts could work together on platform- and customer-focused products for the global market. Norgren is “formalizing its approach to research and development and product development. . . to maximize the benefits to our customers,” explains Chris Dixon, head of the UK-based
RTC.
Some examples of the specialized products originating in the RTCs include respiratory equipment and laboratory automation products such as body fluid–testing machines. Norgren’s solenoid valve assemblies, regulators, and liquid-level controls have all been developed to meet the needs of these high-tolerance machines.
“Our centralized approach means that our industry knowledge is shared faster across industry sectors and borders,” says Dixon. “As a result, our customers can benefit from improved quality and speed of design.” US and European products are developed and produced in tandem. After a product is launched, customers can purchase the new item regardless of their geographical location.
Part of the globalization strategy is to have the staff look for ways to create savings opportunities for customers. “Reliability is of major importance for our customers, and we are able to provide mean cycles-between-failures testing,” says Dixon. In a push to further engineer-client interaction, Norgren has its staff visit companies to look at issues firsthand and offer technical support. Dixon adds: “We plan to continue to remove the barriers of time and space to get projects completed quicker and better.”
For more information, contact IMI Norgren Ltd., P.O. Box 22, Eastern Ave.,
Lichfield, Staffs WS13 6SB, UK; phone: +44 1543 265000; fax: +44 1543 265811; Internet:
www.norgren.com.
Laura
Angela Bagnetto
Copyright ©2003 European Medical Device Manufacturer
