Originally Published EMDM January/February 2005
Industry News
In BriefMaterials Science Software Collaboration Extended
Two recent agreements enable a Cambridge-based company and the University of Cambridge to provide researchers with a new method to aid the characterization of molecular-level structures. Accelrys Ltd. (Cambridge, UK) will deliver materials science software, developed at the university, to its customers in industrial research.
New technology covered under the first agreement builds on an existing Accelrys quantum mechanics product to predict nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) chemical shielding tensors and quadrupolar coupling constants for any material.
Applications include designing or characterizing materials for nanotechnology.
The second agreement extends an existing contract so that Accelrys will continue to distribute the CASTEP quantum mechanics program until 2016. CASTEP simulates key properties of solids, interfaces, and surfaces for a wide range of materials.
For more information, contact Accelrys Ltd., 334 Cambridge Science Park, Cambridge
CB4 0WN, UK; phone: +44 1223 228500; e-mail: iclements@accelrys.com;
Internet: www.accelrys.com.
Precision Metals Facility Opens in Galway
A full-service supplier of precision metal products to the medical device industry has opened a plant in Gort, Co. Galway, Ireland.
Ulbrich Precision Flat Wire LLC (Westminster, SC, USA) produces stainless-steel wire in the microscopic cross sections required for catheter-related diagnostic devices. Wire is available in widths as narrow as 0.0025 in. and in thicknesses starting at 0.0003 in. The new facility will initially offer tight-tolerance round and flat wires and wire spooled on CNC winding equipment.
For more information, contact Ulbrich Precision Metals Ltd., IDA Business Park, Gort, Co. Galway, Ireland; phone: +353 91 630290; fax +353 91 630299; e-mail: flat_wire@ulbrich.com; Internet: www.ulbrich.com.
Development Centre to Facilitate Interaction
Micro Medical Technologies (Somerset, NJ, USA) recently opened the Frank Semcer Development Center at its headquarters. The centre is designed to allow its technical staff of 15 engineers and toolmakers to easily interact during the medical device design and production processes.
For more information, contact Micro Medical Technologies,
140 Belmont Dr., Somerset, NJ 08873, USA; phone: +1 732 3020800; fax: +1 732 3020436; e-mail: sales@microstamping.com; Internet: www.microstamping.com.
Organization Offers Medical Alloy Technical Support
A recently consolidated sales organization for medical alloys will provide technical sales support for the Sandvik Bioline (Holbrook, Sheffield, UK) family of stainless steel, titanium, and special alloy products. The organization will operate from three centres: Orleans, France; Düsseldorf, Germany; and Sheffield, UK. Each centre will be staffed with technical marketing personnel offering metallurgical and product-processing expertise.
The staff will advise medical device manufacturers on the range of Sandvik Bioline materials and products, and will liaise with customers on their appropriate use in the development of existing and new applications.
Sandvik materials are used for various medical device applications, such as catheter guidewire systems and wire for diagnostic and sensor electrical leads.
For more information, contact Sandvik Bioline UK, Long Acre Way, Holbrook, Sheffield S20 3FS, UK; phone: +44 114 2633100; fax: +44 114 2633111; e-mail: biolineuk.smt@sandvik.com; Internet: www.sandvik.com/bioline.
UK Metal Fabricator Sets Up Shop in Germany
A UK-based company has chosen a medical product manager for its recently established office in Baden-Württemberg in Germany. Paolo Diodati has been named medical business development manager by Fine Tubes Ltd. (Plymouth, UK) and will provide technical support for a portfolio that includes titanium-alloy and stainless-steel tubes.
Diodati holds PhD and masters degrees in mechanical measurements and engineering, and has practical medical experience in clinical environments.
Fine Tubes Ltd. manufactures tubing for orthopaedic, vascular, and equipment needs for the medical market. The company offers cold-drawn medical tubing in sizes ranging from 0.3 to 50.8 mm OD. During manufacture, pilgering and drawing processes are used to control OD and ID tolerances, surface finish, inclusion levels, and grain size.
For more information, contact Fine Tubes Ltd., Estover Works, Plymouth, Devon PL6 7LG, UK; phone: +44 1752 697221; fax: +44 1752 733301; e-mail: bschadow@fine-tubes.co.uk; Internet: www.finetubes.com.
Company Expands Moulded LSR Products for Healthcare Market
Freudenberg-NOK General Partnership (Plymouth, MI, USA) recently announced that its acquisition of Jenline Industries Ltd. will expand its ability to supply moulded liquid-silicone rubber (LSR) products to the healthcare component market. The lead centre for LSR products will be established at Jenline’s Gloucester facility in Massachusetts.
Freudenberg-NOK is a joint venture between Freudenberg & Co. of Germany and NOK Corp. of Japan. The company offers a portfolio of special precision seals for the medical device market.
For more information, contact Freudenberg-NOK General Partnership, 47690 E. Anchor Ct., Plymouth, MI 48170-2455, USA;
phone: +1 734 3545446; Internet: www.freudenberg-nok.com.
Coating Centre Expands Clean Areas
A 1700-sq-ft cleanroom is operational at the headquarters of Specialty Coating Systems (SCS; Indianapolis, IN, USA). The design features ISO Class 7 and Class 6 areas, as well as Class 5 area for component fixturing and examination.
The addition allows the Indianapolis coating centre to receive, clean, coat with parylene, inspect, and repackage products for shipment in an environmentally controlled area. Laminar airflow, gowning and masking, and HEPA filtering are used to control the bioburden, minimizing the sterilization dosage required prior to a medical device’s use. One cleanroom incorporates the SCS PDS 2035CR parylene deposition system, which is specially designed for fully automated coating in a cleanroom environment.
For more information, contact Cookson Electronics, 7645 Woodland Dr., Indianapolis, IN 46278, USA; phone: +1 317 2441200; fax: +1 317 2402092; e-mail: cgillespie@ cooksonelectronics.com; Internet: www.cooksonelectronics.com.
Centre Provides Rapid Custom Prototype Service
A plant offers quick-paced custom prototyping for medical device manufacturers. The Express Short Run Center, from Precision Wire Components (Tualatin, OR, USA), dedicates an array of machinery and technical support to custom, small-quantity runs.
The ISO-certified centre provides device subassembly services, centreless and profile grinding, coil winding, wire straightening, and PTFE and parylene surface treatment. Other needs that are addressed by the centre are plasma welding, forming and flattening, nitinol shape setting, heat-treating, deburring and radiusing, and passivating and cleaning.
For more information, contact Precision Wire Components, 10230 SW Spokane Ct., Tualatin, OR 97062, USA; phone: +1 503 6912027; fax: +1 503 6124100; e-mail: drardin@pwcwire.com; Internet: www.pwcwire.com.
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