REGIONAL FOCUS
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Don’t expect rock-bottom prices to be an initial part of the sales pitch if you are sourcing a supplier in Singapore. Back in the 1980s, the tiny city-state on the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula was a hub of low-cost manufacturing, but the world has moved on. Nowadays, Singapore is catering to companies in advanced manufacturing sectors, such as medical technology. To get their attention (and their business), the country’s supplier base has focused on adding value, building world-class quality systems, and establishing an unimpeachable record of IP protection. The med-tech industry has taken notice: over the last few years, this sector has been responsible for annual turnovers of more than $2 billion, according to International Enterprise (IE) Singapore.
Driving Growth
A long-standing tradition of solid IP protection has been a key driver of med-tech manufacturing growth in Singapore, according to Andrew Khaw of IE Singapore. Thanks to a strong legal framework and inherent respect for IP, companies such as Baxter and Siemens Medical are able to entrust design and production of their components to suppliers [in Singapore] without fear of infringement, says Khaw.
“Our regulations are equivalent to those in the United States,” adds Keat-Chuan Yeoh, executive director, biomedical sciences group, Singapore Economic Development Board. Noting that regulations are little more than window dressing if they are not consistently applied, Yeoh adds that Singapore is “serious about enforcement.” In this part of the world, it is an important distinction to make.
The country’s network of suppliers to the med-tech industry have made a fundamental commitment to quality. More than 10 companies have been inspected by US FDA, says Yeoh, and some 15 firms have gained ISO 13485 certification. Several more are working toward that goal.
“A supplier’s ability to meet the requirements of US and EU regulatory authorities is a key consideration when medical device manufacturers are evaluating partners,” says Yeoh. “The global medical technology industry has confidence in Singapore-based companies and employees to meet those standards,” he notes.
Manufacturing Traditions
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Electronics and precision engineering are the foundations of Singapore’s manufacturing base. In the mid-1980s, Singapore was a magnet for the US electronics manufacturing services (EMS) industry. That tradition continues, with many tier-one EMS firms maintaining operations on the island.
“Electronics continues to represent about 38% of Singapore’s total manufacturing output,” says Yeoh. “Many of the electronics manufacturing companies have developed a keen interest in supplying the med-tech sector. Over the years, they have acquired the sort of expertise that medical device manufacturers require,” Yeoh explains.
Companies with proven expertise in materials research, optics, and diagnostics also abound in Singapore, according to Yeoh. Moulding services are plentiful, he adds, as are prototyping and development. In fact, Singapore can lay claim to a highly diversified supplier base. Cleanroom injection moulding, assembly, packaging and sterilization, machining, and die-casting all can be sourced here. To help manufacturers locate qualified suppliers able to meet their specific needs, the government has created the Medtech Local Supplier Group. The online tool is a work in progress, but you can find out more about it by going to www.biomed-singapore.com. Business matching is also the focus of the Global-Asia Trade Exchange, which is organized every other year by IE Singapore. Attendees of the two-day conference define their sourcing needs upon registering, and meetings with appropriate suppliers are scheduled during the event. Go to www.gate.gov.sg to learn more.
While Singapore is not in competition with its low-wage neighbours for the high-volume production contracts, its firms have the ability to take on low-volume, high-mix jobs while remaining competitive in terms of costs. “It’s important to remember that many suppliers in Singapore have a reach into the Southeast Asia region,” says Yeoh. “They have operations in places such as Indonesia or Vietnam, where labour costs are very competitive.” In fact, this arrangement can provide OEMs with the best of both worlds, according to Yeoh. The high-value parts of a project can be carried out in Singapore, he explains, with production being moved to a low-cost site in Southeast Asia when appropriate.
Singapore is the smallest country in Southeast Asia and one of the few remaining city-states in the world, but it has big ambitions. One of them is to be on medical device OEMs’ shortlists of outsourcing options. Given its history and single-minded determination to succeed—Singapore has risen to become the 18th wealthiest country in the world in terms of GDP per capita—I would bookmark the Singapore Airlines flight schedules page if I were you.
Beyonics Technology
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Full-service contract manufacturing is offered by a company that has provided cleanroom moulding services since 1982. Beyonics Technology has expertise in the manufacture of disposable components used in drug-delivery products, imaging systems, safety syringes, surgical instruments, and electromechanical assemblies for infusion pumps, among many other products.
The company’s core capabilities are electronics and mechanical assembly, plastic injection moulding, aluminium die-casting, precision machining, metal stamping, coil winding, and tool design and fabrication. It operates 12 facilities throughout Asia. Plants in Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia are certified to ISO 13485:2003. The Singapore location is registered with US FDA; the other two sites can be contracted under license to manufacture subassemblies or components of US FDA–registered devices that will receive final assembly at the Singapore facility.
CEI Contract Manufacturing
Established in the 1980s as a subcontractor to the defence electronics industry, CEI Contract Manufacturing was reorganized in 1990 to provide printed-circuit-board and complete product assembly services. The company has leveraged its expertise in electronics manufacturing to the medical technology sector.
Certified to ISO 9002 and ISO 13485, the company offers full turnkey services to customers in the medical and analytical equipment markets. In addition to producing high-mix, low-volume assemblies, the company is well versed in surface-mount technology, product design and development, prototyping, conformal coating processes, testing and inspection, and documentation control and maintenance.
The firm operates plants in Singapore, Indonesia, and Vietnam.
Encus International
A company that offers vertically integrated electronics manufacturing services operates manufacturing facilities in Singapore and Shanghai. Encus International also has offices in the United States and United Kingdom.
At its Singapore plant, the firm provides mechanical assembly, sheet-metal fabrication, electromechanical and electronic enclosure assembly, and programme and supply chain management. The Shanghai facility is described as a one-stop shop for the design and fabrication of metal parts. Stamping, tool design and fabrication, CNC machining, milling, and surface treatment are among the services offered.
John While Springs
Springs and wire forms are designed, developed, and manufactured by John While Springs in various styles for use in medical products.
The product range includes compression springs with wire sizes from 0.03 to 2.80 mm, extension and torsion springs from 0.10 to 4.00 mm, and spring-forming centres for wire sizes from 1.50 to 4.50 mm.
The company’s tool and die design and metal-stamping service offers stamped metal parts, precision contacts, and multiformed and deep-drawn components.
Quality systems are certified to ISO 9001:2000, and the firm complies with environmental standard ISO 14001:1996.
Eng Tic Lee Achieve (ETLA)
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Metal fabrication services are provided to med-tech and pharmaceutical companies by a firm with more than 20 years’ experience. Eng Tic Lee Achieve (ETLA) combines extensive technological expertise in its core activity with integrated engineering solutions.
The firm’s outsourcing capabilities include precision machining, assembly, and supply chain management. Its vertically integrated suite of engineering services complement good cycle times and product scalability to suit customer requests. The company prides itself on having a clear understanding of its customers’ industries and competitive landscapes.
Forefront Medical Technology
Specializing in moulding and extrusion, a company describes itself as a one-stop solution for the design, prototyping, and manufacture of components, subassemblies, and finished products in thermoplastic and thermoset materials. Forefront Medical Technology also provides rapid prototyping and tooling, and design and development assistance.
The company can mould a range of medical-grade polymers into thin-walled parts. Insert and overmoulding, blow moulding, and extrusion of highly plasticized PVC, as well as horizontal and vertical injection moulding and extrusion of liquid silicone rubber, are among its capabilities. Optically clear parts also can be moulded. to meet customer needs. High-speed rapid prototyping equipment, including rapid mould manufacturing systems, is situated in-house, and the company is certified to ISO 13485.
Rayco Technologies
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Precision elastomeric components are developed and manufactured for use in medical devices. Operating plants in Singapore and China, Rayco Technologies supports the product design, materials, prototyping, tooling, and manufacturing needs of a global customer base.
The principal services provided by the company include product and mould design, prototyping, moulding, and overmoulding onto various substrates. The formulation of unique elastomeric compounds is a field of expertise.
The company also supports a Class 100 cleaning line and in-house laboratory. A range of chemical, mechanical, and biological analyses can be performed in the ISO/IEC 17025–certified lab. Quality systems are certified to ISO 9001.
