Medical Device Link.

CRISIS MANAGEMENT

It may seem an obvious statement, but equipment used for medical applications is viewed very differently from consumer items. Whereas mobile phones, PDAs, cameras and similar products almost can be considered throwaway items, MRI scanners, to cite one example, are very complex pieces of equipment that cost between €1 million and €1.5 million. Industry must maximise the return on this large investment by ensuring a long product life.

Increasingly, manufacturers of devices such as blood gas analysers, mass spectrometers, high-power magnetrons and environmental chambers for sample storage are being asked to support their equipment for the whole product life cycle. This brings to mind servicing, repair and upgrades. In fact, the concept of Whole Life Support (WLS) begins with initial product conceptualisation and embraces all phases of the equipment’s working term.

Many companies that want to reduce overhead and maximise their use of internal resources are working with third-party manufacturing partners. Medical manufacturers and makers of other long-life, high-cost products should consider WLS issues from the outset of any outsourcing programme.

During new product development, it is vital to adopt best Design for Manufacture (DfM) and Design for Test (DfT) procedures in order to minimise costly in-field repairs later. Fast-track production services can help during prototyping to finalise a rugged, manufacturable design.

But it is when a product gets into the field—when costs can really escalate—that a well-planned support programme can pay dividends. Addressing the back-end life cycle for legacy infrastructure requires careful thought. These are often integrated systems that are not easy or apparently cost-effective to replace. Additionally, more and more companies with limited resources prefer to use their design teams to focus on the exciting challenges of developing new equipment, relying on outsource partners to manage the equipment as it ages.

This is one differentiator between an ordinary Contract Electronics Manufacturer (CEM) and an Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) company. The latter is able to offer not just manufacturing resources but also a range of support services for the entire product life cycle. These services may include the following:

• new product development, especially DfM and DfT

• fast-track prototyping

• product verification and testing upgrades

• assistance with design changes and modifications

• maintenance

• service queries and technical assistance

• product repairs and refurbishment in the field

• handling of spares and replacement parts.

Mike Berridge is Director of Business Improvement at AWS Electronics Group Ltd (Newcastle-under-Lyme; www.awselectronicsgroup.com). The company operates two manufacturing sites in the United Kingdom and one in Slovakia. Its complementary maintenance and repair specialist AWS Jantec, based in Bedford, is a partner to OEMs in several sectors including medical.