Medical Device Link.

IN BRIEF

November 18, 2009

• Optimized for existing customers familiar with the company’s product lines, Value Plastics (Fort Collins, CO) has launched www.vpquickfit.com, a Web site designed to allow visitors to purchase the tubing fitting they want quickly and easily. New account management features include unlimited address storage, complete order history, complete invoice history, price checking, hierarchal account management, shipping options, volume base pricing, and an advanced payment option.
  
  
• Texas Advanced Optoelectronic Solutions Inc. (Plano, TX), which specializes in light sensing solutions for numerous markets, including the medical device industry, announced that it has received a Dallas 100 Award as one of the top-100 fastest-growing private companies in the Dallas Metroplex for the second consecutive year. Ranked 29^th among the 2009 Dallas 100 firms, the company has grown its business to advance 60 place rankings since the 2008 Dallas 100 companies were announced last year.
  
  
• Invibio Inc. (West Conshohocken, PA) has been named an inaugural recipient of a Spine Technology Award in the category of biomaterials for its PEEK-Optima family of polymers. Introduced in 1999, the material line is often employed in spinal implants such as spinal fusion devices, disc arthroplasty, dynamic stabilization, and interspinous devices.
  
  
• Keystone Manufacturing (Kalamazoo, MI), which manufactures, assembles, packages, and distributes Class I and Class II medical products, has received ISO 13485:2003 certification for medical device manufacturing. This certification will contribute to fostering growth in the medical device market and positions the company for further expansion of its related capabilities.
  
  
• The Versaflex HC thermoplastic elastomers for medical applications, manufactured by GLS (McHenry, IL), have achieved certification according to the ISO 10993-4 and ISO 10993-5 standards. Suited for use in medical tubing, gaskets, stoppers, and extruded films, the USP Class VI-compatible materials meet hemocompatibility and cytotoxicity standards for biocompatibility and are nonreactive to blood and blood products.
  
  

November 11, 2009

• The Research and Development Council of New Jersey named Glenbrook Technologies (Randolph, NJ) founder and president Gil Zweig a 2009 Thomas Alva Edison Patent Award Winner for the company’s contribution to advances in x-ray imaging technology. The company has garnered recognition for its high-resolution, low-dose magnifying x-ray fluoroscope and system, which produces highly magnified fluoroscopic images that reveal tiny anatomical details of medical implants and displays them on a video monitor in full motion using very low levels of radiation.
  
  
• Gowanda Electronics (Gowanda, NY), a manufacturer of high-performance inductors and other precision electronic components for RF and power applications, has announced the installation of two Class 100,000 cleanrooms at the company’s facilities in upstate New York. Enabling the company to provide a higher level of component manufacturing services to customers with applications that require control of environmental contaminants, such as medical device manufacturing, these cleanrooms can be utilized for a variety of production operations.
  
  
• NewAge Industries (Southampton, PA), a manufacturer of plastic tubing, has undertaken several initiatives to simultaneously go green and reduce costs. The company’s steps to go green include a new trash disposal system, building improvements to reduce energy consumption, and less paper usage.
  
  
• Precision injection molder Vision Technical Molding LLC (Manchester, CT), which serves the medical device industry, announced that it has achieved ISO 13485:2003 certification. In addition, the company recently added a 10,000-sq-ft ISO Class 8 cleanroom to its plant.
  
  
• Ximedica (Providence, RI), a provider of research, product development, regulatory, and advanced manufacturing services to medical device companies, recently underwent a comprehensive audit by the National Standards Authority of Ireland and successfully passed its ISO 13485:2003 recertification. The certification will be valid for three more years.
  
  

November 4, 2009

• Goodfellow Corp. (Oakdale, PA), formerly a subsidiary of Goodfellow Cambridge Ltd., is now a fully autonomous U.S. company within the Goodfellow Group of Companies. To specifically support the U.S. market, the supplier of metals, polymers, ceramics, and other materials has created a dedicated Web site at www.goodfellowusa.com.
  
  
• All divisions of Filtrona Extrusion (Athol, MA) will now be known as Pexco, which has served as the long-time brand name of the company’s medical products. The company’s medical products include single and multilumen tubing, microbore tubing, thermally bonded paratubing, wire-encapsulated tubing, in-line striping and printing, tri and coextrusions, cross-head extrusions, and other complex, customized profiles.
  
  
• Okuma America Corp. (Charlotte, NC) is offering manufacturers the opportunity to win the use of an Okuma machine tool free for two years in its Real Help Machine Giveaway contest. Manufacturers and their employees can submit a video or essay detailing how an Okuma machine can assist in their business. Deadlines, guidelines, and more information can be found at the company’s Web site, http://oac.okuma.com/giveaway.
  
  
• As part of a new marketing and rebranding initiative, Secant Medical (Perkasie, PA), a company specializing in design, development, and custom manufacturing services for biomedical textiles, has launched a new Web site at www.secantmedical.com. Providing more information for device designers and engineers, the expanded Web site includes a resource library of news, events, a glossary of biomedical textile terminology, and other features.
  
  

October 28, 2009

• Diba Industries (Danbury, CT), a subsidiary of Halma Holdings, has acquired the Omnifit brand of products from sister company Bio-Chem Fluidics (Boonton, NJ). The Omnifit portfolio of fittings, connectors, and chromatography columns are a complementary addition to Diba’s fluid-handling products, which are used in in vitro diagnostic and medical equipment.
  
  
• UPCOA (Peabody, MA) has changed its name to G&F Medical (Danvers, MA) in order to better reflect the company’s increased focus on serving the medical device industry. Along with the name change, the company has relocated its operations to a facility that it says offers improved manufacturing capacity and flexibility to perform silicone injection and thermoplastic molding, as well as assembly and design services.
  
  
• The Steri-Trac toxic gas-monitoring system, manufactured by ChemDaq Inc. (Pittsburgh), has been certified for installation in facilities that require intrinsically safe devices due to designated hazardous locations. In the medical device manufacturing realm, some plant areas are designated hazardous as OEMs have shifted from using blended EtO to 100% EtO, according to the company.
  
  
• A manufacturer of foam swabs, applicators, and probes for the medical industry, among others, Super Brush LLC (Springfield, MA) has purchased an extrusion system from American Kuhne Inc. (Ashaway, RI) in order to accommodate an increase in applicator handle manufacturing capacity. The system allows for the production of a variety of products, including polypropylene tubing and profiles as well as heavy-wall, high-density polyethylene tubes.
  
  

October 14, 2009

• TechDevice (Watertown, MA), a developer and manufacturer of balloons, catheters, guidewires, and components, has expanded its grinding capabilities and capacity with a recent investment and focus on precision grinding. The new systems feature CAM technology as well as complementary advanced technology for profilometry analysis for surface measurement, which promotes efficiency, quality, and consistency for prototyping and engineering.
  
  
• Waterjet manufacturer Jet Edge Inc. (St. Michael, MN) has announced that it has acquired Calypso Waterjet Systems (Dallas, TX) , a manufacturer of waterjet cutting systems. Calypso products include waterjet cutting machines, abrasive removal, closed-loop water, and automatic height-sensing systems; nesting software; plastic waterjet cutting bricks; bulk abrasive feeder tanks; and replacement parts for waterjet intensifier pumps, cutting heads, and waterjet tables.
  
  
• Pacific Plastics & Engineering (Soquel, CA), a contract manufacturer and custom injection molder specializing in the medical device and biotechnology industries, announced that it has received its license by the State of California Food & Drug Branch (FDB) to manufacture medical devices. In addition, the company is FDA registered and certified to ISO 13485 standards.
  
  
• The latest catalog highlighting its precision fluid-management components is now available online or by request from Value Plastics Inc. (Fort Collins, CO). The new catalog contains detailed information on thousands of products, including the SBL-series quick-connect fittings; SCV-series single check valves; XQC-series quick-connect fittings; DCV-series double check valves; and SF-series sanitary fittings.
  
  
• Perfecseal, a Bemis Co. (Oshkosh, WI), has announced that its facility in Derry, Northern Ireland, has achieved certification to ISO 13485:2003 standards. The company specializes in the manufacture of coextruded films, laminated films, flexible forming films, foil barrier films, pouches, bags, thermoformed trays, lids, labels, and heat-seal coating on Tyvek and on medical-grades of paper.
  
  

October 21, 2009

• IIMAK Manufacturing Services (Amherst, NY), a manufacturer of medical devices, has announced that its facility has been Class 100,000 cleanroom certified. The 2500-sq-ft cleanroom can be used for all light-assembly projects, tray and pouch sealing, hot stamp and pad printing, and sewing.
  
  
• Emerson Network Power (Columbus, OH) has opened a LEED-certified learning center in Westerville, OH. The nearly 70,000-sq-ft building, located on five acres, will serve as a learning center for the company’s field technicians, customers, and partners. The facility will also provide hands-on data center infrastructure support training for more than 1000 students per year. A main feature of the facility is an 11,000-sq-ft equipment lab. Besides the equipment lab and classrooms, the building includes a customer resolution center-a call center to support those customers who require the highest level of service.
  
  
• Mazak Corp. (Florence, KY) has announced a partnership with Parlec Inc. (Fairport, NY), a manufacturer of tooling and toolholding, workholding, presetting, and other metalworking products. Through Mazak’s expertise in automation and its range of multitasking machines, Parlec seeks to improve the cost effectiveness and throughput of its manufacturing operations. Parlec has purchased an Integrex 300-IV ST multitasking machining center, and Mazak will provide turnkey solutions—including training and application support—to enable Parlec to maximize the advantages of automation and processing on the equipment.
  
  
• An updated Web site offered by Bullen Inc. (Eaton, OH) will provide prospective clients with information on ultrasonic machining capabilities as well as on glass and ceramic machining processes, including diamond grinding and abrasive jet machining. Located at www.bullentech.com, the site will enable visitors to view an animation of ultrasonic machining to gain deeper understanding of how the process works. Visitors can also explore the benefits of ultrasonic machining over conventional machining processes.
  
  
• Mold-Masters Ltd. (Georgetown, Ontario, Canada) has acquired PMS Systems (Hereford, UK). The combined businesses will provide hot-runner control technology. Mold-Masters will also retain the PMS distributor network.
  
  

October 14, 2009

• TechDevice (Watertown, MA), a developer and manufacturer of balloons, catheters, guidewires, and components, has expanded its grinding capabilities and capacity with a recent investment and focus on precision grinding. The new systems feature CAM technology as well as complementary advanced technology for profilometry analysis for surface measurement, which promotes efficiency, quality, and consistency for prototyping and engineering.
  
  
• Waterjet manufacturer Jet Edge Inc. (St. Michael, MN) has announced that it has acquired Calypso Waterjet Systems (Dallas, TX) , a manufacturer of waterjet cutting systems. Calypso products include waterjet cutting machines, abrasive removal, closed-loop water, and automatic height-sensing systems; nesting software; plastic waterjet cutting bricks; bulk abrasive feeder tanks; and replacement parts for waterjet intensifier pumps, cutting heads, and waterjet tables.
  
  
• Pacific Plastics & Engineering (Soquel, CA), a contract manufacturer and custom injection molder specializing in the medical device and biotechnology industries, announced that it has received its license by the State of California Food & Drug Branch (FDB) to manufacture medical devices. In addition, the company is FDA registered and certified to ISO 13485 standards.
  
  
• The latest catalog highlighting its precision fluid-management components is now available online or by request from Value Plastics Inc. (Fort Collins, CO). The new catalog contains detailed information on thousands of products, including the SBL-series quick-connect fittings; SCV-series single check valves; XQC-series quick-connect fittings; DCV-series double check valves; and SF-series sanitary fittings.
  
  
• Perfecseal, a Bemis Co. (Oshkosh, WI), has announced that its facility in Derry, Northern Ireland, has achieved certification to ISO 13485:2003 standards. The company specializes in the manufacture of coextruded films, laminated films, flexible forming films, foil barrier films, pouches, bags, thermoformed trays, lids, labels, and heat-seal coating on Tyvek and on medical-grades of paper.
  
  

October 6, 2009

• Dilas (Tucson, AZ), a manufacturer of high-power diode laser components and systems for the medical device industry, among others, announced that it is celebrating its 15th anniversary. Founded in 1994 in Mainz, Germany, the company has maintained its focus on delivering innovative diode laser technology solutions to maximize its customer's competitive capabilities.
  
  
• NeedleTech Products Inc. (Attleboro, MA), a developer and manufacturer of needle-based medical devices, has announced the expansion of its long endoscopic device manufacturing facility. In order to accommodate the manufacture of long endoscopic devices, which measure 1- to 8-ft long, the company has developed customized grinding, finishing, cleaning, and insert molding equipment.
  
  
• A specialist in liquid silicone rubber molding, LMS (Midland, MI) has increased the size of its Class 10,000 cleanroom to better serve its customers in the medical device sector. In addition to almost doubling the size of the cleanroom, the company has added two presses, as well as several design and layout improvements to optimize workflow and assembly.
  
  
• Action Mold (Anaheim, CA) has announced the formation of a new division that will cater to the medical device industry, among others. Supplying fast-turnaround R&D prototypes and production parts, Action Prototype & Urethane Casting LLC will provide SLS, SLA, and polyjet prototypes in addition to production urethane castings.
  
  
• Tegra Medical (Franklin, MA), a manufacturer of wire and tubular components and assemblies for the medical device industry, has added injection and insert molding capabilities to better serve its customers. The company has purchased a 44-tn Arburg molding machine suited for the fabrication of minimally invasive components, assemblies, and specialty needles.
  
  
• More than 1400 manufacturers from North and Central America attended the "Your Manufacturing Future? Refocus, Rediscover and Reinvent" event, according to its coordinator Mazak (Florence, KY). Held at the company's headquarters, the three-day event introduced new technology and provided innovative strategies to help American manufacturers achieve success.
  
  
• In order to accommodate growth and expand R&D capabilities, LSA Laser (Plymouth, MN) has moved to a new 26,000-sq-ft manufacturing facility. The company is a provider of precision medical device manufacturing and assembly services, including laser cutting, laser welding, laser ablation, and laser marking used in such applications as defibrillation leads, stents, catheters, surgical instruments, dental instruments, orthopedics, hearing devices, and neurological devices.
  
  

August 17, 2009

• Contract medical equipment manufacturer Spacelabs Healthcare (Issaquah, WA) is celebrating its 50th anniversary and has launched a new Web site.
  
  
• ICO Polymers North America (Chicago), which produces polymer powders and films, and Chroma Corp. (McHenry, IL), a manufacturer of color concentrates and thermoplastic compounded raw material, have entered an agreement in which ICO will acquire Chroma's rotational molding business; the companies have formed an alliance to focus on meeting the needs of the rotational molding industry.
  
  
• The American Society for Quality (Milwaukee) has launched a Web site called Quality for Life to acknowledge the humanistic accomplishments of quality, promote the work of quality professionals, and share quality professionals' stories.
  
  
• Specialty raw materials provider Velox GmbH (Hamburg, Germany) and Oxford Performance Materials (Enfield, CT), a supplier of high-performance thermoplastic polymers, have extended an existing partnership agreement in order to supply PEEK-based biomaterials for use in short- and long-term implantable devices.
  
  
• Contract manufacturers Coghlin Precision (Worcester, MA) and Carlstrom Pressed Metal (CPM; Westborough, MA) have announced a joint venture by which the companies will offer precision machining, stamping, and welding services at CPM's facility.
  
  
• Vetter (Ravensburg, Germany), a supplier of aseptically prefilled injection devices, has installed six automatic packaging lines at its new Ravensburg-based packaging services facility, Vetter Secondary Packaging.
  
  

July 29, 2009

• Real-time operating systems software supplier Green Hills Software Inc. (Santa Barbara, CA) and mathematical computing software developer The MathWorks Inc. (Natick, MA) are collaborating to offer a free three-hour seminar in San Diego on August 4 that will cover model-based design for developing high-integrity software for medical systems.
  
  
• Automation and part-handling equipment manufacturer Service Engineering (Greenfield, IN) is highlighting its refurbishing and maintenance services in light of the current economy. The company also sells such used equipment as rotary and centrifugal feeder bowls, magnetic and belt conveyors, controllers, and accumulators.
  
  
• RTS Life Science (Manchester, UK), a supplier of automated sample-management and drug-delivery testing systems, has achieved ISO 9001:2008 certification.
  
  
• Specializing in linear ball bearing technology, Thomson Industries Inc. (Wood Dale, IL) will offer a free one-hour Webinar on tips and tricks for linear bearings and guides in August, and a Webinar on innovative design engineering with ball screw technology in September.
  
  
• Contract manufacturer Gerresheimer Wilden GmbH (Regensburg, Germany) is opening a Technical Competence Center in Peachtree, GA, in September that will feature molding and automation equipment for series production and will employ process technicians, engineers, mold makers, and project managers.
  
  
• Dymax Corp. (Torrington, CT), a supplier of adhesives and light-curing equipment, has redesigned its Chinese Web site to improve ease of navigation, feature coatings and conveyor systems for Asian markets, and match the design and style of the corporate Web site.
  
  
• D.L.S. Electronic Systems Inc. (Wheeling, IL) is offering a three-day seminar and workshop in Northbrook, IL, in October that will cover how to control radiated emissions and signal currents, electromagnetic compatibility theory, electromagnetic interference software, filter design software, and product review.
  
  

July 22, 2009

• Full Spectrum Software (Southborough, MA), a medical device software provider and QA consulting firm, is presenting a one-hour audio course on August 11 at 11:30 EST. Sponsored by Foreign Exchange Translations (Boston) and led by Full Spectrum's senior vice president of client services, Ken Carson, the presentation will cover how to implement QA automation tools in an FDA-controlled software environment.
  
  
• In order to expand its capabilities to provide larger-scale parts, Vaupell Inc. (Agawam, MA), a supplier of medical device components and subassemblies, has added a 440-tn horizontal injection molding machine to its Agawam facility.
  
  
• Materials suppliers Entegris Inc. (Minneapolis) and Victrex USA Inc. (West Conshohocken, PA) have entered into a cobranding agreement to market Entegris’ Tego polymers, which feature carbon nanotubes made with Victrex PEEK polymer. The materials are designed to provide increased thermal and electrical conductivity and tensile strength. In related news, Victrex USA’s parent company, Victrex plc, has redesigned the Web site for its Victrex Polymer Solutions division (Thornton Cleveleys, UK) to make it easier for site visitors to access product and application information by industry or product name.
  
  
• Medical device contract manufacturer KMC Systems (Merrimack, NH) has launched KMC 360, a program for contract design, manufacture, and maintenance that is designed to help support OEMs and start-ups throughout the medical device and instrumentation product lifecycle by centralizing outsourced services.
  
  
• Grant Instruments (Cambridge, UK) has made a series of one-minute videos for its Web site that demonstrate the functionality and programming features of its products, including microtube thermoshakers, UV cabinets, and other laboratory and related products.
  
  
• The American Society for Quality (Milwaukee) and the Institute of Quality Development Strategy of Wuhan University (Wuhan, China) are participating in an academic exchange and product research program that will include quality training, certification opportunities, and potential conferences on quality-related topics.
  
  

July 14, 2009

• Stock and custom stainless-steel component supplier Eagle Stainless Tube & Fabrication Inc. (Franklin, MA) has achieved ISO 13485:2003 certification.
  
  
• DuPont (Richmond, VA) is merging three of its business units under the name DuPont Protection Technologies. Bringing together nonwoven and fiber technologies and protective apparel products, the merger combines DuPont Advanced Fiber Systems, Nonwovens, and DuPont Personal Protection; there are no plans to close of combine any sites as a result of the restructuring.
  
  
• Horizon Die Company, Inc. (East Dundee, IL), a supplier of precision dies, lead frames, and metal stampings, has recertified its operations to ISO 9001:2008.
  
  
• Plastic tubing manufacturer NewAge Industries (Southampton, PA) is one of 35 finalists out of 300 entrants in the 2009 Top Small Workplaces competition sponsored by The Wall Street Journal (New York City) and Winning Workplaces (Evanston, IL), a nonprofit organization dedicated to assisting small businesses.
  
  
• Medical device components supplier Qosina (Edgewood, NY) has teamed up with couplings and connectors supplier Colder Products Co. (St. Paul, MN) to offer more than a dozen series of Colder’s quick disconnect couplings.
  
  
• Contec Inc. (Spartanburg, SC), a supplier of contamination-control products for cleanroom and critical environments, has announced an agreement to purchase the Anticon Products wiping cloth business from Milliken & Company (Spartanburg, SC).
  
  
• Advanced Diamond Technologies Inc. (Romeoville, IL) now offers UNCD Lightning electrically conductive diamond technology with its diamond products. UNCD Lightning can be used in semiconductor and microelectromechanical systems manufacturing for biocompatible, electronic, and biomedical applications.
  
  
• Machine tool technology supplier Mazak Corp. (Florence, KY) has launched a Virtual Technology Center online resource site that provides machine demonstrations, application training, Q&A sessions, and a video resource called MazakTV that offers channels for industry segment content, engineering insights, and machine information. The company also has added four new machining centers to its lean manufacturing plant at its headquarters.
  
  

June 29, 2009

• Contract medical equipment manufacturer Spacelabs Healthcare (Issaquah, WA) is celebrating its 50th anniversary and has launched a new Web site.
  
  
• Material-handling systems provider Intelligrated Inc. (Cincinnati) has acquired the North and South American operations of FKI Logistex (St. Louis), a supplier of material-handling equipment, and RFID and palletizing systems.
  
  
• TÜVRheinland (Carlsbad, CA) has expanded its engineering and sales presence in the Southwest region to meet the growing needs of its customers, especially in the fields of international approvals and medical device auditing.
  
  
• ICO Polymers North America (Chicago), which produces polymer powders and films, and Chroma Corp. (McHenry, IL), a manufacturer of color concentrates and thermoplastic compounded raw material, have entered an agreement in which ICO will acquire Chroma's rotation molding business; the companies have formed an alliance to focus on meeting the needs of the rotational molding industry.
  
  
• Steinmeyer Inc. has launched a Web site focused on its high-precision positioning stages and complex custom stage products.
  
  
• Covering such topics as welding, product testing, polymers and advanced materials, and surface treatment, a Webinar series presented by Stork Inc. is running from June through August; prerecorded Webinars are available for viewing on the company's Web site.
  
  
• The American Society for Quality (Milwaukee) has launched a Web site called Quality for Life to acknowledge the humanistic accomplishments of quality, promote the work of quality professionals, and share quality professionals' stories.
  
  

June 22, 2009

• Specialty raw materials provider Velox GmbH (Hamburg, Germany) and Oxford Performance Materials (Enfield, CT), a supplier of high-performance thermoplastic polymers, have extended an existing partnership agreement in order to supply PEEK-based biomaterials for use in short- and long-term implantable devices.
  
  
• Service Engineering Inc. (Greenfield, IN), a manufacturer of automation and feeder bowl equipment, has launched a Web site devoted to its field service division, which offers maintenance and repair resources.
  
  
• Contract manufacturer Coghlin Precision (Worcester, MA), and Carlstrom Pressed Metal (CPM; Westborough, MA), a metal-stamping services provider, have announced a joint venture by which the companies will offer precision machining, stamping, and welding services at CPM's Westborough facility.
  
  
• Alpha MOS (Hanover, MD), which specializes in gas chromatography technology, has launched a Web site featuring human and instrumental sensory analysis quality and R&D application examples, user testimonials, and information on the company's services.
  
  
• In hopes of increasing the use and impact of quality response to the Mexican region, the American Society for Quality (Milwaukee) has opened an office in Mexico City.
  
  
• Vetter (Ravensburg, Germany), a supplier of aseptically prefilled injection devices, has installed six automatic packaging lines at its new Ravensburg-based packaging services facility, Vetter Secondary Packaging.
  
  
• Plastic injection molder Specialty Plastics Inc. (St. Peters, MO) has redesigned its Web site to provide more information about the company's 21 injection molding machines and molding services.
  

June 15, 2009

• Focusing on gear design for medical devices, Rod Kleiss, president, Kleiss Gears (Grantsburg, WI), will present a Webinar on June 25 at 2:00 p.m. EST that will cover the challenges of standard gear design, opportunities for polymer gear design, miniaturization, and gear considerations specific to the medical device industry.
  
  
• Contract product design and development company Foster-Miller Inc. (Waltham, MA) is now QinetiQ North America (McLean, VA); the name change marks the completion of four years of cobranding since QinetiQ's Technology Solutions Group acquired Foster-Miller.
  
  
• Plastic film supplier Tekra Corp. (New Berlin, WI) has been certified to ISO 9001:2008 standards.
  
  
• Contract manufacturer Microtest Laboratories (Agawam, MA) is offering a downloadable white paper titled, "Package Validation Requirements for Medical Devices and Combinatory Products," that discusses requirements of microbiological and physical testing programs and how an engineer can use packaging validation programs when testing medical device packaging.
  
  
• Machine tooling provider Mazak Corp. (Florence, KY) will host an event at its headquarters September 15–17 called, "Your Manufacturing Future? Refocus, Rediscover, and Reinvent;" it is designed to help medical device manufacturers evaluate their marketplace positions and formulate plans to gain a competitive edge, as well as expose them to the latest machine tool technologies.
  
  
• Canadian Hospital Specialties Ltd. (Oakville, ON, Canada), a supplier of regional anesthesia products, is now the exclusive distributor throughout Canada for needle device provider Havel Inc. (Cincinnati), including Havel's ultrasound needle products.
  
  

June 8, 2009

• The latest in its series of Webinars on applications for linear motion technology, Thomson Industries Inc. (Wood Dale, IL) is presenting a free Webinar titled, "Electric Linear Actuators 101: Basics for Design Engineers," on June 17; it will be offered at 10:00 a.m. EST and again at 3:00 p.m. EST.
  
  
• The U.S. Commercial Service department at the Newport Beach Export Assistance Center (Newport Beach, CA) is hosting the Automated Export System Compliance seminar and workshop for medical device and equipment manufacturers and distributors. Featuring officials from the Census Bureau who will discuss new foreign trade regulations, the day-long seminar will be offered in Pomona, CA, on June 16, followed by a workshop in Pomona on June 17 that will cover electronic filing of export information and certification training for AESPcLink. The seminar will be offered again on June 18 in Irvine, CA.
  
  
• CNC and machining equipment provider Okuma America Corp. (Charlotte, NC) and its distributor Morris Midwest (Milwaukee) have opened a 25,000-sq-ft facility in Roselle, IL, the Okuma Technical Center, which will serve as the northern Illinois headquarters and showroom for the companies. The technical center is hosting an open-house Move-In Days event offering facility tours and machine demonstrations June 23–25; no appointments are necessary but RSVPs are requested.
  
  
• Radcliff Wire Inc. (Bristol, CT), which supplies specially shaped wire in a variety of materials for medical and electronics applications, is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
  
  
• The Conference on Materials and Processes for Medical Devices taking place Aug. 10–12 in Minneapolis and organized by ASM International (Materials Park, OH) will feature a presentation from Robert Schwartz, medical director of the Minnesota Cardiovascular Research Institute (Minneapolis) and Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation. Schwartz will discuss the biocompatibility of intravascular devices and the lack of a suitable prosthetic arterial conduit.
  
  
• To offer an expanded line of film, foam, and specialty tapes and sealants, Stik-2 Products (Easthampton, MA) and Dielectric Polymers (Hoyoke, MA) have merged to form Adhesive Applications, which will operate in Easthampton, MA.
  
  
• High-tech product-development consulting firm Hardenbrook Consulting (Tempe, AZ), has changed its name to Leap Innovation to better reflect its new business focus, which includes quality-management process-improvement services.
  
  

June 3, 2009

• Sparta Systems Inc. (Holmdel, NJ), a provider of quality- and compliance-management software, has opened offices in Hong Kong to serve the serve companies with operations in the Asia-Pacific region.
  
  
• Flexible packaging supplier Pliant Corp. (Schaumburg, IL) plans to expand its manufacturing facilities in Dalton, GA, and Kent, WA.
  
  
• Consulting and training services provider Microrite Inc. (San Jose) is hosting a seminar on critical compressed gases for manufacturers of medical devices and combination products on July 14 at its training center in Santa Clara, CA.
  
  
• Rigid packaging provider TricorBraun (St. Louis) has opened a branch in Mexico City.
  
  
• Intelligrated (Mason, OH) and FKI Logistex (St. Louis), both suppliers of material-handling equipment, have entered into an agreement to combine their businesses to provide automated material-handling systems and related services.
  
  
• Enterprise resource planning software supplier Consona Corp. (Indianapolis) is offering a white paper on its Web site titled, "Lean for ETO Manufacturers," written by consulting services provider Ben Boldt, founder of Visionary Solution Resources Inc. (Brookfield, WI; the paper covers techniques for implementing lean manufacturing in nonrepetitive, engineer-to-order and build-to-order environments.
  
  
• DDL (Eden Prairie, MN), a provider of package testing services, is opening a new laboratory in Edison, NJ.
  
  
• LightPath Technologies Inc. (Orlando, FL), a supplier of various optical components, will present its latest developments in molded infrared aspheric optics at the Navy Opportunity Forum in Crystal City, VA, which will take place June 8–14; the company is using the technology to provide infrared optics as part of thermal imaging, thermography, and gas-sensing systems.
  
  
• The National Association for PET Container Resources (Sonoma, CA) is urging restraint in the use of degradable additives in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) packaging out of concern that it knows of no data that has been made public to substantiate or document claims of the degradability of PET resin products containing degradable additives, effects of degradable additives on the quality of the PET recycling stream, or effects of degradable additives on products made from recycled PET.
  
  

May 26, 2009

• MedPlast Inc. (Tempe, AZ), which provides custom molding services, has expanded its 70,000-sq-ft facility in Westfield, PA, to include a 45,000-sq-ft cleanroom that will house Class 100,00 and Class 10,000 molding and assembly operations.
  
  
• Motion control technology supplier Thomson (Wood Dale, IL), a Danaher Motion company, has launched a Web site devoted to its lines of standard and application-specific precision balls that includes product specifications and educational reference information.
  
  
• The quality management system operated by Corintech (Fordingbridge, UK), a contract manufacturer and electronics assemblies provider, has been certified to ISO 13485 standards.
  
  
• The TexMed business unit of Parker Hannifin Corp. (Fort Worth, TX) now offers expanded PTFE tubing for medical applications.
  
  
• Waukesha Tool & Stamping (Sussex, WI) has acquired Parkview Metal Products (Lake Zurich, IL); the acquisition enables Waukesha to provide fabrication and robotic welding services in addition to its stamping and automated assembly capabilities.
  
  
• The Georgia Tech Supply Chain & Logistics Institute (Atlanta) is offering professional education courses in world-class transportation and distribution, supply chain strategy, warehousing, and related topics.
  
  
• The MedTech Investing Europe Conference sponsored by Campden Conferences will take place October 5 and 6 in London.
  
  

May 18, 2009

• Metal-forming services provider Waukesha Tool & Stamping (Sussex, WI) has acquired Parkview Metal Products (Lake Zurich, IL), which specializes in precision metal stamping and fabrication.
  
  
• The Technology Council of Southern California (Torrance, CA)—an organization that supports companies in the region, which is home to the second-highest concentration of software companies in the world—has named enterprise resource planning software supplier SYSPRO (Costa Mesa, CA) as the Software Company of the Year.
  
  
• To celebrate its 30th anniversary, electronic manufacturing services provider Cirtronics Corp. (Milford, NH) is expanding its facility by 75,000 sq ft to accommodate future growth as well as existing customers that require high-level PCB assembly, box-builds, and testing.
  
  
• Cognex Corp. (Natick, MA), a supplier of machine vision systems, is offering seminars in May and June for manufacturing professionals who want to learn how to set up and deploy vision and ID systems for automated inspection and quality control processes.
  
  
• To introduce American manufacturers to the latest cutting technologies and processes, Mazak Corp. (Florence, KY) will host the Modern Art of Milling, an event focused on helping manufacturers improve milling operation efficiency and productivity featuring presentations from Sandvik Coromant (Sandviken, Sweden). The event will be presented on different dates in June at Mazak's facilities in Florence, NY, Suwanee, GA, and Windsor Locks, CT.
  
  
• MSC.Software Corp. (Santa Ana, CA), a supplier of manufacturing simulation software applications and related services, has created a University Advisory Board to facilitate collaboration between the company and university researchers and students in order to bring advanced technologies to industry.
  
  
• Tridak (Torrington, CT), which specializes in fluid dispensing technologies, has launched a Web site devoted to dispensing and filling equipment that will showcase an array of dispense valves, dispensing systems, and filling accessories.
  
  
• Small-volume sterile saline applicator supplier Winchester Laboratories (St. Charles, IL) has been certified to ISO 13485:2003 standards.
  
  

May 5, 2009

• Design for manufacturing and assembly (DFMA) software supplier Boothroyd Dewhurst Inc. (Wakefield, RI) will present a Webinar on May 7 at 11:00 a.m. EST titled, "How to resurrect U.S. Manufacturing with Systematic DFMA Deployment."
  
  
• Lumitex Inc. (Strongsville, OH), a provider of light-delivery components for medical device applications, has established an R&D center in Irvine, CA, and a manufacturing center in Taipei, Taiwan.
  
  
• Sponsored by the American Society for Quality (Milwaukee), the World Conference on Quality and Improvement taking place May 18-20 in Minneapolis will feature a presentation on quantitative risk assessment by Glenn McCarty, CEO of EtQ Inc. (Farmingdale, NY), a supplier of enterprise quality and compliance management software.
  
  
• ClearOrbit (Austin, TX), a provider of real-time supply chain and logistics software, has changed its name to Take Supply Chain to reflect its transition to being a division of Take Solutions Inc. (Princeton, NJ).
  
  
• Contract manufacturer Allied Automation (Raleigh, NC) is celebrating its 20th anniversary; the company offers such services as control systems development, software integration, process development, machining, and assembly.
  
  
• Professional Analytical and Consulting Services (Coraopolis, PA) is offering courses on such topics as quality assurance of chemical measurements, environmental data validation, and development and validation of analytical methods in Pittsburgh in May, in Baltimore in June, and in Boston in July.
  
  
• The annual meeting of the Medical Device Manufacturers Association (Washington, DC) will take place June1-3.
  
  

April 27, 2009

• Contract manufacturer and testing services provider Microtest Laboratories (Agawam, MA) has expanded its range of contamination and cleanroom testing services for medical device OEMs.
  
  
• The Kernersville, NC, manufacturing facility operated by ITW Texwipe (Mahwah, NJ), a supplier of cleanroom products, has been certified to ISO 13485:2003 standards.
  
  
• Medical device packaging suppliers Oliver Medical and Tolas Healthcare Packaging have consolidated and will now operate as Oliver-Tolas Healthcare Packaging (Grand Rapids, MI).
  
  
• The Society of Manufacturing Engineers (Dearborn, MI) will cosponsor the Eastern States Exposition, also known as Eastec, taking place May 19—21, which will include a lean and green resource center with seminars on such topics as efficient machining.
  
  
• Custom thermoplastic polyurethane materials provider Argotec Inc. (Greenfield, MA) has acquired Omniflex LLC (Greenfield, MA), a supplier of antibacterial and viral-barrier films for medical device and wound-care applications.
  
  
• HaydonKerk Motion Solutions (Waterbury, CT) has redesigned its Web site to provide customers with better access to its range of linear motion products; Haydon Enterprises acquired Kerk Motion Products Inc. in 2008.
  
  
• Automated test equipment supplier Interconnect Devices Inc. (Kansas City, KS) has acquired Antares Advanced Test Technologies (Vancouver, WA), which provides custom connectors and advanced semiconductor test sockets.
  
  
  

April 21, 2009

• Quality and compliance management software provider EtQ (Farmingdale, NY) will present a webinar titled, "Change Management: Linking Quality Systems to Product Lifecycle Management," on April 22 at 1:00 p.m. EST.
  
  
• J-Pac (Somersworth, NH) has launched a new Web site with improved search features and an increased focus on its custom medical device manufacturing services and facilities.
  
  
• Prent Corp. (Janesville, WI), a manufacturer of thermoformed packaging, has broken ground on a manufacturing facility in Holbaeck, Denmark, to enhance its supply chain.
  
  
• To reflect its new brand strategy and visual identity, ERT (Philadelphia), a provider of contract technology design and consulting services with a focus on cardiac applications, has launched a new Web site.
  
  
• Baxter International Inc. (Deerfield, IL) has entered into an exclusive distribution agreement to provide infusion pumps from Sigma International General Medical Apparatus (Medina, NY) that are designed to reduce medication errors.
  
  
• Contract manufacturer Sebra (Tucson, AZ) has redesigned its Web site to improve customer service and online access to instruction manuals.
  
  
• Dymax Corp. (Torrington, CT) is offering a webinar for download that explores ways to increase productivity and reduce waste by using light-curable adhesives instead of two-part slow-cure, thermally cured, and solvent-based adhesives.
  
  
• Microline Pentax (Beverly, MA), a manufacturer of reposable instruments for minimally invasive surgery, has acquired Starion Instruments Corp. (Sunnyvale, CA), a developer of surgical technology for sealing and dividing soft tissue.
  
  

April 14, 2009

• Voler Systems (Sunnyvale, CA) is expanding its services to offer prototype production as part of the launch of the company’s Quality System for Medical Device Innovation Program.
  
  
• Bosch Packaging Technology (Stuttgart, Germany) is standardizing the names of its subsidiaries to completely integrate its business units under the umbrella of the parent company name.
  
  
• To help biotech companies better control the quality and costs of prefilled product manufacturing processes, Vetter Pharma International (Ravensburg, Germany) is offering a Project Management Quality Assurance Program.
  
  
• HS Design (Gladstone, NJ), which specializes in developing medical and healthcare products, is partnering with custom-molded thermoplastic component supplier MedPlast (Tempe, AZ) to offer complete product outsourcing services to OEMs.
  
  
• Offering materials testing, analysis, and consulting services, CERAM (Stoke-on-Trent, UK) plans to expand the medical device segment of its business in the United States by driving commercial development at its member companies, such as M&P Lab (Schenectady, NY), which provides materials testing services.
  
  
• Microcontroller and semiconductor supplier Microchip Technology Inc. (Chandler, AZ) will hold its 13th annual worldwide MASTERs conference for engineers July 29–August 1 in Phoenix, with a preconference on July 27 and 28.
  
  
• Asylum Research (Raleigh, NC), a supplier of atomic force and scanning probe microscopy and instrumentation for nanoscience and nanotechnology, is celebrating its tenth anniversary.
  
  
  

April 6, 2009

• TR Electronic (Troy, MI) is presenting a free hour-long webinar on laser distance measurement for motion control and positioning applications on April 23 at 2:00 p.m. (GMT).
  
  
• The American Society for Quality (Milwaukee, WI) will present its International Team Excellence Awards for companies that demonstrate creative cost-savings and organizational efficiency on the last day of its annual World Conference on Quality and Improvement in Minneapolis May 18-20.
  
  
• D.L.S. Electronic Systems Inc. (Wheeling, IL) is now an authorized testing center for iNARTE, an organization that certifies engineers and technicians in such fields as electromagnetics, telecommunications, electrostatic discharge, and product safety.
  
  
• The annual meeting of the Drug Information Association (Horsham, PA) will take place June 21-25 in San Diego.
  
  
• Quality control and R&D services provider Alpha MOS (Toulouse, France), which specializes in analytical instrumentation, has redesigned its Web site to offer easier navigation tools and new features, such as a section dedicated to human and instrumental sensory analysis and the availability of the site in English, French, and Chinese.
  
  
• Testing services provider Microtest Laboratories (Agawam, MA) now offers dissolution testing—a method used to measure a drug's release rate from its dosage form-in addition to its analytical and stability testing capabilities.
  
  
• Clemson University (Clemson, SC) has dedicated its Harris A. Smith Building as the home of the Sonoco Institute of Packaging Design and Graphics, the only university program in the country that combines packaging science, graphic communication, and environmental science with studies in materials, manufacturing, marketing, and psychology.
  
  
• Packaging products supplier Unifoil Corp. (Hoboken, NJ) has received chain-of-custody certifications from the Forest Stewardship Council (Minneapolis) and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (Arlington, VA).
  
  

March 31, 2009

• In conjunction with Hermle Machine Co. (Franklin, WI) and Open Mind Technologies (Livonia, MI), Emuge Corp. (West Boylston, MA) will host a machining seminar at its facility on June 9 featuring new ways to boost productivity and savings in the current economy.
  
  
• Contract packager Unicep Packaging Inc. (Sandpoint, ID) has installed four additional 2500-gal tanks at its Sandpoint mixing facility to provide three times the capacity previously available for liquid packaging applications.
  
  
• Goodfellow, a supplier of metals and materials for product research and design, has launched a Japanese-language Web site as part of the company's efforts to expand sales and marketing activities in Japan.
  
  
• Molding products and services provider Medplast (Tempe, AZ) has expanded its facility in West Berlin, NJ, to include new CNC machining centers and EDM machines as well as upgraded clean manufacturing processes; a similar expansion is planned for its Tempe plant this year.
  
  
• To quickly communicate with customers, suppliers, and staff, Tricor Braun (St. Louis) has begun an electronic discussion about rigid packaging using the social networking service Twitter, which allows users to exchange informal messages of up to 140 characters.
  
  
• To expand the scope of its collaborations with companies and systems integrators who require imaging sensors, Applied Scintillation Technologies (Harlow, UK) will make some of its development and technical experts available at Laser World of Photonics in Munich June 15-18; the specialists will discuss phosphor and scintillation technology.
  
  

March 23, 2009

• The Medical Device Manufacturers Association (Washington, DC) will hold its annual meeting in Washington, DC, June 1–3.
  
  
• Contract manufacturer Innovative Micro Technology (Santa Barbara, CA), which specializes in MEMS, has launched a life sciences division focused on developing miniaturized products for medical and diagnostic applications.
  
  
• Packaging provider Sonoco (Hartsville, SC) is permanently closing its uncoated recycled paperboard mill, located in Lancaster, OH, in May.
  
  
• Okuma America Corp. (Charlotte, NC), a supplier of CNC and machining technology, has been certified to ISO 9001:2008 standards.
  
  
• Laboratory Testing Inc. (Hatfield, PA), which provides materials testing and calibration services, is celebrating its 25 th anniversary.
  
  
• Pressure-sensitive adhesives supplier MACtac (Stow, OH) is expanding its global reach through its parent company, flexible packaging provider Bemis Co. (Neenah, WI), which will make MACtac's medical products available throughout the Asia-Pacific region.
  
  
• Wedge Manufacturing Inc. (Birmingham, AL), a company that specializes in machining high-precision, small, complex parts, has been certified to ISO 13485 and ISO 9001 standards.
  
  
• The Coordinate Metrology Society (Issaquah, WA) will host its annual Coordinate Metrology Systems conference July 20–24 in Louisville, KY.
  
  

March 16, 2009

• Clinical trial services provider Premier Research (Philadelphia) has expanded its medical device operations in the United States to match the range of services it offers in Europe.
  
  
• ASM International (Materials Park, OH) is presenting a series of seminars called “Materials and Processes for Medical Devices” to be held May 18–21 in Fort Wayne, IN, June 15–18 in Newark, NJ, August 8–9 in Minneapolis, and November 9–12 in Irvine, CA.
  
  
• The Engineered Polymer Systems division (Salt Lake City) of motion-control technology supplier Parker Hannifin Corp. (New York City) has been certified to ISO 13485:2003 standards.
  
  
• Asylum Research (Santa Barbara, CA), which specializes in scanning probe and atomic force microscopy (AFM), is offering a course called “AFM in Biology” in Santa Barbara from June 3–5.
  
  
• EMS provider EI Microcircuits (Mankato, MN) has completed an audit that certifies that the company can produce lead-free assemblies in compliance with the RoHS directive.
  
  
• Ortho Organizers (Carlsbad, CA), a supplier of implants and orthodontic products, has been acquired by Henry Schein Inc. (Melville, NY), a provider of medical and dental products.
  
  

March 9, 2009

• RFID Revolution (Silver Spring, MD), which provides RFID education and consulting services, and on+qor (Bridgeville, PA), a division of All-Pak that specializes in brand protection and asset tracking, have partnered to offer a Web-based training course called RFID Essentials.
  
  
• Microcontroller and analog semiconductor supplier Microchip Technology Inc. (Chandler, AZ) has launched two series of hands-on workshops that will be held in various cities across the United States: the permanent magnet synchronous motors workshops will be offered only through the month of March; the brushless dc motors workshops will be offered on dates in March, May, and June.
  
  
• As part of an open house event at its technology center in Cambridge, ON, Canada, Mazak Corp. (Florence, KY) will present trend-related seminars and live cutting demonstrations on its machining equipment on April 1 and 2.
  
  
• Artel (Chicago), which specializes in quality assurance for liquid handling applications, is offering pipette quality management certification seminars from April until October.
  
  
• The International Society of Automation (Research Triangle Park, NC) will hold its annual International Instrumentation Symposium June 1–5 in League City, TX.
  
  
• ForHealth Technologies Inc. (Daytona Beach, FL), a provider of healthcare robotics and work-flow management software, has been acquired by Baxa Corp. (Englewood, CO), a developer of fluid-delivery products for hospitals and pharmacies, as part of Baxa’s expansion into pharmacy automation and IV room productivity.
  
  

March 5, 2009

• Nelson Laboratories (Salt Lake City), which provides testing services to medical device manufacturers, has obtained ISO 17025:2005 accreditation in order to provide customers with a greater confidence level in the lab performing their testing.
  
  
• Consumer packaging supplier Rexam (Suresnes, France) has purchased the remaining interest in a joint venture between it and Pavisa Industries (Mexico City), resulting in Rexam taking full ownership of Pavisa’s plastic injection, extrusion, and blow-molding plant in Mexico City.
  
  
• Goodfellow (Oakdale, PA), a supplier of metals, ceramics, polymers, and other materials for product research and design, has expanded its distribution network in Japan.
  
  
• Hirose Electric Co. (San Jose) and Tyco Electronics (Berwyn, PA) have entered into a second-source agreement under which Tyco will have the right to manufacture, market, and sell worldwide the Hirose IT3 mezzanine connector system under the Tyco brand name Strada MZConn3 Series.
  
  
• Pad printing equipment supplier ITW Trans Tech (Carol Stream, IL) is celebrating is 30th anniversary. Since its founding in 1979, the company has helped to convert the gold ball industry from hot stamping to pad printing, introduced the high-speed rotary gravure process to syringe printing, and recently launched a rapid prototyping technology business in addition to several new pieces of printing equipment.
  
  
• Solvay Advanced Polymers (Alpharetta, GA) has partnered with Piper Plastics Inc. (Chandler, AZ, and Libertyville, IL) to launch a line of stock parts made of Solvay’s Spire Ultra polymers. Using a polymer-conversion process developed by Piper, the company can produce stock parts of Solvay’s polymers that exhibit mechanical properties previously only available in injection-molded parts.
  
  
• Signifying the company’s focus on the medtech industry, Paragon Medsystems (San Diego), which provides turnkey development and manufacturing services, has changed its name to California MedTech.
  
  
• The Rogerstone, UK, manufacturing facility operated by electronics and integrated manufacturing services provider TT Electronics (Weybridge, UK) has been certified to ISO 13485:2003 standards, allowing the facility to manufacture medical electronic systems.
  
  
• Millstone Medical Outsourcing (Fall River, MA) has opened a second facility in Fall River to provide 30,000 sq ft of additional space for advanced inspection and cleanroom services.
  
  

February 23, 2009

• Thomson (Wood Dale, IL), a Danaher Motion company, is presenting a free Webinar titled “Clutches and Brakes 101: Basics for Design Engineers” on February 26 at 10:00 a.m. EST and again at 3:00 p.m. EST.
  
  
• Building on their long-term partnership of producing insulin injection pens and pen components, Medisize (Hillegom, the Netherlands) and Sanofi-Aventis (Bridgewater, NJ) are expanding production capabilities at the Kontiolahti, Finland, plant operated by Medisize.
  
  
• Medical packaging supplier Barger Packaging (Elkhart, IN) has upgraded its facilities to meet increased customer demand by adding a custom-designed thermoformer and increasing its Class 8 cleanroom area.
  
  
• Sunburst Electronics (Erie, PA), a contract manufacturer of electronic controls, has achieved ISO 13485 certification to service the medical device market.
  
  
• Stein Industries (Minneapolis), parent company of electromechanical switch supplier E-Switch Inc., has acquired switch manufacturer Lamb Industries (Portland, OR).
  
  
• Addressing medical device design and assembly topics—including proper joint design, adhesive selection, and processing equipment requirements—two Loctite Medical Training Workshops will be presented by Henkel Corp. (Rocky Hill, CT); the first will be on March 26 in Irvine, CA, and the second will take place on April 23 in San Diego.
  
  
• The Boca Raton, FL, manufacturing facility operated by wireless connectivity product provider L-com (North Andover, MA) has been certified to ISO 9001:2008 standards.
  
  

February 16, 2009

• FDAnews (Falls Church, VA) and Immel Resources (Petaluma, CA) will present a conference titled “Conducting Bulletproof CAPA Investigations—Advanced: Interactive Workshop on Investigating Techniques to Meet Regulatory Scrutiny” on March 30 and 31 in Philadelphia and September 24 and 25 in San Diego.
  
  
• Manufacturing execution system and software platform supplier Plexus Systems Inc. (Auburn Hills, MI) has changed its name to Plex Systems Inc., and has changed its flagship product’s name from Plexus Online to Plex Online.
  
  
• Contract manufacturer The Medtech Group (South Plainfield, NJ) has acquired TDC Medical (Marlborough, MA), which provides design, development, and manufacturing services.
  
  
• The American Filtration and Separations Society (Richfield, MN) will hold its annual technical conference and exhibition May 4–7 in Bloomington, MN.
  
  
• CERAM (Stoke-on-Trent, UK), a provider of medical device materials analysis and testing services, has made a white paper, “How a Detailed Understanding of Materials is Playing a Vital Role in the Evolution of Medical Device Technology,” which focuses on materials evaluation data, available as a free download on its Web site.
  
  
• ASQ (Milwaukee) will hold its world conference on quality and improvement in Minneapolis May 18–20.
  
  

February 9, 2009

• Quality management software supplier Sparta Systems (Holmdel, NJ) will host a Webinar titled “Regulatory Reporting for the Medical Device Industry (eMDR)” on February 10 at 2:00 p.n. EST.
  
  
• Asylum Research (Santa Barbara, CA), which specializes in atomic force and scanning probe microscopy, will sponsor a free atomic force microscopy workshop on February 12 and 13 at the Georgia Institute of Technology (Atlanta).
  
  
• Laser-cutting services provider Pulse Systems (Concord, CA) has achieved ISO 13485:2003 and ISO 9001:2008 certifications for its manufacturing processes.
  
  
• To expand into Class I and II contract manufacturing, Cogmedix Inc. (Worcester, MA) is now in compliance with FDA quality system regulation 21 CFR Part 820.
  
  
• Omron Electronics LLC (Schaumburg, IL) has redesigned its Web site to feature more user-friendly product selection tools, manuals, CAD drawings, and software.
  
  

February 2, 2009

• Plasma cutting systems supplier Hypertherm (Hanover, NH) has acquired the core assets of MTC Software (Lockport, NY), a provider of CAM software used by sheet and plate processing companies to optimize metal cutting and reduce scrap.
  
  
• The Drug Information Association (Horsham, PA) is hosting its 20th annual workshop on medical communications March 1–4 at Hilton Head Island, SC.
  
  
• The Industrial Automation Safety and Security Symposium (formerly known as the ISA Safety Division Symposium), hosted by the International Society of Automation (Research Triangle Park, NC), will be held in Houston on April 22 and 23.
  
  
• Contract product development company Zassi Medical Evolutions (Fernandina Beach, FL), which specializes in gastrointestinal technologies, has launched an online community site called e-Zassi that allows medical device companies, technology-transfer organizations, service providers, and others to network and view each other’s profiles.
  
  
• The Society of Manufacturing Engineers (Dearborn, MI) is hosting its co-located Micromanufacturing and Nanomanufacturing Conferences and Exhibits in Minneapolis on April 1 and 2.
  
  

January 26, 2009

• Beginning in March, the American Society for Quality (Milwaukee) is offering a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt course that blends self-paced and instructor-led Web training modules with classroom instruction and individual project coaching.
  
  
• Artel (Palm Springs, CA), which supplies liquid handling quality assurance systems and services, has launched a Web site called Liquid Handling Talk that features discussion forums and blogs dedicated to small-volume liquid handling topics.
  
  
• Contract manufacturer and assembly services provider MedPlast (Tempe, AZ) has expanded its molding capabilities and officially launched its medical device manufacturing and product development service offerings.
  
  
• Hexagon Metrology (North Kingstown, RI), which supplies high-precision measurement and inspection products, has acquired Technodigit (Lyon, France), which develops software designed for reverse engineering, rapid prototyping, and product design and inspection applications.
  
  
• Goldsmith and Eggleton Inc. (Wadsworth, OH), a manufacturer of black masterbatches and reprocesses polymers, has renovated its mill room and installed new equipment to expand its capabilities.
  
  
• Precision control systems provider Moog Inc. (East Aurora, NY) has acquired Ethox International (Buffalo, NY), which provides contract manufacturing, sterilization, and other services.
  
  

January 20, 2009

• To provide electronics manufacturers with information on potential revisions to the EU RoHS Directive, IPC—Association Connecting Electronics Industries (Bannockburn, IL) and consulting firm Environ (Arlington, VA) are hosting a Webinar titled “Proposed Changes to the RoHS Directive: The Impact on Manufacturers and Importers.” Companies outside of Europe can view the Webinar on January 29 at 10:00 a.m. (CST), and EU-based companies can access the presentation on February 12 at 3:00 p.m. (CET).
  
  
• Machine tool builder Mazak Corp. (Florence, KY) has transferred ownership of Machinery Resources Inc. (Tulsa, OK). The company has served as distributor of Mazak machines for Oklahoma and northwestern Arkansas for 25 years.
  
  
• Serving the plastics and industrial process markets, Spare Parts Express (New Berlin, WI) has launched a Web site that offers maintenance tips and same-day shipping on such parts as motors and solenoid valves.
  
  
• Biocoat Inc. (Horsham, PA), which specializes in medical device coating technologies, has launched a blog devoted to discussing developments in hydrophilic and hydrophobic coatings.
  
  
• Overnight Labels Inc. (Deer Park, NY), a supplier of labels and flexible packaging, has become a member of the Natural Products Association (Washington, D.C.), which advocates consumer access to products that maintain and improve health and the ability of suppliers and retailers to sell these products.
  
  

January 12, 2009

• Oliver Medical (Grand Rapids, MI), a supplier of die-cut lid, roll, and stock products, has acquired Tolas Healthcare Packaging (Feasterville, PA), which specializes in sterile-grade packaging.
  
  
• Perma Pure (Toms River, NJ) has created a service department that offers in-house and on-site warranty repair, rework, and troubleshooting for its line of gas-conditioning products.
  
  
• Feeder bowl equipment manufacturer Service Engineering Inc. (Greenfield, IN) has expanded its facility by 12,000 sq ft to make room for a water-jet cutting machine, press brake, and laser scanner that will improve the plant's processing efficiency.
  
  
• Electronics manufacturing services provider Federal Electronics Inc. (Cranston, RI) has received ISO 9001:2000 and AS9100 certification.
  
  
• Electronic and electromechanical products company Ametek Inc. (Paoli, PA) has acquired titanium alloys and powders supplier Reading Alloys (Robesonia, PA) to incorporate into its Electromechanical Group.
  
  
• Franek Technologies (Tustin, CA), which supplies battery backup power protection systems, has received ISO 9001:2000 certification.
  
  

January 7, 2009

• Contract manufacturer Cretex Companies (Elk River, MN) has acquired Meier Tool & Engineering (Anoka, MN), a manufacturer of miniature and microsized stamped components and subassemblies for the medical device industry.
  
  
• Robotics systems provider Adept Technology Inc. (Pleasanton, CA) has moved its headquarters to a new facility in order to be more accessible and to operate more efficiently.
  
  
• The most recent installment of the lean manufacturing podcast series from Bosch Rexroth (Buchanan, MI), which focuses on using automation to solve lean manufacturing problems, is now available for listening or free download on the company’s Web site.
  
  
• To meet increasing demand and accommodate its business growth, Douglas Electrical Components (Randolph, NJ), a supplier of connectors, assemblies, and other electrical components, has moved its manufacturing operations to a 30,000-sq-ft facility, which is approximately twice the size of its previous plant.
  
  
• TomTec Imaging Systems (Unterschleissheim, Germany), a supplier of medical imaging software solutions, and Advanced Medical Imaging Development (Sulmona, Italy) have expanded their partnership to develop 2-D and 3-D quantification tools for echo planar and magnetic resonance imaging applications.
  
  
• Quality management software provider IQS (North Olmsted, OH) has moved its headquarters to a larger building to accommodate its growing customer base and increased training and conference space needs.
  
  

December 15, 2008

December 8, 2008