Keeping up the Momentum of Innovation
Published on : Thursday 04-11-2021
Medical device manufacturers can explore innovative ways to improve productivity and flexibility using automated track technology.
Worldwide the healthcare and medical devices manufacturing industry is growing significantly in the last couple of decades. If we talk about India, it comes among the top 20 markets for medical devices worldwide. As per the report, India's medical devices market was at US$ 11 billion in 2020 and is expected to grow by US$ 65 billion by 2024. However, there is a massive gap in the demand and supply of medical devices in India. Many domestic and international medical device manufacturers are currently chasing the significant opportunity for manufacturing devices in India. To leverage growth opportunities, device manufacturers must focus on enhancing productivity and throughput, reducing cost and wastage, and improving quality and reliability. With smaller batches, customised medicines, and a never-ending process of optimising TCO and OEE, the need for adaptive solutions in the production of medical devices has never been more urgent. To achieve this, we have many production and assembly technologies available in India.
Forward-thinking products and solutions are essential to the worldwide success of media device manufacturers – while quality and robustness directly impact day-to-day operation. However, while positioning themselves for long-term success on the global market, media device manufacturers face particular challenges for further development. To be successful, medical device manufacturers need to address the challenge of rapidly changing demand.
Medical device manufacturing challenges
Medical device manufacturers produce high-value and sophisticated devices used in short-term and long-term healthcare requirements. Along with the entire manufacturing process, these products are highly regulated and demand rigorous quality control and proper documentation of all operations. In addition to this, medical devices manufacturers face some practical challenges:
1. Make-to-order vs. make-to-stock
2. Custom devices and kits
3. GAMP compliance and serialisation
4. Streamlined assembly
5. Instant changeover without human intervention, and
6. Reducing operational costs and dependence on inconsistent manual labour.
By implementing effective adaptive manufacturing processes, leaders in medical device assembly can address these challenges.
Adaptive machine technology: New flexibility in medical device assembly
Leaders in medical device assembly create solutions with the extraordinary ability to produce multiple product types – enabling small-batch flexibility without compromising productivity. This new generation of adaptive machines is uniquely efficient at automating dynamic changes—the secret: a synergy of crucial technology breakthroughs integrated into a single system.
Adaptive manufacturing makes a significant contribution when individual parts are assembled to make the products used for medical treatments, for example, a catheter, syringe, or infusion set. All these tubes, valves, and needles were produced separately and needed to be put together. This process is called medical device assembly and can benefit enormously from adaptive machine technology.
An adaptive machine can divert individual products from the production flow – for any reason, at any time – without interfering with the overall production.
This sets the stage for efficient and economical mass customisation and creates possibilities for efficient in-line quality checks that assure 100% quality while maintaining production speed and reducing loss during production.
The backbone of an adaptive machine is an intelligent track system, which consists of individually controlled shuttles running on an array of electromechanical tracks. Although a track system may appear deceptively similar to a conventional assembly line at first glance, it provides the unprecedented capability to run multiple product types simultaneously. Among the features that make this possible is the ability to divert shuttles around one workstation to another. Independently controlled shuttles each follow their unique path through the line, skipping some stations and visiting others as needed. Load-balanced parallel stations maximise output per square meter of floor space. Divergent flows merge on the fly to form custom kits and packs at full production speed - all perfectly orchestrated by a central control system.
Choosing the right track system
Depending on which type of medical device is being produced, there is a wide range of solutions to address challenges that would be difficult, if not impossible, to solve using a conventional approach. B&R's innovative track systems make it possible to manufacture small batches and individualised products economically. ACOPOStrak, SuperTrak, and ACOPOS 6D transport workpieces through a machine individually without being bound to rigid timing, resulting in unprecedented productivity. These mechatronic systems are explicitly developed for 24/7 industrial operation. They are designed for high availability under demanding conditions. With the next-generation industrial transport technology such as ACOPOStrak, SuperTrak, and ACOPOS 6D, B&R is redefining the future of transport technology by enabling machine builders to achieve higher OEE, smaller machine footprint, batch size one production, mass customisation, shorter time to market and can further accelerate their return on investment. These technologies enable adaptive manufacturing and are a generation leap ahead of the market.
Full integration of robots
Robots create big advantages for medical device assembly in terms of both production efficiency and total cost of ownership. With Machine-Centric Robotics, B&R has taken another big step toward higher productivity and efficiency. The solution saves floor space and streamlines spare parts inventory by eliminating the need for a dedicated robot controller. There's no longer a need for separate hardware and separate communication. The machine doesn't need to wait for the robot, nor does the robot need to wait for the machine. Simultaneous movements in perfect synchronisation with zero waiting time generate higher productivity and take OEE to new heights. A Machine-Centric Robotics solution plays an essential role in producing more medical devices per m² floor space.
The role of the digital twin
Different shuttle configurations and track layouts of transport technology can be simulated using a digital twin. It helps to optimise line performance before any commitment to capital expenditure is made. Virtual commissioning reduces the total cost of engineering and time to market. Digital twins also allow ready reconfiguration of the installed track system's modular components to adapt to new applications quickly. And, digital twins provide built-in documentation for system planning and validation. These end-user simulation and configuration tools make implementing the latest technologies much easier without steep learning curves.
Your competitive advantage
With this backdrop, medical device manufacturers can explore innovative ways to improve productivity and flexibility using automated track technology. Manufacturers who have already installed these types of track technology are ripping the benefit of improved productivity and reduced cycle time. The coming years have massive potential for quality medical device manufacturing. The Indian manufacturing industry will be a good ground for all medical device manufacturing companies. Along with the available technological advancements, the government schemes to establish deeper acquaintances with the current market will attract numerous medical giants to set up their activities in India.
B&R is the world's only single-source supplier for controls and robotics. Robots from its parent company ABB are fully integrated in the B&R automation system. Customers benefit from unprecedented precision in synchronisation between robotics and machine control. They need only one controller and one engineering system for development, diagnostics and maintenance.
