Benefits of USA Made Custom Medical Automation Equipment, Specifically Suture Cutting and Tipping Machines
In the medical device industry, the U.S. is well known globally for its ability to continually churn out innovative products as compared to its European and Asian counterparts. This R&D investment into innovation is key as larger medical device companies and healthcare providers look to get a lot leaner and are posed to use their purchasing power to shop around for solutions aligned with their lean objective. Additionally, as the healthcare industry focuses on delivering high-quality care while reducing costs, the supply chain will be a critical target for driving cost reductions and greater efficiencies.
For domestic medical device manufacturers, shopping for solutions locally can provide the innovation and efficiencies needed to maintain competitive positioning. Take for example suture tipping & cutting machines, which have been largely manufactured overseas in the last decade. By leveraging a USA manufactured version, large medical device companies and suture manufacturers can support their business and lean manufacturing objectives with the following benefits:
Decreased Time to Market for Surgical Suture Manufacturers
Whether it’s rapid changes in the industry requiring manufacturers to accelerate production or the rush to respond to customer requests, the ability to get to market quickly and efficiently is becoming increasingly important. For U.S.-based medical device manufacturers, they have the advantage of designing, testing and delivering new equipment “locally” without the time and costs of doing business with an offshore medical device manufacturer.
Lean, Optimized Suture Finishing Processes
To keep costs low and production efficient, all while maintaining high-quality output, companies need to consider agile, flexible solutions that can support production requirements with minimal costs for add-on machinery, programming and/or training. In the case of suture finishing machines, medical device manufacturers may want to consider a domestic suture machine that can easily switch between heat and adhesive tipping, as opposed to utilizing two separate machines that have to be built, operated and maintained individually.
Post medical equipment purchase and installation, manufactures need to also consider the processes for machine maintenance and support. Understanding that time is money – and ultimately customer satisfaction – it’s important to evaluate the cost and accessibility of maintenance and support and what impact the machine’s country of origination has on these processes.
Skilled, Innovative Engineering Talent
The U.S. workforce is among the most skilled and productive globally – more than 30% more productive than Germany’s and nearly twice as productive as South Korea’s. Additionally, the U.S. is the global leader in patents, producing nearly 30 percent of all patents worldwide.* Combined with the fact the country also has over a third of the world’s total R&D investment, medical device companies can feel confident that an investment in U.S.-designed custom medical equipment will help them not only keep pace with the industry, but also with their need to quickly handle complex and growing customer demand.
Takeaway for Medical Device Companies
Investing in robust manufacturing processes and innovative solutions will position companies to keep costs low, production efficiencies high and quality output even higher. By investing in USA-based custom equipment manufacturers for medical device requirements, companies can potentially gain traction in the competitive landscape given the measurable benefits of buying local.
Takeaway for Surgical Suture Manufacturers
In additional to the overall benefits, for suture manufacturers specifically, a USA made suture tipping and cutting machine affords convenient access to local testing, sales, service and support, providing a one stop shop for suture finishing processes.
* https://www.themadeinamericamovement.com/reshoring/u-s-medical-device-industry/
About Live Automation
Live Automation has developed an innovative design and cost-effective solution to building and maintaining machines that handle post-suture manufacturing finishing processes. Regardless of the suture types – implantable, absorbable, non-absorbable, customized, and special suture sets – or suture material – nylon, polyester, polyglycolic acid or other glycolide polymers – our suture cutter machine and suture tipping machine provide a stable, quality solution that can be operated and maintained with ease.