Ixef resin’s strength, durability, weight, and balance enable single-procedure torque limiters to mimic reusable products at a lower cost.

Solvay’s medical-grade Ixef polyarylamide (PARA) was selected by ECA Medical Instruments to manufacture its new TruTORQ and TruPWR family of single-procedure, precision torque limiting instruments for securing medical device implants.

Ixef PARA is ECA Medical Instruments’ choice for the majority of its products, due to the material’s high strength and stiffness, smooth surface finish, availability in several colors, and high flow for easy moldability. The company uses Ixef PARA for the handle and instrument bodies of its new TruTORQ and TruPWR instruments used for critical orthopaedic and spine procedures. 

“Our ongoing collaboration with ECA Medical is helping to improve the design and development of single-procedure instruments that can reduce healthcare costs while delivering high precision and performance to support positive outcomes,” says Rose Catherin, sales director, Americas - channel partners & digital sales at Solvay Materials. “The strength and ergonomic properties of our advanced Ixef compounds continue to appeal to industry leaders like ECA Medical that are looking for exceptional materials backed by Solvay’s extensive training, service and support.”  

TruTORQ and TruPWR instruments are designed to assist surgeons with the precise fixation of orthopedic and spine implants. They provide audible feedback and tactile feel features to indicate torque achievement. They deliver performance similar to that of reusable instruments while minimizing carbon footprint and lowering costs by eliminating resource-intensive, expensive reprocessing steps that involve harsh cleaning agents, large amounts of clean water for rinsing and repeated steam sterilization.

“There is growing demand worldwide for one-way instruments that are sterile pack and surgery ready to provide clinically robust solutions at a lower lifecycle cost than reusables,” says Lane Hale, president and CEO, ECA Medical Instruments. “To meet this need, we depend on Solvay’s Ixef PARA, which enables us to mold very strong parts that mimic steel yet are less expensive and achieve precise tolerances that are ideal for surgical procedures without creating high costs for inspection. Ixef PARA has helped ECA Medical Instruments achieve the largest market share in the world for single-use instruments, including torque limiters for medical devices.”

Ixef PARA compounds offer metal-like strength, rigidity, and dimensional stability, while providing a high-quality surface. They are optimized for sterilization using high-energy gamma radiation without significant changes in appearance or performance and are available in a range of gamma-stabilized colors. Solvay’s compounds have been evaluated for ISO 10993 limited duration biocompatibility and are supported by a Food & Drug Administration Master Access File.

Hear manufacturing insights from our panel of experts representing Makino, Mitsui Seiki, and Okuma.

Register for next week’s roundtable, Smart manufacturing with advanced machine tools, and learn from our panel of experts how smart manufacturing is delivered by combining manufacturing, information, and communication technologies ? connecting the entire manufacturing system for efficiency and competitiveness.

Taking place Wednesday, May 18 from 12PM – 1PM ET, this roundtable will be your opportunity to find out the latest how Industry 4.0, robotics, ultraprecision tools and more advancements are being incorporated by Makino, Okuma, and Mitsui Seiki.

Some key topics discussed will be:

Reference designs help to speed time-to-market for development of video laryngoscopes; improve patient care with crisp, clear images and a wider FOV.

OMNIVISION launched new laryngoscope reference designs that include a range of OMNIVISION products that help improve patient care by providing crisp, clear images for single-use video laryngoscopes. Visualization makes insertion of the endotracheal tube easier and faster and avoids failures in difficult airways, significantly reducing the chances of complications and even death.

OMNIVISION’s ready-to-go reference designs help medical device OEMs speed time-to-market in the development of laryngoscopes. They feature high quality images and a wider field of view (FoV), and include CameraCubeChip CMOS image sensors, low power mechanical designs, optics, batteries, as well as capabilities for recording and playback.

“The video laryngoscope, a device used in the visualization of the airway, is quickly displacing traditional direct laryngoscopy,” says Ehsan Ayar, product marketing manager at OMNIVISION. “Producing the best images of the larynx requires smaller z-height and superb optics, which is enabled by our OmniBSI and OmniBSI+ technologies. We have designed all of our premier imaging technologies into a ‘ready-to-go’ reference kit to help shorten development time for these important, high demand devices.”

Ayar adds, “Enhanced visualization helps to avoid endotracheal intubation failures in difficult airways that can lead to dental damage, laryngeal, dysrhythmia and cardiac spasm. Further, single-use devices eliminate cross-contamination that can result with reusable endoscopes.”

The global video laryngoscope market approached $219.7 million in 2019 and is set to hit $795.0 million by 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 17.4%.1 Driving the fast adoption rate is the fact that video laryngoscopy results in more successful intubations in a shorter period of time than traditional direct laryngoscopy.

In addition, single-use blades with OMNIVISION cameras have been in high demand globally for treating COVID-19 patients. A high percentage of patients need to be intubated to go on a ventilator, and video laryngoscopy is used over direct laryngoscopy since it improves intubation success and maximizes operator distance.

The complete reference design for video single-use laryngoscopes includes:

United Performance Metals (UPM) has recently unveiled its new additive manufacturing solutions center in Hamilton, OH.

United Performance Metals’ (UPM innovative additive center provides new, stainless steel, nickel, and titanium build plates customized to any size or machine. UPM provides end-to-end innovative supply chain solutions for the additive manufacturing market from feed stock supply management to finished part manufacturing. The company also offers closed-loop refurbishment of existing build plates through additional milling and grinding, and wire EDM build plate removal.

“We are thrilled to launch our new innovative additive facility as it builds on our history of providing specialty solutions and services to the most innovative companies in the world,” says JJ Johnson, general manager of the new additive facility.  “We have been working hard over the last two years to build this facility and the feedback from customers has been incredible. We are humbled and honored with the customer response and are adding resources and capabilities to meet their evolving needs.”

2022 has been extremely impressive for U.S. manufacturing technology orders.

Monthly orders of manufacturing technology surpassed half a billion dollars for the first time in 2022, totaling $552.3 million in March, according to the latest U.S. Manufacturing Technology Orders Report published by AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology. March 2022 orders were 15.2% higher than February 2022 orders and 20.4% higher than March 2021. The first quarter of 2022 had orders totaling $1.47 billion, 26.5% higher than the first quarter of 2021 and the highest Q1 of any year since 1998.

“The first quarter of 2022 has been extremely impressive for manufacturing technology orders,” says Pat McGibbon, chief knowledge officer at AMT. “Previous forecasts had predicted a strong beginning to 2022 and a soft summer which would rebound by IMTS in September, as summer orders are often delayed in anticipation of new products being exhibited at IMTS. However, inflation, the war, and saber-rattling in the east are creating a level of uncertainty and risk that businesses must consider. Despite these challenges, we see the manufacturing sector continuing to invest in additional capacity.”

According to the ISM® Report On Business® – Manufacturing (PMI®), the manufacturing sector grew in March but at a slower rate than in previous months. Growing backlogs at all levels of the manufacturing sector have been expanding in the last several months. "The rebound of demand for manufactured goods overwhelmed supply chains and created a backlog of orders," McGibbon says. "This backlog is now propping up a floor on the demand for manufacturing technology. As consumer demand varies from month to month, tackling these backlogs necessitate additional machinery capacity."

Despite the near-record orders for manufacturing technology, the first quarter of 2022 had the first negative GDP growth since the onset of COVID. The contraction was primarily due to a widening trade imbalance that masks the underlying strength of the consumer.

“To have one of the best quarters in manufacturing technology orders and then find out GDP was contracting over the same time almost defies logic,” McGibbon says. “However, there have been many instances over the past several months where orders have been up, despite some headwind that would have been a major issue for the industry prior to COVID.”

Economists had predicted consumer demand would soon shift back to services, but this shift has been happening at a slower rate than anticipated.

McGibbon says, “Supply-side issues continue to conceal the true potential of consumer demand for manufactured goods, where expenditures have been slipping the past few months. While these issues result in shortages for industries that manufacture final consumer goods, manufacturers of components farther from the consumer are amassing backlogs. Assuming demand for the final good persists despite growing delivery times and rising prices, these growing backlogs for components could fuel demand for manufacturing technology well into the summer months.”