The key to micro molding success

Aaron Johnson, vice president of marketing and customer strategy for injection molding specialists Accumold, explains the key to micro molding success.

Accumold works at the precision and micro end of the spectrum when it comes to molding, and as such has a unique perspective, not just concerning the requirements that medical device Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) have when pushing for part or feature miniaturization, but also on the vital questions that medical customers must ask of their short-listed micro molding partners.

When choosing which micro molder to work with, the lines of engagement are different from the typical job shop relationship manufacturers have with conventional molders. The critical nature and complexity of the micro products that medical device OEMs rely on means that a chosen micro molder should from the get-go be viewed as a strategic partner in the entire product development process.

As such, one key question that medical OEMs must ask of a micro molder is the extent to which they are truly vertically integrated. The ability to truly provide design and material assistance, micro tool fabrication, micro molding, metrology, automation, and assembly under one roof not only mitigates risk associated non-adherence to tight tolerances and accuracy requirements, but also exhibits the ability to be able to support and control a product development program from end-to-end. Control is central to success, as this removes the headaches of dealing with multiple vendors and streamlines the entire product development process.

It is often best to visit your chosen partner to see facilities for yourself, as there are cases where claims of in-house capabilities are not always the case in reality.

Beyond locating a micro molder that insists on a strategic partner relationship (with all that this implies in terms of the quality, speed, and cost-effectiveness of outcomes), it is also useful to question and assess the size and longevity of your chosen micro molder. There is no substitute for experience, and this comes through a long association with micro molding and micro product development. Also, there will come a time when you need to scale up to high volume mass manufacture, so you need to locate a micro molding partner that has the physical space and infrastructure in place to cater for your medium- and long-term needs.

The safety critical nature of many medical devices requires absolute accuracy and the creation of cutting-edge and innovative micro molded products. To enable this, it is vital that medical OEMs thoroughly interrogate the inherent capabilities that their chosen micro molder has. Customers should certainly be quite forensic in their interrogation of the extent and experience their chosen partner has in the fabrication of micro tools, as well as assessing the extent and quality of their molding facilities, and also assess the metrology capabilities in house, because as is often said in the micro manufacturing arena, “if you cannot measure it you cannot make it.”

Your chosen micro molding partner should also have extensive experience in terms of automation and assembly, but such capabilities can only be motivated optimally for medical OEMs if the team driving them show the passion, and experience necessary to manufacture seemingly impossible and innovative micro products. Ask your micro molder how collaboratively they work internally and also with you, as the key to micro molding success is collaboration and transparency. Your chosen micro molder should have a solutions-oriented focus, and a demonstrable reputation in the medical device industry for high quality, timely, and cost-effective results.