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Advances in medical technology are causing the medical industry to change faster than ever before. Keeping up with these changes requires innovative design, stringent quality control, and short lead times. Choosing quality components, such as custom bearings, can help OEMs stay ahead of the competition.
The United States is the largest medical device market in the world, according to SelectUSA.gov. In fact, the medical device market enjoyed 40 percent of the global medical device market and was worth $156 billion in 2017, and it will likely grow to $208 billion by 2023. Because of the constantly changing market and competitive nature of the industry, the medical device industry invests a larger share of its yearly revenues into product innovation than does automotive, defense, and telecommunications industries.
Medical device manufacturers make a huge variety of products, including instruments, apparatuses and machines used in the prevention, diagnosis or treatment of illness or disease. Bearings improve the way many of these medical devices work by constraining relative motion of a part or by reducing friction between two moving parts. New medical devices, including those with bearings and without, hit the market nearly every week. In fact, the FDA now approves about 100 new medical devices each year.
To keep up with demand, custom bearing designs and other medical device components need to be available quickly, but they must also work perfectly. Quality control is essential for all industries, but especially so in the medical device industry – lives may depend on it. Quality issues are a concern for every stakeholder in the medical device chain, from manufacturers and regulators to payors, doctors, and patients. Increasing media attention and scrutiny from investors can punish firms that suffer from quality issues or major product recalls. Many in medical manufacturing mitigate the risk of quality issues by adopting stringent quality control systems, using state-of-the-art technology, and by purchasing high quality components, such as custom bearings.
Custom bearings and components help keep OEM production lines moving. Plastic radial bearings keep MRI tables rolling smoothly, for example, and needle roller bearings help OR ceiling stands securely support an increasing number of heavy devices. Drawn cup needle bearings replace old-fashioned ball bearings in hospital beds to accommodate higher loading requirements.
Whether they are in the early stage of product design or while addressing a product performance issue, OEMs in the medical industry need to select the best possible custom bearing option. These bearings must offer high speeds, low noise, service life and resistance to harsh environments, aggressive chemicals or fluids.
Hartford Technologies delivers the highest quality custom bearing designs that OEMs can trust to use in their medical devices. Every member of the Hartford Technology team is committed to providing quality bearings, manufactured using the latest advances in material sciences. Hartford Technology provides custom bearings with superb quality control and with reduced lead times. Contact Hartford Technologies today to learn more about our quality custom bearing designs, other components and service expertise you need to manufacture your state-of-the-art medical devices.
