2008 - 2007- 2006 - 2005 - 2004 - 2003 - 2002 - 2001 - 2000

12/21 - Sandvik Materials Technology entered an agreement with Medtronic concerning acquisition of a manufacturing plant that specializes in medical instruments for spinal surgery. The plant is located in Memphis, Tennessee and the acquisition is expected to conclude during 1Q08.

12/18 - PartMaker and Ganesh Industrial Supply have teamed to provide a programming solution for the Ganesh Cyclone series of sliding-headstock multi-axis CNC lathes.  The Ganesh Cyclone series, which features the 7-axis Cyclone 25-CS, are Swiss-type lathes that can operate without a guide bushing. 

12/17 - Symmetry Medical signed a definitive agreement to purchase an orthopaedic instrument manufacturing facility in New Bedford, Massachusetts, from DePuy Orthopaedics for US $45 million in cash. Symmetry and DePuy will enter into a supply agreement which will require DePuy to make minimum purchases from the facility for a 4 year period following the close of the acquisition, which is expected to occur within 60 days.

12/14 - Bradshaw Medical expanded their U.S. Sales Team with the additions of David Delp in the Central Region and Steve Pubols in the Western Region. Bradshaw Medical is an ISO 9001:2000 certified supplier that offers a comprehensive line of precision handheld surgical instruments serving the orthopaedic community.

Autocam Medical launched a comprehensive new website highlighting their precision-manufacturing capabilities, advanced quality systems and medical applications. Autocam Medical manufactures precision and ultra-precision components and subassemblies for a wide variety of surgical and general medical products. Applications include implants, instruments, handpieces and components.

Sandvik Materials Technology acquired JKB Medical Technologies, a contract manufacturer of titanium alloy and high-alloy stainless spinal implants and medical instruments. JKB's annual sales are US ~$14MM.

11/30 - DYMAX now offers Crosslink® epoxies and Pacer Technology® cyanoacrylates and accelerators through its web site. Further, the company has introduced the ACCU-CAL™ 100 radiometer for UV light curing flood lamps and conveyor systems.

11/27 - Arcam introduced the Productivity Boost Feature, designed to reduce build time in its EBM systems by up to 30%. The Productivity Boost is a standard feature for the Arcam A2 system and is also available as an upgrade for the Arcam EBM S12 systems.

11/21 - PartMaker is now shipping Version 8.5 of its PartMaker® CAD/CAM software for CNC Mills, Lathes, WireEDM, Turn-Mill Centers and Swiss-type lathes.  Version 8.5 includes the PartMaker Documentation Wizard module which allows the user to create, preview and print documents with multiple views.

11/19 - Materialise launched Mimics 11.1 medical imaging and editing software. Mimics interfaces between scanner data and CAD formats, between medical images and rapid prototyping, and between an image and any finite element or computational fluid dynamics package.

11/9 - PAK Manufacturing has been selected as a finalist for the 2007 New Jersey Business of the Year Award.

11/7 - Loukas Medical received design patent D663,464 from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.  The patent is for a new ergonomically designed screwdriver handle.  (Click to view Patent File.)

11/6 - Knight Mechanical Testing received accreditation to ISO/IEC 17025, the global standard of quality governing the operation of test laboratories. KMT's scope of accreditation includes axial and bending fatigue as well as tensile and compressive testing.

11/2 - Danco Anodizing purchased chrome line assets, used for medical device instruments, from Finishing Innovations. Danco has processed titanium and stainless steel parts for the orthopaedic industry since 1992.

In’Tech Medical is opening a third subsidiary, In’Tech M2I, in Toulon, France. In’Tech is a custom contract manufacturer and developer of surgical instruments for the orthopaedic industry.

10/29 - Ticona has developed two new grades of ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) containing vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol). The addition of this biocompatible antioxidant is intended to supply these new grades with effective oxidation stability. The aim is to further extend the lifetime of orthopaedic implants.

Sandvik Bioline appointed David Harbon as Regional Sales & Marketing Manager EMEA (Europe, Middle East & America). This move is the latest step in the progress of Sandvik MedTech, which comprises Sandvik Bioline and Sandvik Medical Solutions. 

10/25 - DYMAX introduced Ultra-Red™ fluorescing technology. Ultra-Red fluorescing adhesives remain naturally clear until exposed to UV light, at which point they fluoresce bright red, providing a vivid contrast that permits accurate bond-line inspection. 

PartMaker notes that its CAM software products are now in use at 6 of world’s 10 largest medical device manufacturers, including such companies as Biomet and Johnson & Johnson, Medtronic, Smith & Nephew and Zimmer. Many manufacturers typically use PartMaker CAM software to automate programming of multi-axis and Swiss-type lathes in the manufacture of bone screws, dental implants, instrumentation, etc.

10/23 - Reading Alloys, a producer of high-purity titanium specialty powders for the medical implant market, has expanded its capabilities through the addition of an ultrasonic deblinding system from Russell Finex that optimizes particle size distribution, throughput and material recoverability.

10/18 - Symmetry Medical appointed John Hynes to Chief Operating Officer, Europe effective November 1, 2007. Mr. Hynes will lead Symmetry's medical implant, instrument and case facilities across Europe including the UK, Ireland, France and Switzerland.

10/16 - Symmetry Medical received ISO 13485 certification in Malaysia. Symmetry opened this facility in 12/06.

New England Precision Grinding (NEPG) and Accu-Met Laser have been acquired by Riverside Partners. The acquired companies are outsourced manufacturers for medical device OEMs. NEPG provides highly engineered wires and precision ground needles from facilities in Holliston and Dartmouth, Massachusets, while Accu-Met Laser, based in Cranston, Rhode Island, provides laser welding, cutting, engraving, and wire EDM capabilities.

10/10 - Accellent announced that effective 10/29/07, Robert E. Kirby is named President and Chief Executive Officer. Kenneth W. Freeman will continue as Executive Chairman.

10/4 - Results of initial review of Symmetry Medical's accounting policies at its Sheffield, U.K. unit suggest an overstatement of revenues by that unit dating back to 1999, at amounts of ~$12MM to $16MM.

10/3 - Bradshaw Medical was selected to receive the 2007 Economic Impact Award by the Kenosha Area Chamber of Commerce and Kenosha Area Business Alliance.

9/28 - LH Industries has invested ~$2.5MM in equipment for its recently formed orthopaedic division. Since the beginning of 2007, the company has added 15 employees for the division, and expects to expand its work force further next year.

Orchid Orthopedic Solutions announced that Mike Miller, CEO and Chairman, will step down from his role as CEO and turn over his day-to-day operational responsibilities to Mike Zamiara, President of Orchid. Further, Orchid appointed two new board members: Charles Deischter and Mitch Kern.

Sandvik has established a Board for its medical technology organization, Sandvik MedTech, that includes industry experts and advisors David Fitzgerald, Gunnar Walstam, and Lars Ekström.

Avalign Technologies entered into an agreement to become a channel partner for radio frequency identification (RFID) tracking technologies developed by Solstice Medical.  Avalign will work with Solstice to apply RFID technology to instruments, implants and delivery systems on behalf of Avalign's medical manufacturing customers. 

Invibio introduced an image contrast grade of PEEK-OPTIMA® polymer, offering the mechanical, physical and biocompatible properties of unfilled PEEK-OPTIMA with tailored opacity, enabling medical device manufacturers to develop implants that can be observed more clearly with X-ray and CT imaging modalities while remaining compatible with MRI.

9/21 - NORWOOD added to its in-house capabilities with the recent certification of a 2,000 sq. ft. passivation system. The system has the ability to run nitric and citric passivation per ASTM A967 depending on customer requirements. An electropolish system was also certified.

9/20 - FMI Medical Instruments achieved ISO 13485:2003 registration for the manufacture of orthopaedic instruments and implants. FMI also opened a new 57,000 sq. ft. medical device manufacturing facility in Madison, Alabama that will provide in-house capabilities in Swiss turning, CNC turning, Milling, Wire EDM, Sinker EDM, Precision Grinding, Metal Finishing, Assembly and Packaging, and houses a dedicated prototype cell.

9/18 - Specialty Blades entered into a Letter of Intent to purchase Popper and Sons, a supplier of specialty needle and tubing products to the medical device and diagnostics industries. The acquisition is expected to be complete by 12/31/07. (See the Supplier Directory for more information on Specialty Blades' IncisionTech division.)

9/17 - Symmetry Medical launched an updated version of its web site. The new version, available in seven languages, is intended to ease customers' access to product information and includes a streamlined log-in portal for access to privileged information on new product development. The site also offers users new self-service features and improved navigation, as well as a global map of facilities linked to product pages and contact information for product inquiries.

IncisionTech/Specialty Blades appointed Michael Bond as the Vice President of Engineering. IncisionTech provides cutting and piercing components as well as sub-assemblies used in surgical devices.

9/10 - iMDs, an orthopaedics-focused medical device outsourcing firm, acquired Frontier Biomedical, a preclinical animal research services provider.

9/6 - Vision Engineering (VEI) launched its 2nd-generation AccuPac 200 inspection system, a self-contained turn key inspection system including image processor, touch screen display, imaging hardware and optical components in a single package. VEI offers AccuPac 200 models for bone screws, knee and hip components, trauma nails and plates, etc.

9/5 - Millstone Medical Outsourcing appointed Shawn Martin as Operations Manager of the company's new Memphis facility. Mr. Martin will head development of Millstone's service center, which will provide aftermarket, distribution and loaner processing services to medical device manufacturers.

8/30 - Solstice Medical formed an alliance with Magellan Technology as Magellan’s preferred integrator and sales agent for the medical device industry. Magellan’s Phase Jitter Modulation High Frequency RFID technology is reportedly able to scan >600 randomly organized products per second, even when labels are close to metals, liquids or other labels. Solstice provides RFID and software solutions to the medical industry.

8/29 -Symmetry Medical entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Specialty Surgical Instruments and Ultra Containers of America, providers of specialty surgical instruments and sterilization containers, for US $15.1MM in cash. The acquisition is expected to close by 9/30/07. The acquired companies reported 2006 revenue of ~$21MM.

8/28 - DYMAX introduced HH-LED+, a hand-held LED curing system. The system uses LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) to generate both ultraviolet and visible light to provide cool, consistent, low cost spot curing of adhesives in smaller bonding, tacking and ruggedizing applications. 

8/27 - Veros MCM introduced thread whirling rings designed to utilize standard I.C. inserts. The company has rings available for many popular head units, and can design and manufacture rings for virtually any application, including multiple lead threads.

Paragon Medical named Peter Van Syckle as its Manager of Business Development.

8/21 - Danco expects that a 16,000 square foot facility expansion will allow them to add services such as aluminum anodizing and the Deep Image process, used in orthopaedic cases and trays as a replacement for silk screening.

8/15 - Miltronics & Skye, a manufacturer of precision components and assemblies, has been registered as compliant with the International Standards ISO 13485, Medical devices — Quality management systems — Requirements for Regulatory Purposes, by BSI Americas. 

8/14 - Orchid Orthopedic Solutions acquired Anzon, Keller Engineering and Micro Precision Swiss, all providers of precision machined orthopaedic instruments and implants.

8/13 - Micropulse anticipates adding 35 more jobs to its workforce at its Indiana site at as part of a multi-million-dollar expansion. Micropulse will add 40,000 square feet to its facility at a cost of $1.3MM and will spend an additional $3MM on manufacturing equipment and $100,000 on research and development.

Acme Manufacturing opened an office in Shanghai, China and has hired Mr. Ling Yun as Manager of the Acme/China office.  Mr. Ling has over 20 years experience in the metalworking and machine tool industry. 

8/10 - On 9/12/07, Materialise and EOS will host the Rapid Implant Manufacturing Forum in Leuven, Belgium.

8/6 - Precimed has appointed Charles St-Maurice as the new Vice President of Sales for its U.S. customers.

TriMas acquired DEW Technologies, a specialty, high-precision manufacturer of spinal and trauma implant products serving the orthopaedic industry. DEW Technologies will operate as part of the Industrial Specialties segment of TriMas.

8/1 - Millstone Medical Outsourcing is expanding operations by opening a new facility in Memphis, Tennessee. To be running in 3Q07, the facility will support Millstone's aftermarket services division and offer distribution and loaner processing services to leading medical device manufacturers.

Avalign Technologies completed its acquisition of Nemcomed, a manufacturer of precision machined medical implants and instrumentation for orthopaedic specialties. Avalign's portfolio of businesses comprises Nemcomed, Instrumed International and Advantis Medical.

7/27 - Vulcanium Metals, a global distributor of titanium mill products, has appointed Jay Weis as its new Controller.

7/25 - Bradshaw Medical was issued Patent # US 7,243,581 B1 for a Fixed Torque-Limiting Driver developed by Dr. Hua Gao.

7/16 - Euroline, exclusive U.S. importer of MOTOREX Industrial Lubricants, celebrates its 10th anniversary.

7/10 - Millstone Medical Outsourcing invested in its contract packaging division by adding an integrated nitric acid passivation system with a continual flow rinse capability and robotic arm for full automation.

7/9 - DYMAX introduced MD® Medical Device Adhesive 1165-M. The adhesive forms tough, flexible bonds to plasticized PVC, PC and EVA, cures in seconds upon exposure to UV/visible light and fluouresces to enable in-line inspection and faster processing.

6/29 - CHIRON introduced the new FZ 08 KS M Five Axis machine to their five-axis product line for simultaneous five axis machining and the machining of tilted working planes with 3 linear and 2 additional axes. The Al Nano High Precision Contour Control allows for fast and automatic control of the feed rate with high resolution interpolation for high surface quality and precision.

6/28 - PartMaker's PartMaker Version 8, the latest version of its PartMaker® CAD/CAM software for CNC Mills, Lathes, WireEDM, Turn-Mill Centers and Swiss-type lathes, has been certified for use with Autodesk’s Inventor 2008 solid modeling design system by the Autodesk Inventor Certified Applications Program.

6/26 - Veros MCM is now an ISO 9001:2000 registered contract manufacturer. Veros specializes in manufacturing orthopaedic implants and instrumentation via swiss machining techniques, focusing on bone screws and other precision components under 32mm in diameter. 

6/12 - Sandvik Materials Technology agreed to acquire Doncasters Medical Technologies (DMT) during 2Q07. DMT manufactures orthopaedic implants and instruments, and posted 2006 sales of SEK 500MM (US $70MM).

6/11 - Teleflex Medical OEM is adding CENTAUR™ torque-limiting ratchet drivers to its Beere Medical product line.

6/8 - Reading Alloys, a premier producer of high-purity titanium specialty powders, announced its $7.2MM expansion plans for a fine metal powder manufacturing facility to meet the increasing demand for medical grade titanium powders and other alloy and hydride powders.

6/1 - Charleston Auctions announces an auction of the assets of C.O.R.E. Tech, a medical CNC machining plant, on Tuesday, June 19, 2007. List of assets

5/31 - Bradshaw Medical received U.S. Patent No. D543,433 S, for an ergonomic silicone handle geometry configuration. Further, the company expanded in-house manufacturing capabilities to include Lasermarking and Welding, and has added an additional Multi-Axis CNC Swiss, Multi-Axis CNC Turning Center and two CNC Multi-Axis Milling Centers with Automatic Pallet Changers.  Bradshaw Medical's manufacturing operations now total in excess of 10,000 square feet.

5/25 - NeedleTech is now offering Bonus™ Needles for use in bone marrow biopsy, bone marrow aspiration or vertebroplasty.

5/24 - Precimed Japan, designer of instruments, implants, trays and cases for the orthopaedic market, has partnered with Fujiflex of Osaka. The partnership gives both companies access to each other's technology, products and services.

5/14 - HBD Industries acquired Precision Metal Products (PMP), a provider of net and near-net shape forgings from high performance materials.  In combination with California Drop Forge, HBD now offers a wide range of sizes, shapes, forging technologies, machining, and pre- and post-forging operations and services for titanium, cobalt-chrome-molybdenum, stainless steel, waspalloy, inconel and other exotic metals. It is noted that Cronus Partners acted as advisor to PMP in this transaction.

Cardinal Health will acquire VIASYS Healthcare for US $1.5 billion. VIASYS' orthopaedic manufacturing business includes Tecomet, which generates annual revenue of  US $42MM.

5/1 - Invibio presented study findings indicating that self-mating PEEK-OPTIMA®-based spinal arthroplasty devices may possess lower wear rates compared to those implants developed using conventional UHMWPE-on-metal material combinations.

PartMaker is now shipping Version 8 of its PartMaker® CAD/CAM software for CNC Mills, Lathes, WireEDM, Turn-Mill Centers and Swiss-type lathes.  Version 8 features improvements in 3D simulation, handling of solid models and optimization of 3D surface machining operations, and contains the optional PartMaker Full Machine Simulation module which allows the user to view a photo realistic 3D model of the machine for which they are programming a part.

4/30 - Symmetry Medical launched DigiPrint™ printing technology for surgical case graphics. DigiPrint's non- toxic, biocompatible graphics print below the aluminum metal surface, making them impervious to scratching, peeling and fading. The graphics withstand repeated medical steam sterilization and cleaning, and the permanent process also eliminates the need to replace silk screens when graphics are updated.

Solstice Medical announced availability of their MD3™ patent pending, medical grade rigid RFID tags, specifically designed for reusable surgical devices.  The MD3 tags and address improvements in read distances on metal, the ability to withstand repeated high temperature autoclave cycles and biocompatibility.

4/12 - Arcam introduced the Arcam A2, a rapid manufacturing system based on Electron Beam Melting, for the production of solid metal parts larger and faster than other metal additive fabrication methods.

4/11 - Teleflex acquired HDJ and its subsidiary, Specialized Medical Devices, which provides engineering and manufacturing services to medical device manufacturers. The transaction provides Teleflex with another line of medical components, devices, implants and instruments for orthopaedic procedures. In 2006, HDJ’s revenues relating to the acquired product lines were ~US $14MM.

4/5 - Charleston Auctions announces an auction of the industrial assets of Cutting Solutions, a mid-sized medical machining company, on May 2, 2007.

NORWOOD has been approved to ISO 13485:2003 certification for the production of stamped & machined products for medical applications.

NGInstruments plans to add 22,500 square feet to its plant north of Warsaw. The $1.8 million investment, plus $2 million in new automated machining equipment, will create15 to 20 new jobs for the company, which manufactures cutting tools used in orthopaedic surgery.

4/4 - Morgan Advanced Ceramics, a provider of engineered solutions using ceramic, glass, metal, and other related materials, now offers metal injection molding for medical components through its Alberox Products division in New Bedford, MA.

CHIRON America hired Cris Taylor as Chief Executive Officer. CHIRON America is a supplier of German and American built high speed, single and twin-spindle, vertical machining centers and fully automated turnkey production cells for markets in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

4/3 - Symmetry Medical acquired TNCO for US $7MM in cash. TNCO supplies precision instruments for a variety of minimally invasive procedures, including arthroscopy. TNCO reported 2006 revenues of ~$7.5MM.

3/29 - Knight Mechanical Testing has opened a lab in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Knight Mechanical Testing performs fatigue and static testing of implants, instruments and other medical devices according to standards set by the American Society for Testing and Materials and the International Standards Organization. Initial investment in the company is projected to total more than $300,000 and should create at least 15 jobs within five years.

3/26 - Symmetry Medical partnered with Sherry Laboratories and MicroTest Laboratories, two independent testing labs, to further enhance Symmetry's Total Solutions offering.

Paragon Medical finalized the acquisition of OMC Precision Products and Tutela Medicus.

PartMaker and Mori Seiki have partnered to provide Mori Seiki users with a seamlessprogramming solution for the new Mori Seiki NT Turn-Mill center.  PartMaker CAD/CAM software, in addition, supports the full line of Mori Seiki multi-axis lathes including the Mori Seiki ZT, MT, NL, DL and SL models among others.

3/20 - Doncasters Medical Technologies has boosted its manufacturing capacity for forging, casting, machining and polishing by transferring non-medical work undertaken in its Oregon and Sheffield, U.K. facilities to other sites within the Doncasters Group to create greater capacity for the medical business and a focused supply chain.

3/19 - In 5/07, PartMaker Inc. will unveil its latest release, Version 8 of its PartMaker® CAD/CAM software for CNC Mills, Lathes, WireEDM, Turn-Mill Centers and Swiss-type lathes.  PartMaker Version 8 includes the introduction of the PartMaker Full Machine Simulation module which allows the user to view a photo realistic 3D model of the machine for which they are programming a part.

3/14 - Solstice Medical joined forces with Teleflex Medical OEM to deliver radio frequency identification asset management solutions for orthopedics instruments and implants.Other Solstice partners include Paragon Medical, iMDS, Micro Machine Company, PAK Manufacturing and Micropulse. 

3/8 - Under a new partnership with Solstice Medical, Symmetry Medical's surgical instruments and cases can be embedded with Solstice's radio frequency identification technology.

3/1 - NGInstruments was recently named 2006 Supplier of the Year by Wright Medical Technologies for their superior quality, delivery and overall service. 

2/23 - Lakeshore Vision & Robotics has developed a surface measurement tool for orthopaedic implant manufacturers. A computer driven 3-dimensional scanner gathers 1,000 to 100,000 points quickly, then uses advanced methods to compare these measurements to requirements which can be either sample good parts or CAD drawings. The technology can replace hand gauges, optical comparitors and CMMs in many cases.

2/14 - Invibio received Japanese regulatory clearance for the 1st implantable medical device that employs Invibio's carbon fiber-reinforced (CFR) PEEK-OPTIMA® polymer compound.

2/13 - Orchid Stealth Orthopedic Solutions has been awarded ISO 13485:2003 certification for manufacture of precision forged and machined components for the orthopaedic and medical industry.

2/12 - C&W Swiss, specializing in Swiss Style Precision Machining of bone screws and spinal components, has been re-certified through WBENC (Women's Business Enterprise National Council).

2/12 - Invibio introduced a carbon fiber-reinforced grade of its PEEK-OPTIMA® polymer that has demonstrated significantly lower wear performance in articulating joints than that observed for UHMWPE/CoCrMo wear couples under identical conditions.

2/2 - Teleflex Medical OEM is launching KMedic Kolors™ surgical instruments, which introduce universal color-coding options into an array of standard surgical instrumentation.

1/31 - T&L Sharpening is now certified under ISO 9001:2000.

1/31 - Paragon Medical’s Case and Tray Division received the Supplier Certification Award from DePuy Orthopaedics. 

1/30 - Bradshaw Medical received ISO 9001:2000 certification.

1/29 - MedicineLodge and Leis Medical completed a merger to create iMDs (Innovative Medical Device Sourcing). iMDs will offer to the orthopaedics industry customized sourcing services for every stage of a product life cycle.

1/23 - Gauthier Biomedical released the Ratcheting Torque Limiter (RTL) Driver for medical device OEMs and orthopaedic and spinal physicians.  The RTL acts as an all-in-one instrument that ratchets and limits the amount of torque applied.

1/16 - Mound Laser & Photonics Center achieved ISO 9001:2000 Certification with the scope of laser marking, laser welding and laser micromachining.

1/15 - Teleflex Medical is expanding its European market presence through its Teleflex Medical Tuttlingen GmbH facility (formerly known as K-Medic Europe) and has relocated its European orthopaedic instrumentation customer service center to the Tuttlingen office. In addition, Teleflex Medical OEM has authorized the manufacture of Beere Medical products in Europe from an exclusive manufacturing partner in Germany.

1/12 - RoundTable Healthcare Partners acquired Advantis Medical, a manufacturer of cases and trays for surgical instruments, implants and devices. Advantis will be combined with Instrumed International, an instrument manufacturer, to form Avalign Technologies.

1/11 - In December 2006, AeroMed (based in Hatfield, Pennsylvania) was certified to the international quality standards ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 13485:2003 by the British Standards Institute. To get a copy of their certification, please contact rstephens@aerom.com.

1/11 - Paragon Medical agreed to acquire OMC Precision Products and Tutela Medicus. OMC provides machining, finishing and assembly of implants, primarily for the spinal and neurological markets, while Tutela offers product development services to device manufacturers and medical professionals.

1/09 - Symmetry Medical acquired Clamonta Limited for US $10MM in cash. Clamonta supplies precision products to the global aerospace industry, and is expected to report 2006 revenues of ~$10MM. Clamonta's products are intended to bridge Symmetry's Total Solutions® business model into the aerospace industry.