Medical technology is an industry with a future and good growth prospects. Companies operating in this sector must also meet the high demands for innovation, precision and quality standards. Companies that manufacture surgical instruments or orthopaedic and dental implants, among other things, face an industry-specific challenge due to the strict EU-wide regulations. What's more, international competitive and production pressure is growing, for example due to competition from the Far East.
Can the partial automation of production with the help of robots help to meet these challenges? This article highlights key problems and shows how German and European companies can be supported.
Medical technology companies in Europe, especially in the DACH region, have long benefited from their technological edge and still superior quality. But times are changing.
One positive aspect for the industry is that demand for medical products is less dependent on the economic situation than for other goods. Nevertheless, manufacturers must make their processes future-proof in order to maintain their competitiveness.
The implementation of robotic automation can help to overcome these challenges in various areas without compromising quality standards.
Robot-assisted automation makes it possible to carry out repetitive and time-consuming tasks precisely and consistently . This reduces errors, saves costs and relieves the burden on specialist staff. Companies that are less experienced in the field of automation in particular benefit from technological progress. The integration of graphics-based programming and AI assistants represents a significant advance in the control of industrial robots and sets new standards for efficiency and user-friendliness.
Automation solutions are ideal for the precise handling of delicate parts. Specialized grippers and sensors ensure that implants and instruments are processed exactly according to specifications. This means that high production rates do not result in a drop in quality.
By automating processes such as product marking and quality inspection, companies can not only meet regulatory requirements more efficiently, but also gain significant competitive advantages.
Robotic systems can communicate with higher-level systems for this purpose in order to automatically store inspection logs that are relevant as proof: This makes it much easier to comply with standards such as ISO 13485 and the MDR.
The higher labor costs in Europe can be offset by the use of automation. Robots work efficiently, can be used flexibly and, with the right hardware and software, can now react much faster to changing production requirements than was the case just a few years ago. This strengthens competitiveness compared to suppliers from low-wage countries.
Manufacturers in the medical technology sector are faced with the task of increasing their efficiency without jeopardizing the quality of their products. Robot-assisted automation offers a promising solution for this. It reduces costs, increases precision and frees up qualified personnel.
Especially for companies from German-speaking countries, which are under pressure from international competition, automation can help to secure their production location in Europe in the long term. Investing in innovative technologies is not only a competitive advantage, but a necessity in order to remain successful in the future.
By using automation, companies can not only meet the challenges of today, but also prepare themselves for the demands of the future.
Sources
1) https://www.vde.com/topics-en/health/consulting/the-eu-medical-device-regulation-mdr-what-changes