Illustration: © IoT For All
In the world of modern medicine, there’s one tiny component that plays a colossal role. It’s the kind of component that finds its way into your arteries during procedures like an angiogram or takes center stage in life-saving organ surgeries.
The mere thought of its importance might send a shiver down your spine, and for a good reason. The level of precision and quality in these small parts is quite literally a matter of life and death for the patient on the operating table.
As medical science advances and we uncover the intricacies of ever more complex diseases, the demand for these minuscule yet critical components is surging. They’re the unsung heroes of the operating room, the silent champions of our health. But producing these parts is no small feat. Factories must churn them out in bulk, and they must meet not only the highest standards of quality but also do so quickly and without room for error.
So, how do we rise to the occasion? Enter the cutting-edge world of vision technology and the transformative force of Industry 4.0. In this article, we’ll explore how the integration of robotics and vision systems is revolutionizing medical manufacturing, ushering in a new era of precision and safety.
Visual Inspection
Vision has emerged as a critical tool in ensuring the quality of products within the realm of the manufacturing industry. Over the past decade, computer-aided vision systems have progressively taken over human roles in quality inspection, marking a significant advancement in this sector. Continuous innovation and improvements in vision technology have opened avenues for inspecting intricate components, thereby minimizing human errors to a considerable extent.
The current capabilities of visual inspection in medical manufacturing extend to the examination of both 2D and 3D dimensions with a predefined scale. This technological prowess plays a pivotal role in maintaining the high standards required for medical devices and equipment. The impact is not only qualitative but also extends to cost savings, realizing an annual saving of approximately $200 million across five major sectors, including medical manufacturing.
Companies can contribute to the seamless integration of computer-aided vision into the medical manufacturing landscape, ensuring precision, efficiency, and compliance with stringent quality standards. As the medical manufacturing sector continues to evolve, the reliance on cutting-edge visual inspection technologies is expected to grow, further enhancing the overall quality and reliability of medical products.
Quality Metrics & SPCs
The utilization of advanced vision machines in the manufacturing industry yields two distinct types of data as output. First is the quality metrics data, representing analog and individual measurement data in numeric form. In medical manufacturing, where precision is paramount, these metrics serve as crucial indicators. They are subject to predefined limits that determine the eligibility of each part for use in real-time medical environments.
Industry 4.0 application, tailored for the intricacies of medical manufacturing, seamlessly integrates with these advanced machines. Through standard protocols, the application retrieves quality metrics data and compares it against predefined specifications. This real-time analysis allows for swift conclusions regarding the quality outcome of each part. The gathered data can be stored and visually represented as graphs, facilitating in-depth data analysis for continuous improvement.
Moreover, these advanced machines are equipped to provide decisive data such as Accepted or Rejection based on predefined settings. This information is not only valuable in terms of immediate decision-making but also aids in the segregation of parts into respective bins.
The granularity of metrics data, coupled with specific decisions, proves instrumental in further categorizing parts. This, in turn, facilitates informed decisions regarding rework and rejection, ensuring that only components meeting the highest quality standards proceed through the manufacturing process.
Vision Technology, Robots, and Classifications
With the advent of IoT and connected machines, we can go one more step to remove man-made errors completely from the system. Robots at the production line can do the monotonous and predefined work of placing the medical part on the vision table and placing it back into the bins. Sustainability plays a key role in medical manufacturing not only from an environmental or waste perspective but also from a profit and revenue angle.
Every factory, including medical, should and will have two levels—rejection and scrap. Sending everything directly to scrap increases the raw material cost and hence the overall cost. Rejections can be classified into multiple groups based on the issues caused or the kind of rework required. The segregation of the parts into rejections and scrap based on the data should use the Industry 4.0 and data analytics application with the data and the signals received from the vision system.
Significance of Industry 4.0 Application
The digital transformation of the factory is an essential component of the Industry 4.0 application. It involves the consolidation of critical information encompassing processes, products, machines, and quality metrics within a unified platform tailored to the unique demands of medical manufacturing.
The application’s strength lies in its ability to perform correlation analyses on medical components, drawing insights from comprehensive data spanning multiple operations and including raw material information. This depth and breadth of data enable the application to make informed decisions regarding the acceptance or rejection of medical parts. In a sector where precision and quality are non-negotiable, this analytical capability proves invaluable.
The integrated Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) components within the application further elevate its functionality. These advanced technologies can raise alarms in real time, providing immediate feedback to the preceding production processes.
In instances where rejection rates exceed acceptable thresholds, the system can take decisive action, including stopping the production process to prevent the proliferation of substandard components. This proactive approach maintains the highest levels of quality and adherence to industry standards in medical manufacturing, ensuring that production standards are not compromised and underscoring the application’s role in this process.
Impact on the Medical Manufacturing & the ROI
The impact of implementing advanced technologies in medical manufacturing is transformative, yielding substantial improvements in overall productivity. In this context, the sector can anticipate a minimum 50% increase in productivity, marking a significant leap forward. Particularly noteworthy is the elimination of errors and the need for re-inspection in the quality control process, contributing to a more streamlined and efficient production workflow.
The return on investment (ROI) is expedited due to the immediate enhancements in productivity. With the implementation of these technologies, the RoI period likely ranges between 3 to 6 months, contingent on the intricacies of the specific medical manufacturing process and product involved. This rapid RoI underscores the tangible benefits and cost-effectiveness of integrating advanced technologies into the medical manufacturing landscape.
This comprehensive improvement in productivity and quality is especially well-suited for shop floors engaged in mass inspection of similar medical components. The streamlined processes and increased efficiency contribute to a seamless integration of these technologies, resulting in a substantial positive impact on the overall manufacturing landscape.
For smaller volumes in medical manufacturing, there is still an enhancement in quality, although the configuration and setup costs may vary depending on the unique characteristics of the product for inspection. Despite potential cost variations, the overall impact on quality remains a significant advantage, showcasing the adaptability of these technologies across different scales of medical manufacturing operations.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the amalgamation of vision technology and Industry 4.0 is not merely a technological evolution; it is a revolution in precision and reliability within the medical manufacturing domain. As we continue on this path, we anticipate not only further advancements in technology but also a profound impact on patient outcomes and the overall landscape of healthcare. The journey to precision in medical manufacturing is ongoing, and through the lens of vision technology and Industry 4.0, the future holds the promise of unparalleled advancements and life-changing innovations.