Arc Energy partners surgical specialists
The welding process for Corin's instruments requires a carefully balanced combination of elements including strength, exacting preparation and fixturing and precise weld delivery
Corin Group, a world leader in the production of reconstructive orthopaedic devices, has partnered with Arc Energy Resources as its primary supplier of welding and fabrication services.
Corin’s surgical instrumentation – effectively a jig and tool set for orthopaedic surgeons – help to restore quality of life to thousands of people around the world. They are precision manufactured to ensure accurate cutting and drilling of bones and enable surgeons to accurately locate and position implants inside the body.
Assemblies also need to be strong enough to withstand impaction, which ensures that the implant is fully seated.
Arc Energy was initially contacted by Corin almost a year ago as part of a strategic decision to find a second source for the highly skilled and specialised welding services required to manufacture vital surgical instrumentation used by the highly-skilled surgeons who fit Corin implants.
Whilst Corin’s purchasing team was actively seeking a second source supplier the company’s management team became aware of Arc Energy through the Gloucestershire First ‘Parklife’ scheme which, at the time, was focusing on the skills and people needed to support activities such as business development programmes. Coincidentally, both Gloucestershire-based companies had been working towards their subsequently successful accreditation to ISO 14001.
During initial discussions with Arc Energy on second sourcing, Corin’s primary supplier was unable to continue providing services and Arc Energy was fast-tracked as a primary supplier. As the surgical instrumentation is used in orthopaedic procedures, the welding process itself requires a carefully balanced combination of elements including strength, exacting preparation and fixturing and precise weld delivery. In addition, the finished weld surfaces require a fine cosmetic finish when the welding operation is completed.
Arc Energy welds a range of approximately one hundred different components and assembly types for Corin. Most require a single stage welding process but some are welded at a number of stages during manufacture.
Commenting for Corin Group, operations manager Richard Hemming says Arc Energy is very good at providing feedback on aspects of design, advising on the optimum welds and procedures for various materials and applications. For example, a part that will be impacted during a procedure will require a certain type, size and strength of weld, whereas a part used only for location can be specified with lighter duty weld.
A number of people from the Arc Energy management and operational teams have also visited the Corin facility to better understand why the welding service they provide is vital to the instrumentation used by highly skilled orthopaedic surgeons, especially when they need to hit it with a half kilo hammer!
Says Mr Hemming: “Arc Energy’s understanding of the way we use components has helped them advise us on exactly the strength, size and type of weld we need for an application, often saving us money in the process.”
In addition, following an Arc Energy presentation, its expertise in weld types and weld preparation has helped Corin’s design and engineering teams to better understand welded joints and how to specify them on Corin piece parts drawings, ensuring that components can actually be welded together.
Images for this article - click to enlarge
Unless otherwise stated, all images copyright © Mercator Media 2012. This does not exclude the owner's assertion of copyright over the material.
