Norman Noble Inc., Highland Heights, Ohio, has added dedicated capacity in its Process Development Centers to produce prototype iterations faster for medical device OEMs, enabling engineers to complete functional or verification testing on metallic-based prototypes within a short lead time. The new Rapid Development Effort is currently available for laser processing services such as Nitinol stents, transcatheter heart valves, and neuro clot pullers. It is also available for five-axis micro milling and turning of products such as polyaxial screws and bone plates.
The Rapid Development Effort (RDE) fills a critical need for medical device OEMs who, until now, had to choose between an ultra-fast 3D printed plastic prototype, or a fully conforming machined part that requires longer lead times to produce. The RDE prototyping service bridges the gap between the two.
“We’ve invested heavily in our Process Development Centers at Norman Noble to expand our capabilities and increase prototyping speed for our customers,” said Chris Noble, vice president and chief operating officer of Norman Noble. “I firmly believe the greatest value we can provide to engineers is the ability to hand them something that closely resembles their conceptual drawing in their preferred material in a truly expedited manner. We can continue to repeat this process for engineers until they are comfortable with freezing the design in preparation for validation.”
Norman Noble Process Development Centers support customers with ultra-precision micromachining of medical devices from initial prototype, through all stages of FDA approval, to full-scale manufacturing. The company’s process development centers are central to its customers’ ability to bring next-generation medtech devices to market quickly and cost-effectively, while meeting requirements for quality, delivery, and regulatory criteria.
