Creating Device Components that are Unseen Yet Ubiquitous

BY DREW JELGERHUIS, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER, MEDICAL, SCHERDEL MEDTEC

Springs are the engine in almost all drug delivery devices. They provide the energy to propel restorative and life-saving medicines from a device, through a needle, and ultimately into a patient. Despite being an essential and ubiquitous component in these devices, springs are unseen and rarely considered – except by those who make them.

Scherdel Medtec is a global supplier of technical springs and stampings for the medical device industry. The company has been working with the top drug delivery OEM’s in the world for decades providing technical expertise during development and manufacturing excellence during serial production.

While Scherdel currently has facilities in 12 countries and produces over 6 billion springs annually, the company had a humble beginning. In 1889 Sigmund Scherdel began producing piano strings using his wire drawing mill. By 1893 his offerings had expanded and, notably, Rudolf Diesel experimented with springs from Scherdel in the world’s first diesel engine. In the next century, Scherdel innovation brought the best technology in springs to automotive production and advanced engineering for events in Formula 1 racing and beyond. By 1985 Scherdel was positioned to expand internationally to meet customer demands around the globe. Now – after more than 130 years from that first set of piano strings – Scherdel sets the standard for processing metallic wire and strip for springs and stampings in multiple industries.

The company’s rich history and deep expertise in high precision technology and innovative manufacturing set the stage, and a strong foundation, for the beginning of the Medtec division in 2014. Currently, Scherdel Medtec designs and manufactures 100’s of millions of springs and stampings that are critical to drug delivery devices the world over. Scherdel’s customers supply life-saving medicines and Scherdel springs provide the energy required to deliver those medicines to patients.

Located in Muskegon, Michigan, Scherdel Medtec North America is the most recent evidence of growth in the

Medtec division. The Muskegon facility serves US, Canadian, and Mexican customers with a broad range of engineering, design, prototyping and production capabilities. The Michigan team can produce tension, torsion, spiral, and compression springs. Additionally, their capabilities include stampings, metal/ plastic assemblies as well as complex bending and manufacturing projects.

In addition to production, Scherdel has the expertise and tools necessary to work alongside development engineers and provide valuable simulations, engineering support, calculations, testing, and prototyping. Medical devices, and specifically drug delivery devices, have long development cycles and need technical expertise early in the process – involving a partner like Scherdel lowers the cost for development and, eventually, manufacturing. Partnering customers can take advantage of Scherdel’s extensive research and development team, and resources that allow the OE access to material databases, coating technologies, cleaning options, testing resources, and prototyping for feasibility and optimization.

Insulin Pens: Compression springs provide both force for drug delivery, as well as a return mechanism for the delivery button.

Auto Injectors: Constant force and power springs provide consistent high force for higher viscosity drugs. Rolled housings are complex bent and stamped components that are then clenched or laser welded to provide ‘needle shield’ removal. Scherdel can assemble these components into plastic housings to add value for the manufacturer.

Safety Syringe: Precision bending and stamping components, as well as compression springs are used in these devices.

Inhaled Medication Devices: Specialty springs including compression and wave springs are used, as well as electronic connecters in some ‘smart’ connected devices.

Scherdel Medtec is thankful to provide crucial medical components to the people who need them – even if those components are mostly unseen.

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