Custom and off-the-shelf components and software improve medical-device production.
Medtronic, a manufacturer of medical products and technology, uses microresistance welding workstations to assemble a line of pacemakers that regulate heart rhythms inside the human body. Some of the welds are on horizontal surfaces, others are on vertical surfaces. Until recently, Medtronic's weld technicians took each pacemaker to three separate microweld workstations: first welding a connection on the left side, then another on the right side, then welding inside, where the weld head descends on the part. Using multiple stations reduced productivity and consumed valuable cleanroom space.
