The Challenge
SBE Medical needed an experienced medical parts manufacturer to put the finishing touches on the design and get it ready for commercialization. Such a labor-intensive process might typically involve overseas manufacturing, but SBE wanted to produce the device in the U.S. Large manufacturers would not engage a project still in its development stage, and local molders did not have the expertise, resources or capabilities needed.
The Solution
“When we got the call, the design wasn’t raw, but it wasn’t finished,” said Randy. “We took that and added some wall and draft and molding configuration updates. We angled the drain port to really align to draw on the tool, so it became more manufacturable and simplistic from a tooling standpoint. We polished what was handed to us.”
The material selection was critical. It was also challenging from a molding perspective because it had to be clear, so visibility would not be obstructed in observing drainage and functionality. Medbio also modulated the surface to help facilitate positional accuracy and better adhesion to the patient.
A big reason SBE was successful in implementing an onshore USA-based supply chain was because of solutions created by Medbio to mold, assemble and package the device and keep prices down. With Medbio’s help, the Tibbe™ is now ready for production and distribution at a higher level when it hits the market.
