Modern Machine Shop

Manufacturing lead times for new orthopedic implants using standard methods can take between 12 and 24 months. Mach Medical has reduced that to 3 to 4 months.

The bottleneck is not design — it is engineering and manufacturing transfer, the process of translating design specifications into validated, executable manufacturing. For implants that can come in as many as 100 sizes and variations, that transfer must be completed for every version.

Mach Medical addresses this through two connected strategies:

- A digital thread built on Siemens PLM and parametric CAD modeling, which automates engineering transfer from a single master model across all sizes and versions
- Shopfloor standardization of tooling, workholding, and process flow, enabling automation down to lot sizes of one

The digital thread also supports ISO 13485 and GMP-compliant quality workflows, including automated corrective and preventative action when inspection data warrants it.

At least two-thirds of a typical implant launch timeline is consumed by engineering transfer. Compressing that phase, as Rozow notes, "can produce humongous benefits."

The full article from Modern Machine Shop examines how this approach works in practice. https://www.mmsonline.com/articles/software-and-standardization-speed-orthopedic-implant-launches-

The Metalworking Index has held in expansion for five consecutive months — but rising material costs are introducing measurable pressure on the outlook.

The Gardner Business Index (GBI): Metalworking registered 56.2 in May, a modest decline of 0.6 points. Key takeaways from the month:

- Employment posted its strongest gain since February, rising nearly three points
- Material prices accelerated for the seventh consecutive month, nearing record highs
- Exports remained the only component in contraction, falling nearly three points
- Five of six components remain in expansion on a three-month average basis

The Future Business Index, while still optimistic at 66.4, has softened over recent months — a signal that climbing input costs are tempering confidence even as current activity stays firm.

Production and supplier deliveries hold strongest above 60 on a three-month basis, suggesting near-term operational capacity remains sound.

The full May GBI Metalworking report, authored by Senior Market Research Analyst Mike Shirk, is available at GardnerIntelligence.com. https://www.mmsonline.com/articles/metalworking-index-holds-expansion-in-may

A career in precision manufacturing doesn't require a traditional path — it requires transferable skills, curiosity, and the right culture.

AccuRounds Quality Coordinator Yessenia began her manufacturing career through a high school externship at a children's outerwear company, where she observed the full arc of production — from concept and raw materials to logistics. Those early experiences shaped a skill set she later applied to precision machining, an entirely unfamiliar industry.

At AccuRounds, her responsibilities have expanded steadily:

- Inside account representative to internal auditor and social media manager
- First coordinator of the company's internal lifelong learning and training program
- Lead on simplifying a complex ISO documentation and certification system
- Most recently, promoted to quality coordinator

Her work now spans employee development, lean manufacturing standards, 5S organization, and continuous improvement — roles built through experience, not a single prescribed credential.

Her perspective is direct: manufacturing has always been about a path of growth, not just a job — and it's okay not to have everything figured out at a young age.

Read the full profile to learn more about her career trajectory. https://www.mmsonline.com/articles/how-i-made-it-amanda-florenca