Life Sciences Sector

Case Studies

• Delcam
• Machined Component Systems (Diversification case study)
• Techniswage (Diversification case study)
• University of Birmingham Medical School
• Wallwork Heat Treatment (Diversification case study)

Delcam plc
One of Birmingham's world-beating success stories is that of Delcam plc, which develops CADCAM software for the design, manufacture and inspection of complex 3D shapes. The company has been especially successful with toolmakers in all areas of the manufacturing sector and is the leading specialist software supplier to the international mould, tool and die industry.

More recently, as part of a sound business strategy which has seen the company win major new orders both in the UK and overseas, Delcam has expanded its customer base by broadening the range of applications for its systems. Its Power Solution range of software is now used by organisations for the whole product development cycle, from conceptual design through detailed design and manufacturing, to the inspection of tooling and sample parts. Similarly, the software has attracted customers from a wider variety of sectors, including the automotive, aerospace, ceramics, footwear, jewellery, packaging and signmaking industries. Delcam's ability to tailor its systems to produce industry-specific or company-specific solutions has also played a significant part in its success.

The result is that Delcam's products are sold today in over 70 countries with mainland Europe, the Americas and the Far East being main target markets. During 2002, the company made sales to more than 1,500 new customers – the highest level achieved in its history and one which brought the total number of organisations using its design, manufacturing or inspection software to over 10,000.

"We are particularly pleased to have achieved such outstanding results at a time when overall investment in CADCAM software has been hit by difficult trading conditions for manufacturing companies in many parts of the world," said Delcam managing director Hugh Humphreys. "The large number of new customers we have gained is proof that manufacturers will always be interested in software like our Power Solution that can increase productivity, cut delivery times and improve product quality." One customer, for example, a shoe manufacturer in Thailand, cut down its development times for new sports shoe designs by between 20-30 percent after replacing its CAD software with Delcam's product. Another, one of Italy’s leading manufacturers of scuba equipment, can now design three new ranges each year by utilising Delcam's software – previously two years were needed to develop a single set of flippers and a matching mask.

Delcam has its origins in a division of the Delta Group that was established in the 1970s to introduce advanced computer-aided manufacturing technology being developed at Cambridge University into the Group. In 1989, a management and employee buyout led by managing director Hugh Humphreys established Delcam as an independent company. By 1997, when Delcam plc floated on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM), the company had 70 sales offices worldwide, including several joint ventures with overseas partners and a number of wholly-owned subsidiaries in Europe, North America and Asia. Part of the money raised by the floatation has gone into further expansion, so that Delcam now has well over 100 sales and support centres.

With such impressive growth, it is no surprise that Delcam is now rated as one of the world's largest, and fastest-growing, international CADCAM suppliers. It is also unique in that it is the only international CADCAM software supplier with its own toolroom.

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Machined Component Systems
This West Midland's company and Medilink member is showing the way for Birmingham businesses by successfully making the leap from manufacturing for the automotive sector to also manufacturing for medical technology. Previously a traditional sub-contract machine shop with 75 per cent of its output going into automotive supplies, when hit by a downturn in demand, the company began seeking new markets.

The company invested in special machining equipment and it paid off, with four new contracts in the last six months. Company directors estimate that turnover could eventually double. Warren Gray, sales director at MCS says: "We want to machine higher-value items, because the margins are not there with traditional products. Our investment will enable us to manufacture titanium bone screws.

We are making stainless steel components for blood pumps, and are a major supplier to Stannah Stairlifts, who did not know us three years ago. Certain machines were not operating to full capacity but now they are having to work 24 hours, even on holidays. It has been unbelievably successful." The diversification has consolidated the company and helped safeguard the jobs of its 50 workers.

Techniswage: Techniswage is the largest sub contract operator in the UK specialising in rotary swathing and specialist tube forming. Set up in January 2001, the company has supplied a variety of industries including aerospace and marine but despite its success within these sectors, director Paul Fellows has made the strategic decision to extend the company's services into the medical arena.

"The aerospace industry does fluctuate, which is why we want more stability. There is little difference between aerospace and medical technologies in quality requirements. There is an obvious synergy," says Fellows.

Currently the company is working with BD Visitec, manufacturers of disposable medical devices, on the production of 0.5mm surgical needles and has been easily able to adapt its tube tapering processes having previously produced 5mm tubes for the boiler industry.
Fellows' eyes were opened to the possibilities of producing medical devices when he attended the Medical Devices Technology Conference, held annually at the NEC, and was introduced to the Medilink stand.

Since, he has been conducting market research with the University of Warwick, identifying certain products to which the company could adapt its technologies. Already it has produced femoral pins and guide wires for wheelchairs and hospital beds. "We can basically go from one extreme to the other producing everything from hardware to precision surgical tools," he says.

University of Birmingham Medical School
The application of IT is transforming healthcare and nowhere more so than at the University of Birmingham’s Medical School.

The most obvious area is in the computerisation of patient records, according to Bob Arnott, sub-dean in charge of publicity and head of the Centre for History of Medicine. Diagnostic tests such as x-rays are now transferred straight on to the electronic patient records. Gone are the days of having to physically transport hard copies of x-rays from one department to another, with the delays and potential for losing them that this entailed.

“This has brought about massive changes in effective patient records,” says Arnott. “It’s revolutionising the rights of patients and inter-medic communications and Birmingham hospitals and medical schools are leading the way.”

Less visible but no less significant is the development of an electronic curriculum for medical students. The potential for students to access course materials over the internet and to record their feedback is especially valuable for fourth and fifth year students on placements that may be a long way from home, says Arnott. ”And again, Birmingham is at the forefront of developing this technology.”

There is a long way to go and a number of security issues to be resolved before hospital records can be harmonised with computerised notes held at GP's surgeries. But if it can be brought about, there seems little doubt Birmingham will be one of the pioneers.

Wallwork Heat Treatment
Wallwork Heat Treatment, based in Small Heath, Birmingham, provides toolmakers and engineers with hardening and tempering and other metallurgical services to extend and improve the performance of metal components, but with support from this Medilink has developed into new business in the medical world.

Traditionally Wallwork had a foothold in this sector treating mould for medical packaging and surgical implants. Following the acquisition of Tecvac, a specialist hard coating business in Cambridge, the Wallwork Group now provides superhard coatings for prostheses, surgical instruments and implants using advanced materials such as titanium nitride and diamond-like carbon coatings.

Vacuum technology, also used for heat treatment, is the key enabler for hard coating. Titanium nitride is applied using electron beam methods to give surgical tools and implants a hard, smooth biocompatible surface. This can extend the life of cutting edges and moving parts by up to six times. Titanium nitride coatings were specified for the world’s first complete collarbone implant earlier this year.

“This is proving very rewarding”, says Wallwork director Richard Burslem. “The consultancy project identified opportunities in optical surgery, prosthetics and infection control and helped us redefine our R & D effort and links with university teams. Of course, our existing business in F1 motor sport, tool making, automotive engineering and aerospace are still vitally important, but we are already seeing good growth in the medical sector and have identified significant future potential.”

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