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It can be a tricky balancing act to specify components in industries where there is a need for volume but also for safety, competition is high, or the market is commoditised. Designers and product development teams facing these challenges understand that precision machining tolerances must be detailed. And the datum must be precise. If they get any of this wrong, they risk compromising the product’s fit, form and function.

You love the brushed aluminium finish on your top-of-the-range designer laptop. And you want the same finish for the high-end medical device you’re specifying.

But this may not be as easy as you think. The aluminium grade you want may not be readily available. Or the finishing may require special techniques.

You’re having difficulties with a precision component for a critical medical device. The part won’t fit the assembly. Or the finish isn’t right. Or the quality/consistency is hit and miss. Or any number of other issues.

But your existing supplier – who perhaps has been reliable up until now – is pushing back: they did “exactly as instructed”, they protest. They followed your drawings/CAD models “to the letter”.

So what went wrong? And how can it be fixed quickly and cost-effectively? You want a second opinion – is the issue with the supplier, the drawings or both?

Procuring subcontract precision engineering for medical device components can be a minefield. Sourcing the right fit for your supply chain is far from easy because of the sheer number of players out there.

Many claim to be specialists in their own particular sphere of CNC machining (while still taking on plenty of non-core work). And you will know from experience that some precision engineers are more precise than others.

You’re not happy with your existing CNC machining suppliers. You’re seeing warning signs relating to quality, SLA breaches and late deliveries. That’s never good – particularly for critical sectors such as medical or aerospace.

Quality issues and inconsistency… failure to meet SLAs… wrong skill set… late deliveries. These are four of the biggest issues involving suppliers. They make procuring CNC machining challenging and stressful. They waste time and money.

But they’re not the only reasons to change supplier. Here are four more…

If you’re unhappy with your CNC machining supplier(s) then you don’t need anyone to tell you it’s time to look at other options. But if the jury is still out, this blog post (and free guide) will help you to review your options and decide on the best course of action.

Here are the four most common reasons that procurement professionals – either buyers or specifiers – contact us because they’re unhappy with their existing machining suppliers…

Aluminium is not like stainless steel: there is no one ‘stand out’ grade that is the first choice for medical devices. There is no ‘316L’ of aluminium.

Instead, as a purchaser of medical component machining solutions, you are confronted with a plethora of aluminium grades – any, all or none of which may suit your specific medical application.

To suggest that’s a challenge is an understatement. But it also offers you a great opportunity to improve quality, consistency and savings. How so? Simply this… you won’t be on ‘316L autopilot’ as sometimes occurs in the world of stainless steel medical components.

316L is usually the first choice for medical manufacturing but it is not the only stainless steel that is available for healthcare applications.

Other grades of medical stainless steel may be better suited for your purposes and/or more cost effective.

But let’s start with 316L. Here is why it is the ‘go-to’ stainless steel for most medical applications…