The OEM’s Guide to Advancing Life Science & Biomedical Equipment with Linear Motion — Part 1: The Stakes

The following series of articles will highlight how next-generation linear motion systems can be specified, designed, installed, and maintained to advance life science and biomedical capital equipment manufacturing.

To meet colossal competitive pressures and exponential market growth, life science and biomedical original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) must constantly pursue improvements in technology, processes, workflows, and yield. But improvements cannot only be about expanding success. They must also prevent in-use failures of advanced equipment in research, scientific, medical, and other critical applications.?

Neglecting improvements and safeguards in one seemingly minor component of these instruments — in-process linear motion systems — can generate inconvenient to catastrophic consequences. So, the OEMs which manufacture these instruments and their users must remain vigilant.?

Consequences

Engineering managers, engineering directors, and CTOs worldwide report that reliable linear motion is an absolute operational necessity.?

From a prevention standpoint, capital equipment manufacturers and users must monitor even relatively rare failure risks in linear motion components or systems throughout the process. This concern includes equipment ranging from DNA sequencing to bioprinting to atomic force microscopes (AFMs).?

Failure of a single part or system can cost equipment users hundreds of thousands of dollars for even a relatively short-duration downtime event. Depending on location, severity, and response time for repair or replacement, costs could mount to a great deal more.?

The personnel safety risk is another paramount concern. While rare, design flaws or failure to follow operational safeguards can lead to anything from pinch points to runaway stages — and cause damages from crushing injuries to electrical shock.

Specification and Design

To start, a linear motion manufacturing facility be fully ISO-certified to ensure consistency in all its key processes. In addition, meticulous prototype builds help uncover steps that are key to maintaining the performance and reliability of the finished motion component or system. Missing or not correctly performing any of many small, crucial steps in assembly or testing could ultimately lead to a failed system in the field. So, biomedical and life science tool makers must ensure they are dealing with the right high-quality, experienced linear motion supplier.

In addition, many life science and biomedical equipment manufacturers establish targets that translate into 5 to 7 — and potentially many more — years of reliable service before they will replace the equipment with a next-generation platform that is extensively updated or redesigned. Calculations of component service life should be appropriately performed. Because duty cycles may vary from application to application, service life is stated in kilometers traveled for many linear motion components. The linear motion maker must then translate that calculation into various decisions about the product.

For example, one widely-used cable specifies more than 10 million flex cycles if a 50-millimeter or greater bend radius is maintained. But, if the bend radius is not correctly sized, particulates falling from the cable or stress on the cable tracks or connectors could cause early failure in the process (especially where maintenance schedules are not strictly observed).

Next: Consider Customization

Discover how next-generation linear motion systems can advance life science and biomedical capital equipment manufacturing capabilities and ensure against failures. Get the exclusive guide for OEMs now.