PRODUCE TWO PRODUCTION QUALITY BETA MEDICAL DEVICES, IN 10 DAYS TO DEMONSTRATE A POST-911 VIRAL DIAGNOSTIC TECHNOLOGY
The Challenge:
It was the first quarter of 2002, the country was still recovering from the virtual shut down caused by 9-11.  We were approached by a group of scientists working with a government laboratory to produce 2 beta units of a medical diagnostic device to demonstrate a technology that was able to identify something like 40 different virus’s in a matter of hours.  It needed to look and function like a production unit, one would be in a government hospital, the other would be in the lab for continued testing.  We had less than 2 weeks to produce the 2 units.

The Solution:
We had our industrial designer and engineer sit with one of their scientists for 2 days in our shop.  Normally we would have used sheet metal and other processes for internal components, but because of the time constraints, we used only the Toolless process for all mounting bracketry, back panels and skins – our complete control of the process meant it was the fastest way to produce a complete enclosure.  The scientist had all of the internal components arranged in space but none of the components or physical configuration was in CAD.  Our industrial designer started sketching concepts based on the usability and orientation while the engineer started the CAM programming of internal components – skipping the normal step of creating of a CAD database.  Our shop made parts, he did a test fit on day 2 with the scientist while our industrial designer started the CAM programming of skins.  They made modifications to the CAM programs, and while the shop made round two of internal component prototypes.  By day 6 the internal components were finalized, two rounds of skin prototypes were completed and all CAM files were released to the shop for production of the two Beta units.  On Day 10 the two assembled Beta units were shipped, with internal components installed.   

PRODUCE FLOW TANKS AND A FIELD-USE WAND TO SCAN INJECTED SALMON FOR HATCHERY DATA
The Challenge:
Our customer was a design firm.  They helped their client develope a system of injecting a data encoded wire into a salmon fingerling’s head at the hatchery, which could be read in the field 4-5 years later when the fish returned to spawn.  We were to produce all of the components of the injection-flow tanks and the field wand.  Projected annual quantities were 30-50 units, so there was no non-recurring tooling budget.

The Solution:
In order to finish testing the injection equipment, the client needed salmon fingerlings of varying sizes, that were of realistic shape, texture and “slimy-ness”.  We had our best model maker, who happened to be an avid fly fisherman, carve a dozen salmon fingerlings out of high density foam.  These were used as patterns for casting a low durometer, flexible, clear polyurethane.  These fingerling models were used to finalize the injection system.  We started building master patterns of the directing tank, a 40”x40”x8” tank with a strong water flow coming through a series of openings on one end.  The fingerlings headed “upstream” through the openings, and had a very small wire injected into their heads.  The wire was encoded with hatchery data, date, etc.  We cast the tanks out of polyurethane, using silicon molds.

The field wand had to be waterproof, submersible to 3 feet, and rugged, as it was used by biologists wading in the streams, picking up spawning salmon.  The wand would indicate the presence of the encoded wire, which was removed after the salmon finished spawning.  The 8” long “nose” was case in 1-piece, using a collapsing aluminum core and silicon exterior mold.  The handle was cast in 2 pieces, with a threaded battery cap using an O-ring seal.  The two subassemblies were assembled using threaded inserts, bolts and a die-cut adhesive backed rubber gasket.

Color was cast-in, so the natural abrasion would not create a change in color.  We received units back after years in the field for retrofit of the “nose” which had finally worn through after rubbing across the scaly heads of thousands or ten’s of thousands of adult salmon.  It was a very durable, rugged, functional and nice looking product, and has been in production now for nearly 15 years using the same manufacturing technologies.