Orthopedic manufacturers are always looking for ways to expedite product design and revision.  They would also like to refine their processes according to contemporary form-centric design principles.

The story of the Pratt and Whitney F135 jet engine’s development offers insights that are directly transferable to the medical device industry.  A paradigm shift is at work that is allowing orthopedic manufacturers to streamline some of their processes using precision inspection – informed by Pratt & Whitney’s experience.

Given the seemingly insurmountable dual constraints of massive production schedules and regulatory encroachments, orthopedics has fallen behind other precision industries, such as automotive, aerospace and industrial gas turbine manufacturers.  This article describes four cases in which precision inspection methods have allowed orthopedic manufacturers to enjoy – despite those constraints – the benefits of modern understanding of design and process improvement.