Medical-device contract manufacturer Norman Noble Inc. announced a significant expansion to its orthopedic implant manufacturing operation. The expansion includes the addition of eight Willemin-Macodel 5-axis contour milling machines, making the company one of the largest providers of single-operation machining to the orthopedic implant OEM market. In addition, the company increased capacity in its Swiss turning and milling department and made capital investments in equipment to support its quality inspection department.

 “Orthopedic implants are one of the fastest growing segments of our business,” says Dan Stefano, vice president of manufacturing for Norman Noble. "The U.S. spinal implant market alone is valued at $3 billion with sizable recent and forecasted growth,” he adds. “This additional technology and capacity fits our experience in manufacturing for this market, which requires tight tolerances, complex geometries and unique finishing requirements.”

At the core of the expansion are eight Willemin-Macodel 5-axis, high-speed machining centers. The high-precision units machine parts such as spinal and extremity implants, by milling and turning them in one cycle from bar-fed stock to a complete six-sided part. Other methods for manufacturing orthopedic implants typically require additional machining steps that include multiple machining processes. The Willemin center can be programmed to automate the manufacturing process into a single-operation, resulting in higher output with greater precision and quality.

In addition to expanding its orthopedic implant manufacturing operation, in recent years the company has doubled the size of its facilities and made substantial investments in its Swiss turning capabilities and its proprietary laser machining and finishing technologies for stent manufacturing.

Currently, the company is also undergoing a $1.7 million expansion of its mass finishing operation to support research and development and automated production. The mass finishing project complements, in part, the expansion of the company’s orthopedic implant operation.