Reduce Double-Digit Failure Rate, Medical Products

Ohio

The manufacturer produced high-value, non-implantable medical products containing tungsten and other metals.  The failure rate jumped from miniscule to mid-double digits. BFK Solutions conducted a comprehensive site visit to evaluate the build process ranging from metal forging to final cleaning.  We discovered that most of the experienced employees had been laid off. Those who remained did not understand either industrial cleaning or process control and were terrified of losing their jobs. They reconfigured aqueous cleaning equipment improperly, based on inflated vendor claims. In one large, precision cleaning process, there was foam everywhere – the quality of cleaning was dreadful. We worked with the cleaning equipment vendor to modify the cleaning equipment and make it usable.

During the site visit, we adjusted our training program to include one-on-one employee education and interchange. Workers gained the knowledge, confidence, and cleaning street- smarts to choose and maintain effective cleaning processes. The manufacturer was able to move forward to correct the problems.

Our company recently had the need to perform critical cleaning on a new product line that was under development. We had very little experience in this field and needed a solution that would satisfy the stringent standards of our Customer. Outsourcing the critical cleaning process proved to be cost prohibitive and we knew we needed to educate ourselves and bring the process in house if we were to be successful. Ed and Barbara Kanegsberg of BFK Solutions proved to be the vital resource we were looking for to clarify the murky waters surrounding the field of critical cleaning. This husband and wife team were an absolute pleasure to work with and made the entire process enjoyable, educational, and most of all effective! With their expertise and extensive experience in the field of critical cleaning we were able to develop a process that was tailor made to our unique application. The results far exceeded our Customer’s requirement and now we have a fully validated critical cleaning process that has given our business the edge we need to succeed in a cutting-edge technology industry.

Kaleb Baker<br/>Quality Manager<br/>Wasco Switches and Sensors, California