Demcon and tbp in turbo for high medical demand

The demand for ventilators increased explosively. Demcon increased the production of the modules that are the heart of it, and in four weeks time launched a completely own version on the market: DemcAir. Under this extreme pressure, the developer and producer of medical, high-tech and industrial solutions called on tbp. Collaboration at its best.

More than 25 years ago, two students from the University of Twente had great ambitions. Dennis Schipper and Peter Rutgers founded Demcon and are still at the helm of the influential company with approximately 750 employees at home and abroad. Innovation at the intersection of multiple disciplines – mechatronics – is the core and Demcon now has various subsidiaries and its own production facility. Mark Heitkamp is Technical Lead Engineer and responsible for a wide range of electronics developments. “When I started at Demcon in 2003, there were only about 25 employees and we hardly did anything with electronics. Nowadays, we design multidisciplinary systems with a broad team of engineers that require complex electronics. I developed the ventilation module myself. For the assembly of the printed circuit boards (pcb's), we were looking for a professional party and tbp stood head and shoulders above the rest. That was seven years ago and since then we have been working intensively together on PCBAs for ventilation modules and for non-invasive blood pressure systems.” The former are marketed by Demcon macawi respiratory systems, the blood pressure monitors by Finapres Medical Systems, also a Demcon subsidiary.

substantiated quality
“With Design for Manufacturing (DfM) and Design for Testing (DfT), tbp already substantiates the reliability and delivery quality of the pcba's in the design phase, so that we know exactly what to expect and prevent expensive errors in the final test of the assembled product. In the report, tbp states exactly which components are responsible for a possible slip through, so that we can make targeted adjustments in the design. It is also important that tbp can test the pcba's itself during production and repair them if necessary. If desired, they also load the supplied software onto components. This allows us to fully focus on the development of the electronics.”

partnership
The collaboration between Demcon and tbp is very pleasant on both sides and Heitkamp likes to take customers on a tour of the production site in Dirksland. “I see tbp as an extension of our organization: we really do it together. That is extra important in times when things are tense, such as in the critical corona weeks in which we managed to produce much larger numbers of ventilation modules together. We both invest in collaboration and process optimization. It is a partner that can grow with us, because we are still ambitious!” 

rapid introduction of DemcAir
The strength of the Demcon ventilation modules is that they adapt to the patient's condition. Sensors measure heart rate and oxygen saturation, among other things. Depending on the scores, the module takes over ventilation completely or partially, allowing for a gradual reduction as the patient recovers. In four weeks, a top team of Demcon engineers designed and produced a complete ventilation device based on the ventilation module that has been successful for years: the DemcAir. The ideal team selection, sharp focus, clear milestones and a full commitment from all parties involved - including tbp - were the key to success. Demcon macawi respiratory systems sells the newly developed DemcAir, as well as the ventilation module, to customers worldwide. Watch the animation about the DemcAir and the webinar about the rapid introduction. You can find the English version here.

ISO 13485 certified
As an EMS, tbp meets all the requirements of the medical ISO 13485 standard. The certificate relates to the 2016 version with far-reaching regulations in the field of process control and risk management. This gives clients in the medical sector the confidence that tbp can supply pcba's with the required quality and reliability for mission critical systems. In June, the certification was extended by three years after audits. See the website for all tbp certificates. "In addition to pcba's for the ventilation module of Demcon, we also produce pcba's for the RF screens of MRI scanners of
“Philips Healthcare and for the tumor scanner of Sirius Medical Systems,” says Sebastian Santifort, account manager at tbp. “Fritz Stephan, MS Westfalia, Nihon Kohden OrangeMed also know where to find us for early supplier involvement and the assembly of pcba's for medical products.”