At Kirkstall Precision Engineering we’ve long been a key supplier to large medical original equipment manufacturers (OEM’s) such as the likes of Johnson & Johnson, DePuy, Corin Group, Tecomet and many others.
For over 30 years we have been trusted to assist in research and development projects all the way though to manufacturing full instrument sets and even implants for a wide range of medical uses.
The medical sector has long been close to our hearts here at KPE with several members of our team having hip and knee replacements. When such procedures occur it really brings what we do closer to home and appreciate the good we do to help surgeons perform life-changing procedures. In fact, many of the instruments the surgeon will use to perform the surgery are sat in the operating theatre thanks to the Kirkstall Precision team.
Stepping up and answering the call to assist supplying ventilators to the NHS… at cost!
During the COVID-19 pandemic Kirkstall Precision was one of the first companies in the manufacturing sector in Yorkshire to respond to the British governments call for help to aid in the production and supply of ventilators.
With our well-established reputation as approved supplier to the world’s medical OEM’s we were selected to support Rolls-Royce with the manufacture of key components for ventilators.
Kirkstall took the strategic decision to do this at cost, having worked with the medical sector for many years we felt that here was an opportunity to give something back to the nation in a time of need and not look to profiteer.
This ventilator challenge again demonstrated our technical and manufacturing excellence in a very tightly regulated and specialist area of the medical sector. This was where our business management systems and manufacturing technologies, and more importantly, our flexibility and adaptability came to the forefront. These elements gave Rolls Royce and the UK Ventilator Challenge team the confidence to partner with Kirkstall Precision.
Investing in skills and accreditations means we were able to meet the challenge immediately.
One of the things that has become clear to everyone at Kirkstall Precision Engineering is the fact that one of the keys of being able to help was the fact we are accredited and certified in all the right ways.
From NADCAP approvals for our latest 5 axis EDM machines and fully validated clean line and Lasermarking machine to our laser and TIG welding processes have been validated and approved to Johnson & Johnson quality agreement. Our commitment ensured there was no delay in us assisting the country and means we are perfectly placed to aid in the creation of any precision medical engineering parts.
We have also just recently invested in optical measurement technology. This advancement will enable us to offer our customers efficiency and accuracy gains in Quality Assurance. And as always, the investment in our employees continues as does the training and recruitment of the next generation of precision engineering professionals.
Looking to the future for our growth in precision medical engineering.
With a huge backlog and long waiting lists for elective Orthopaedic procedures, the future for Kirkstall Precision Engineering in this sector s looking healthy and we have spent the past few months ensuring we are ‘match fit’ to help.
We have taken this opportunity to become leaner and stronger by investing in new manufacturing technologies and the implementation of a new ERP system. We anticipate growth level to return back to the pre COVID-19 pandemic levels by the first quarter of 2021. And we have a robust business plan where we plan for double digit percentage growth over the next 5 years… largely thanks to our commitment to quality, speed and adaptability in this area.
Speaking about this, our Managing Director, Adam Thornton commented that: Kirkstall Precision has a 30 year plus history of being a total solution provider to the medical sector. We pride ourselves not only on our customer care but patient care as well, this is evident with the partnerships and collaborations with have with all the major medical OEM’s. Our strap line of “Quality without Compromise” and on time delivery is a given, not pre-requisite. These factors give our customers one of the most important things in business which is confidence and together with our values it underpins the reason why Kirkstall Precision is the preferred partner for the medical sector.”