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Medical Tool Manufacturer Finds Filtration a
Key To Success
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Making precision tools for surgeons is what has enabled NG Instruments (Warsaw, IN) to achieve consistent growth over the years. “The demands of this market for precision drills, taps and reamers is quite different than your typical contract cutting tool manufacturer”, stated Tony Nicholas, president and co-founder. The range of products that NG Instruments manufactures can include drills for a bone screw, joint replacement tools for hips, knees and shoulders, and precision spinal tools with built-in stop control where OAL and length to stops must be held to a close 0.005” tolerance.

Investing In New Technologies
In the last several years, NG Instruments has invested extensively in new machine technology. Every machine tool in the shop is less than five years old. The majority of their medical instruments are manufactured utilizing five ANCA TX7s and four ANCA RX7s. All the tools manufactured on these machines are stainless steel with hardnesses ranging from 38Rc to 55Rc depending on the grade of steel required. “There are typically 16 to 24 operations required to build a single tool from bar stock”, said Nicholas, “and cleanliness is a obviously critical specification.”

Initially, NG Instruments deployed a centrifuge system to filter the oil coolant used on their tool cutter/grinders, but the filtration system accompanying the purchase of their first ANCA in 2006 was a Transor Filter (Transor Filter USA, Elk Grove Village, IL). “We quickly discovered that filtration could add a whole new dimension to our production”, Nicholas continued. “We were amazed from the outset.”

A Significant Difference In Cleanliness
Tony Nicholas was quick to point out that the Transor impacted virtually all aspects of NG’s machining operations. “Our first reaction was that the coolant was so much cleaner than we had been seeing with the centrifuge,” said Mr. Nicholas. “You could physically see the difference. It still looks as brand new as the day we first poured it out of the barrel.”

He went on to say that the centrifuge required daily maintenance by NG operators. They had to physically shut off the machine so the tanks could be cleaned. They were “up to their elbows” in oil and sludge, stated Nicholas. Now with Transor’s automatic backflushing, the filter elements are cleaned without any machine downtime. He pointed out that with the Transor, every couple of weeks they simply empty out the system’s sludge bags, making this process quicker and cleaner with no machine downtime. “My operators are a LOT happier as well,” said Nicholas.

Maximizing All Aspects Of Production
Mr. Nicholas discussed how the clean coolant has also affected cycle times, consumables, maintenance issues and, of course, product finish. Immediately, NG discovered that the cleaner oil enabled them to increase feed rates on many of the operations performed. “Without debris building up on the wheel,” stated Nicholas, “we have been able to increase feed rates. And with less build-up on the our CBN grinding wheels, we have been getting about 25% longer life. It makes a huge impact when you are not ‘re-grinding’ the tools own scrap.”

NG’s customers' high expectations for cleanliness of the parts are met dramatically by one-micron filtered oil. Nicholas also attributed the improved surface finish to Transor Filtration. “While it is difficult to actually measure down inside the flutes of some of our micro drills, there is a visible difference as we remove the parts from the machines.”

Nicholas then doubled back to mention the capital investment that NG Instruments has made over the last several years has been considerable. In addition to the simplified maintenance previously addressed, he pointed directly to the one-micron filtered oil as an added benefit to protecting his investment. “After 3 years, we just haven’t experienced the wear and tear on the ANCA machines with the Transor typically associated with tool grinding, especially stainless steel. Normally, grinding machines look pretty bad after a year or so, but this machine still looks brand new.”

The Future
Tony Nicholas feels he has a real partnership with both ANCA and Transor in moving his business forward. He mentioned that he is currently working with Transor to install one of their new magnetic separators. “I think that will really improve the ability of what the Transor can do for us and take it to another level,” concluded Nicholas.

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