In a move designed to make it easy for original medical equipment and design manufacturers to get their products to market, Premio officials announce that it has added the ISO 13485 Management Systems Standard to its quality assurance program. Specifically developed for the manufacture of medical devices, the ISO 13485 certification allows Premio to deliver solutions that consistently meet customer requirements while meeting quality, safety and legal requirements.

"We are committed to the highest quality standards and our expert engineering staff is devoted to developing well designed solutions that span multiple market segments," states Kevin Wu, executive vice president, Premio. "With the addition of the ISO 13485 certification, we can speed the implementation and integration of the essential features required for our current medical platforms such as COM Express modules and medical-grade open-frame panel systems and also expand our portfolio of solutions for our customers with medical applications."

As a U.S.-based contract manufacturer with manufacturing facilities in California and Illinois, Premio is unique in its ability to offer its customers thorough and rigorous management of all aspects of product development, from design through prototyping, test, and finished platform assembly.

Ivy Tech Community College-Bloomington received a $1 million dollar grant from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) to lead national efforts in developing and expanding workforce training in medical device manufacturing over the next four years.

“This DOL grant award further enables the college to provide vital support for community workforce and economic development needs, and it solidifies Ivy Tech-Bloomington’s national leadership in biotechnology workforce development and skills training,” states John Whikehart, Chancellor of Ivy Tech’s Bloomington campus.

Ivy Tech’s Bloomington campus is one of 12 colleges to receive grant funding through its membership in the national Community College Consortium for Biosciences Credentials, which received a $15 million dollar U.S. Department of Labor grant through the DOLs Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) initiative. (See addendum, below, for complete listing of consortium members).

Ivy Tech-Bloomington’s portion of the grant, $1 million, is dedicated to developing new courses specifically tailored for medical device manufacturing.

“Ivy Tech-Bloomington’s goal is to harmonize the national curriculum on medical device manufacturing education,” states Dr. Sengyong Lee, professor of Biotechnology at Ivy Tech-Bloomington. “Currently, there is no well-defined medical device curriculum that is endorsed by the industry nationwide, so Ivy Tech-Bloomington is responsible for developing the pathways for a two-year degree and specific certificates by closely working with our industry partners.”

Additionally, Ivy Tech’s Bloomington campus will purchase machines for the manufacturing training suite at the Indiana Center for the Life Sciences – a plastic thermoforming machine, blown film extrusion equipment, and a compression molding press.

In total, 297 schools received grants as individual applicants or as members of a consortium. The grants include 27 awards to community college and university consortia totaling $359,237,048 and 27 awards to individual institutions totaling $78,262,952. All education materials developed through the grants will be available for use by the public and other education providers through a Creative Commons license.

Addendum
The 12 community colleges in the Consortium include:

• Alamance Community College in Graham, NC
• Austin Community College in Austin, TX
• Bucks County Community College in Newtown, PA
• City College of San Francisco in San Francisco, CA
• Forsyth Technical Community College, Winston-Salem, NC (Consortium Leader)
• Ivy Tech Community College in Bloomington, IN
• Los Angeles Valley College in Los Angeles, CA
• Madison Area Technical College, Madison, WI
• Montgomery County Community College in Blue Bell, PA
• Rowan Cabarrus Community College in Salisbury, NC
• St. Petersburg College in St. Petersburg, FL
• Salt Lake Community College in Salt Lake City, UT

Producing Prosperity: Why America Needs a Manufacturing Renaissance

In "Producing Prosperity," Harvard Business School professors Gary Pisano and Willy Shih show the disastrous consequences of years of poor sourcing decisions and underinvestment in manufacturing capabilities. They reveal how today's undervalued manufacturing operations often hold the seeds of tomorrow's innovative new products, arguing that companies must reinvest in new product and process development in the US industrial sector. Only by reviving this "industrial commons" can the world's largest economy build the expertise and manufacturing muscle to regain competitive advantage.

America needs a manufacturing renaissance – for restoring itself, and for the global economy as a whole. This will require major changes. Pisano and Shih show how company-level choices are key to the sustained success of industries and economies, and they provide business leaders with a framework for understanding the links between manufacturing and innovation that will enable them to make better outsourcing decisions. They also detail how government must change its support of basic and applied scientific research, and promote collaboration between business and academia. For executives, policymakers, academics, and innovators alike, "Producing Prosperity" provides the clearest and most compelling account yet of how the American economy lost its competitive edge – and how to get it back.

Producing Prosperity: Why America Needs a Manufacturing Renaissance
By Gary P. Pisano, Willy Shih; Source: Harvard Business Press Books; Publication date: October 16, 2012.

After more than 25 years of producing 4-axis lathes, Okuma introduces the LU3000EX-M, adding to the company's history. The 4-axis lathe offers high production tied with thermal stability and the latest in live tooling technology, where the tooling is bolted to the turret (BMT-style) for optimum support and power engagement. The 12-station upper turret and 8-station lower turret offer plenty of tool stations, allowing users to perform multiple turning operations either simultaneously or independently. The integral spindle motor provides ample power along with superior part finishes. The LU3000EX-M features Thermo-Friendly Concept, Machining Navi, big bore spindle, Riten Industries’ center, and LNS’ turret steady rest.