Lincotek Medical Increases Coating Capacity for Orthopedic Implants

As part of a significant global investment program in the past 12 months, Lincotek Medical—one of the value-add contract manufacturers of integrated supply chain solutions to orthopedic OEMs—has built up its Italian plant in Trento and announced the completion of a new 350 sq. m area dedicated to air plasma spray (APS) coating production.

The company has taken every possible action to emerge even stronger from the COVID-19 crisis and is promising its clients appropriate capacity on an ongoing basis. Lincotek is expanding to mirror its clients’ growth and is ready to respond to new demands when the markets fully recover.

Up to three new APS systems can be fitted in the new space in Trento. Two of them have already been installed, along with an automatic sandblasting machine created by Lincotek Equipment. This uses the production cell system that is applied in the Lincotek Medical Coatings plants, designed according to the company’s long-term experience in implementing Lean Manufacturing principles for streamlined production flow and optimized lead times.

The new APS lines have been built using the unique Lincotek Equipment twin approach, allowing for movement from one line to another and coating to the identical parameters, just by moving the production programs. Assuming customer validation, this will significantly reduce time to markets on a global basis and speed up eventual mitigation needs.

The introduction of two new APS lines guarantees a significant increase in production capacity. This investment allows Lincotek Medical to create flexibility, reduce lead times and follow market growth.

Today, customers are expecting Lincotek Medical to mitigate risk. By creating a dedicated new building, the company will be able to guarantee business continuity and increase its resilience. The production facility is designed to address the most stringent global medical standards and safety rules, guided by the latest European directives and ATEX.

Most of the validation activities are now close to completion and the new production facility is expected to go live before the end of September 2020.

“It’s not been an easy time for many companies, given the challenges of COVID-19,” says Gennaro D’Andrea, general manager of Lincotek Medical Division. “We’re committed to providing the best possible service to the Orthopedic OEMs and continue to invest with the future in mind. We intend to provide real partnership to our customers and have the infrastructure and resources to meet their changing requirements.”