A worldwide leader in the development of analyzers for multiplexing nucleic acids and proteins in the life sciences market, Luminex Corp develops, manufactures, and markets innovative biological testing technologies. The company''s open-architecture xMAP® technology enables large numbers of biological tests (bioassays) to be conducted and analyzed quickly, cost-effectively, and accurately.
Reducing Component Costs
One of the company''s most daunting challenges was the component costs on its prototype units, encountered throughout the R & D process. Luminex began purchasing Misumi linear shafts, linear bushings, timing pulleys, and belts in August, 2005.
"The availability of solid models and the fact that I can order custom components finished and ready for assembly were the two big reasons we decided to begin purchasing parts from Misumi," commented Roland Schneider, director of Instrument Production and Advanced Manufacturing Engineering at Luminex Corp.
"This fact, combined with the large range of products available in inch and metric standards, made the decision much easier. It became obvious that significant economies could be realized," continued Roland. "The Technical Calculation Section of the Misumi catalog offers guidelines for the design engineer to accurately specify the correct flat belt for use with the fully configurable timing pulleys also available from the company. Timing pulleys are fully configurable down to the number of teeth on each pulley. The flexibility available to the design engineer is unique. I don''t know of another company that sells timing pulleys this way.
"We use SolidWorks in the design phase of our product development," he said. "The rapid availability of CAD models enables us to do several design iterations before buying any parts; this helps us by reducing the amount of parts that never find their way into the finished machine."
No Surprises on Pricing and Delivery
Luminex purchases products from Misumi for research and development of its new analyzers. Misumi supplies components with no minimum order quantity, so customers can purchase only what is needed to develop and prototype new equipment. Once the equipment goes into production and price becomes most critical, Misumi provides outstanding delivery with prices that are extremely competitive, according to Schneider. "All of their prices are published in their catalogs, including volume discounts, so there are no questions."
The Manufacturing Engineering department at Luminex is responsible for sourcing components that are cost-effective. In the medical industry, this often requires extensive testing and validation of components.
"I usually analyze the cost for all the engineering work and how long it would take to amortize this cost. Unfortunately, this often turns out not to be cost-effective. Therefore, it is even more vital for the designers to source the appropriately costed components from the beginning," explains Schneider
"The real savings is realized with the Misumi CAD Configurator," he continues. "We are now able to finish the design of a new analyzer by using the CAD Configurator and downloading native CAD files directly into our assembly drawings. Parts are then ordered from Misumi as purchased components and scheduled for delivery on the date we plan for a machine build. The fact that Misumi publishes the ship dates for their components also contributes to our efficiency. We previously had to wait for parts from the local machine shops, which was often a guessing game. With Misumi, we no longer guess, because the answer is printed right in the pages of their catalogs."