High-precision machining of complex implants and instruments

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Tectri is the subject of an article in DeviceMed, the magazine for medical device manufacturers. CEO Jean-Pascal Wisard shares his expertise and goes behind the scenes of the company, which specialises in the manufacture of machined components with complex geometries, mainly for the medical device sector. Below you can find the link to the article, which highlights Tectri’s background and its offering for the medical technology sector.

Based in the Bernese Jura region with its two plants in Court and Bévilard, Tectri joined the Acrotec Group in 2019. The company produces a wide range of machined components with complex geometries, often in tough materials. We interviewed its CEO, Jean-Pascal Wisard.

Can you give us a brief history of Tectri?

Tectri was founded in 1998 by Fabien Bouduban, who is now the chairman of the company. We started working for medical device manufacturers in 2002 and this market has now become our main customer sector. Today, it represents almost 90% of our business. With over 20 years’ experience, we have a good understanding of quality and regulatory issues. We suffered a major fire in 2017, when our entire factory burned down. It took us 18 months to get back up and running, but the ordeal taught us a lot about risk management and gave us the opportunity to build a new building that was optimised in terms of workshop layout and carbon footprint. We had to re-validate all our products, but we were fortunate that all our customers continued to place their trust in us. We then joined the Acrotec Group in 2019.

What do you offer to the medical technology sector?

Our core business is high-precision screw machining. At Tectri, we are able to manufacture a wide range of products, from micro-components with a diameter of 0.4 mm to components with a complex geometry and a diameter of 35 mm. We offer complete solutions that can include bar turning, electro-erosion, laser cutting, laser welding, anodising, passivation, etc.

What are the potential applications for these different components?

We are very active in the implant field. For example, we produce screws and screw collars for the spinal and trauma sectors, abutments and abutment screws for the dental sector, and we are increasingly active in the neurosurgical and cardiovascular sectors. We also manufacture implants and instruments for ophthalmology and other instruments with complex geometries, which we produce in high volumes. We also manufacture precision components for electric micromotors, some of which are destined for the medical technology sector.

What materials do you work with?

In particular, we work with titanium and very hard materials based on alloys of cobalt, chromium, stainless steel and even iridium, as well as certain synthetic materials.

Could you give an example of a component made by Tectri that illustrates your expertise?

There’s no shortage of examples. I’m thinking in particular of a reamer, which is a complex tool used for fitting hip prostheses. But I could also mention an ophthalmic instrument (see photo) used to implant an intraocular lens. This instrument, 140 mm long and 8 mm in diameter, presented a number of difficulties: its dimensions, its complex, off-axis geometry, and a surface finish at the end of RA 0.4. We equipped ourselves with high-performance metrology equipment, including vision and 3D probing inspection systems and the Lumen device developed by Acrotec R&D.

To read the article in PDF, click here.

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