Tag Archives: Ask the Engineer

Ask the Engineer

Spring Design in Product Development

By George E. Fournier

If required in the product, the spring is probably the least expensive component of the assembly. However, if it does not function as intended or fails, it can become a warranty issue which can be quite expensive as far as repair, loss of sales and product reputation.

If required in the product, the spring is probably the least expensive component of the assembly. However, if it does not function as intended or fails, it can become a warranty issue which can be quite expensive as far as repair, loss of sales and product reputation.

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Ask the Engineer

Specification Requirements to Ensure Regulatory Compliance

By Julie Cameron

There has been a sharp increase in regulatory oversight in the medical device industry. If your manufacturing requirements aren’t specific enough, your contract manufacturer might unknowingly make a problematic substitution. Which requirements are most important for your product? This week’s Ask the Engineer addresses material types, critical features and measurement methods.

There has been a sharp increase in regulatory oversight in the medical device industry. If your manufacturing requirements aren’t specific enough, your contract manufacturer might unknowingly make a problematic substitution. Which requirements are most important for your product? This week’s Ask the Engineer addresses material types, critical features and measurement methods.

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Jeff Wickham, P.E. is the Principal at LifeHope Medical, Inc.
Ask the Engineer

Two Discussions on Electromagnetic Materials and Sealing Medical Gases

By Jeff Wickham, P.E.
Jeff Wickham, P.E. is the Principal at LifeHope Medical, Inc.

Q: What are the best materials for electromagnetic applications? A: This depends on the application, and on factors such as the performance, cost and specific geometry. Electromagnetic materials are commonly compared using B-H curves (B stands for induction and H for magnetizing force), which are basically a plot of how much magnetic flux a material will carry versus the intensity of the magnetic field. This can be experimentally seen by using an electromagnet and observing how strong…

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