On a Sunday evening, a fire broke out at Smith & Nephew’s (S&N) Andover, Mass. facility. Major damage was averted when the sprinkler system extinguished the fire. Unfortunately, the two machines that were responsible for producing the company’s popular line of arthroscopy disposable bone burrs were knocked out of commission.
Monday morning at 8 a.m., Lampin’s weekly production meeting was interrupted by S&N’s panicked call for help. Four hours later, material was transferred from Andover to Lampin’s manufacturing site in Uxbridge, Mass. Lampin’s production schedule changed to accommodate S&N’s crisis, and by Tuesday morning, medical disposables were being produced for S&N.
Two Swiss CNC Citizen machines were run around the clock and over a holiday weekend to keep up with S&N’s needs. Lampin became a critical partner as needs changed and communication between S&N’s manufacturing and materials specialists were constantly updated. Material traceability, inspection, and lot integrity were coordinated as parts were transferred daily from Lampin to a certified heat treat facility and finally to Smith & Nephew.
