Optical 3D Metrology Brings Nanometer Precision to Micro Medical Manufacturing
MTD Micro Molding, a leader in manufacturing micro medical device components, has expanded its in-house metrology capabilities with the addition of a state-of-the-art optical 3D metrology system. This investment strengthens MTD’s ability to deliver faster, more precise, and fully traceable measurements for the world’s smallest and most complex medical device components.
“As medical devices get increasingly smaller and more complex, our customers are asking for both tighter tolerances and faster turnaround,” said Gary Hulecki, CEO of MTD Micro Molding. “Precise measurement is critical. If a part cannot be measured successfully, it cannot be verified—and ultimately, it cannot go to market.”
The FDA regulations and ISO quality standards require high levels of precision, validation, and traceability. For years, computerized tomography (CT) scanning has been essential for inspecting internal or encapsulated features, but even in-house CT scanning can be time-intensive.
The new optical 3D system complements CT by enabling faster decision-making across development, production, and quality assurance processes. With nanometer precision, we can thoroughly inspect and document critical part dimensions, internal features, and material integrity, ensuring compliance and reliable traceability throughout the production lifecycle.
Because it can simulate sub-micron measurements without requiring a physical part, our engineers gain valuable insights early in the project timeline. Hidden, high-risk areas, such as flash, dimensional accuracy, complex interfaces, or material interactions, can be identified sooner, allowing designs and tooling to be optimized more quickly. First article inspection benefits from high-speed, high-accuracy surface measurements. Once in production, the system delivers repeatable inspection with traceable, auditable data that meets strict medical regulatory requirements. Customers can see each demanding micro-geometry and critical dimension measured with confidence, even on parts under 1mm in size.
In addition to plastic product metrology, this new technology can also perform optical 3D scans of steel mold components with resolutions fine enough to measure even VDI and SPI surface finishes. These scans can be mapped against mold component CAD models to analyze how different machining and grinding processes impact resulting steel dimensions and stack-up tolerances. With these high-resolution data sets, tool manufacturing and troubleshooting can now be quantified in a whole new way.
For example, MTD is currently working on a micro overmolded component where a polymer is molded onto multiple steel pins. The design includes a surface roughness callout that we can now measure effortlessly with the new optical 3D measuring equipment. In the past, capturing all the necessary GD&T data would have required multiple setups across different measuring devices. Now we can easily and quickly capture critical insights with a single optical 3D device.
“We’ve been told that we’re the first company like ours to invest in this equipment,” said Hulecki. “MTD has a long history of being the first to adopt cutting-edge equipment—not for the sake of having the shiniest new technology, but because it helps us anticipate and respond to our customers’ speed of innovation.”
By continually investing in advanced technology and expertise, MTD consistently produces the micro medical designs that others often deem impossible—delivering validated, high-performance parts to market with greater speed and confidence.
For more information: www.mtdmicromolding.com
