The benefits of working with an American manufacturer for medical devices

When you see something is “American Made” it immediately conjures some emotions, right? A lot of folks really appreciate domestic production – especially at a time when that seems increasingly rare. 

But apart from just a good feeling, does buying American-made for your next medical device actually serve a purpose? We’re happy to say that it does. When you work with an American manufacturer, you’re getting more than just a component. What do we mean? Let’s get into it. 

Clear communication from day 1 all the way to launch 

Communication is important when things are going well, but they’re absolutely crucial when there’s a problem. That’s why an American manufacturer can be a huge benefit. While an international source for your parts might skim off a bit of your overhead (and even that’s debatable), they won’t be nearly as communicative when and if there’s a problem.
How do we know this? Because people bring it up to us a lot. We’ve had clients often mention to us that they’re “surprised” by our responsiveness. For a long time that puzzled us, we thought – doesn’t everyone do this? But what we realized is that what some folks view as a problem (our size) was, in fact, a huge benefit.

Because we are a small business, you get direct contact with the folks working on your device. They’re just an email or phone call away. You won’t have to submit your message to some portal that will be filtered through a team and eventually get a response back. Instead, you have a team that can pivot and gets stuff done quickly. 

A closer location for faster shipping times

No matter where your company resides in the US, you’re only a few days away from getting the parts you need when working with an American manufacturer. Our location means that our flex arms and components are just three days away from most parts of the country. Beyond that, we source from domestic suppliers as well, which means that we’re able to build and test new ideas rapidly. 

And allow us to toot our horn about the quality of people in this part of the country. We’re based in South Dakota, which has always had a hardworking mentality thanks to its heavy agricultural roots. Those core values have seeped into every part of Moffatt. While it might not be the first thing you think of before you work with us, we can say it’ll be something you remember about our team. 

Rapid Prototyping

One thing about a domestic manufacturer: we can get you a prototype quickly. And when we mean prototype, we mean a finished product. That’s something that most other manufacturers can’t match – domestically or otherwise. 

The reason is simple: we have a modular product. Standard raw materials in an assortment of sizes and lengths are stored in warehouses, so when you come up with a new design, it’s just a matter of cutting it to a custom size. Sometimes, we may have to design a machined part from a local machine shop. But that said, we can customize flex arms, fittings, and coverings in just a few days. 

What we want you to know is that this is a replicable process. While you may not be as familiar with flex arms, we’ve done this before. Let’s think about this process with a metaphor. we’re the old guy working at the back of the lumber yard. WE’ve done it, we’ll give you advice, we’ll show you the right materials, and ultimately you’ll make your decision based on that knowledge. You don’t want to talk to “new” employee, who will just ship you the stuff and wish you the best – you want the person who can help you put it together and get it done. 

In the end, if you’re looking for a design partner – the only real option is a domestic manufacturer

We work with medical device manufacturers every day. We don’t sell a product, we sell a design service. We’ve done these products in these types of environments. As a domestic designer, we’re familiar with the process and hiccups that can happen along the way while building a device. We’re also familiar with the types of environments that these devices will be in and have placed products in hospitals all across the country. 

In the end, you get what you pay for. It’s good to know that when you work with a domestic device manufacturer, that you’re getting more than just an “American made” sticker – you’re getting a partner.