How do you control, monitor and regulate the creation, distribution and modification of thousands of CNC part programs for 28 machine tools in a busy production-machining environment, while at the same time maintaining the security and traceability demanded in the medical industry? Braun Medical, which manufactures a wide range of high-precision surgical instruments and orthopaedic implants, knows how; following the introduction of Networked DNC from the manufacturing software specialist Seiki Systems Ltd, Brighton, the company has absolute control - in terms of accuracy, security and traceability - over all its part programs.

AS a result, the Sheffield based business - one of the world's leading health-care companies, employing more than 29,000 people worldwide - can manage all the program demands at its two UK machine shops, which house sliding head CNC auto, fixed-head CNC lathes and vertical machining centres. Most of the latter have a fourth-axis capability and produce a wide variety of components, many of which involve the complex profiling of stainless-steel stampings and forgings.

Most programs are generated off-line using Braun Medical's CAM system, although less complex parts tend to b e programmed at the machine; but with more then 18,000 part programs to be managed, validated and distributed, there was considerable chance of error until Networked DNC was installed. CNC technician Andrew Bradford says: "We have now been able to optimise all or machining routines, and we have near absolute control of program generation and distribution to individual machine tools. These days, it is imperative to have complete security and traceability, and to be more efficient in all aspects of program management. Because the system handles many of the programming tasks automatically, productivity has been improved, as has standardisation across the whole engineering department. For example, solid-model 3D data is transferred from our CAD system in the design office to our CAM system, and the part programs can be easily edited at a shopfloor terminal before being finally downloaded to the designated work centre."

"Seiki Systems' Networked DNC package is a mid-range system that provides total control over NC program access, recording and reporting current status, revisions and editing, as well as transfer and usage records, thereby allowing audit records to be maintained in the production environment. Most important, however, is the fact that the system prevents its use by unauthorised people and warns of unproven-program requests. It will also automatically communicate - in real time - the status, changes and operator actions, as required by production supervision, production control, the programming office, design and quality control. The software can be installed either through a wired or a wireless environment, to provide 24hr records with full traceability, plus details of the machines involved and the batches produced - a very important yet often forgotten factor forgotten in complying with stringent ISO and other quality standards.

Braun Medical has five shopfloor terminals, referred to as 'nodes'. Thes are installed in its two separate machine shops, with each PC supporting up to eight CNC machine tools. Each node serves one of five different cells/machines: all CNC turning machines; Fanuc-controlled machines; Haas vertical machining centres; a special multi-machine production cell for the manufacture of flexible nails; and the production engineering department.

The company has eight levels of access to the Seiki Systems software, based in the needs of setters, programmer/setters and CNC administration staff. Programs can be up- and down-loaded between the terminals and main server, and the system is backed up twice a day on-site and once a day via a remote link to the company's Sheffield headquarters.

For General Surgical Instruments, Braun Medical produces a wide range of equipment, including scissors, forceps of various types, bull-dog clamps, vessel clips, approximators, surgical needles, wound retractors, intestinal/rectal instruments and gall bladder/liver instruments. If one considers standard forceps, these are machined from stainless-steel stampings in just two operations on Haas vertical machining centres fitted with fourth axis; batch quantities are around 300 pairs, each pair being made up of left- and right-hand components. Complex retractors can be made up of eight separate parts, which include racks, screws and springs. When taken as a single product assembly, these require a number of part programs.

Braun Medical's Aesculap Division provides a range of products and services for use in operating theatres. These products cover all surgical interventions and techniques, wound closure and instrument reprocessing. This division also supplies a broad range of orthopaedic implants, spinal systems and trauma devices. Surgical instruments are produced under the Downs Surgical banner; they range from general surgery to ENT surgery, and cardio-vascular instruments to obstetrics and gynaecology. In terms of implants, Downs Surgical manufactures and distributes hip replacement systems for both trauma-related and elective applications.

Mr Bradford sayd there is no doubt that the Seiki Systems software has had a big impact on the efficiency, accuracy and security of all program generation, but most important is its impact on the modification, revision and distribution of programs. Indded, based on its experience so far, the company is already considering a substantial upgrade by going for the Seiki Systems' Integrated Manufacturing Execution System - iMES. By integrating this with its existing MRP system or by using the ERP capability within the iMES software, Braun Medical will be able to easily - and graphically - schedule and monitor the work loads of its CNC machines in real time. Within the fully integrated system, full machine monitoring, the co-ordination of tooling and fixuring data, the production of performance reports and down-time records can be performed in conjunction with the secure, traceable and efficient transfer of the correct part program.