EPIC Technologies Implements Camstar's Medical Device Suite to Ramp New Product Line

February 19, 2006
by Barbara Kram, Editor
Charlotte, NC (February 14, 2006) - Camstar, the leading provider of enterprise manufacturing execution and quality management solutions, today announced that EPIC Technologies, a full service independent provider of contract electronics manufacturing services, completed a rapid deployment of Camstar's Medical Device Suite to control production for the electronic top housing of a new transdermal drug delivery device. EPIC jointly developed the innovative new processes with a major medical device manufacturer. The joint agreement included using Camstar's manufacturing system to provide both EPIC and its customer immediate visibility into production and quality information.

"EPIC's unique value to its customers is its focus on lean manufacturing to achieve high throughput velocity," said Kevin Milliken, Program Manager at EPIC Technologies. "We knew that to quickly bring a sophisticated line like this from prototype to high volume we needed automated process control that would also give us real time, accurate data from the many automatic test stations. We collectively selected Camstar because of its complete solution and breadth of experience in the Medical Device industry."

The remarkably short four-month project included considerable integration between Camstar's Medical Device Suite and the machines, plus user interfaces on hand held wireless devices, browser-based operational monitors, the requisite electronic device history record (eDHR), and system validation.

"EPIC's customers depend on us to produce high quality, on time," continued Milliken. "But before discovering Camstar, we attempted the equipment downloads and data acquisition with custom code, and the performance of the system slowed down the production line. Now with Camstar's high-performance solution, cycle times are down, quality is high, and we deliver the product volumes and strategic information that our customer rightfully demands."

"EPIC Technologies' implementation of Camstar's Medical Device Suite demonstrates the unprecedented value of manufacturing control and visibility to both contract manufacturers and to companies who outsource production," said Scott Toney, Camstar President and CEO. "It's another demonstration of Camstar's clear leadership in the complex Medical Device and Diagnostics industry. We're committed to helping our customers achieve their goals of high quality and yields in a lean environment, and continued manufacturing improvements."

About Camstar Systems, Inc.

Camstar is a leading provider of enterprise manufacturing execution and quality systems. Camstar's Medical Device Suite application manages, monitors, and synchronizes manufacturing activities across globally distributed plants, and integrates them in real-time with core business processes. Rapid to implement, it provides the manufacturing control needed to help eliminate scrap, rework, paperwork errors and redundant checks. As a result, manufacturers improve yields and product quality, shorten lead times and reach volumes quickly, respond to changing demand, and reduce the cost of compliance. More than 100 leading companies, including Johnson & Johnson, Roche, Tyco Healthcare, ZOLL, CIBA Vision, BIOTRONIK, Kinetic Concepts, Zeiss, IBM, Kodak, AMD, Philips, Corning and Hitachi rely on Camstar as a trusted software partner.

For more information about Camstar and its InSite product solution, call (704) 227-6600 or (800) 588-0030 or visit www.camstar.com.

About EPIC Technologies

EPIC Technologies, a portfolio company of the private equity firm CIVC Partners, L.P. is a full service independent provider of contract electronics manufacturing services with headquarters in Rochester Hills, Michigan. The company operates one distribution center located in El Paso, Texas and five manufacturing facilities - one in Norwalk, Ohio; one in Lebanon, Ohio; one in Johnson City, Tennessee; and two in Juarez, Mexico. EPIC specializes in providing turnkey services from product engineering, to test development, prototype to volume PCB assembly, box build, and direct fulfillment. Over the last two decades, EPIC has built a reputation of providing world class, high quality electronic manufacturing services to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in the industrial control, automotive, specialty products, and medical industry. EPIC's key differentiator is the focus on lean manufacturing to achieve high throughput velocity and extreme flexibility.