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CASE STUDIES

Workforce health drives Cretex Medical to automate precision assembly

Healthcare Large Enterprise (500+ FTE) United States Indoor Medium to High Volume Semi-Automated
BY: Mecademic
|
Dec 17, 2025
Meca500-used-in-certex-case-studies

AT A GLANCE

CLIENT:
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LOCATION:

Elk River, Minnesota, United States

SECTOR:

Healthcare (Incl. Surgical, Pharmacy, Medical Device)

SUPPLIER:

Mecademic

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TECHNOLOGY / PRODUCT USED:

Meca500 Six-Axis Industrial Robot

TARGETED APPLICATION

Precision Automation

LEARN MORE

Read The Full Case Study Here

Optimizing the daily work experience of their assembly team

5μm
Repeatability
for high-precision inspection
25%
Of the manual
process footprint 
↑↑↑
Work environment
“The size of the automated assembly line can fit in a carry-on suitcase. The small form factor matters to help us maximize our clean room space”

 

Steve Lagergren, Manufacturing Engineering Supervisor, Cretex Medical
Workforce Health Drives Cretex Medical to Automate Precision Assembly

The Problem

 

Cretex Medical, an innovative contract manufacturer for the medical device industry, faced a difficult challenge. Responsible for manufacturing a critical component for intravascular lithotripsy (IVL) catheter devices, they needed to find a way to optimize the daily work experience of their assembly team and scale up production at the same time. “Think of this manual process as the extreme limits of what you can humanly do by manipulating tweezers under a microscope. The size of this assembly is not any bigger than an eyelash, and the ergonomics of this repetitive process were taking a real physical and mental toll on our people,” says Steve Lagergren, Manufacturing Engineering Supervisor, Cretex Medical. The demand for this component was high, and their customer was counting on them to scale up production. Jeremy Glynn, General Manager of Cretex Medical, Laser Division, adds, “There are patients at the end of the line who depend on these intravascular therapies. We could not allow our assembly to disrupt supply”.

The Solution

 

Traditional robotic solutions were no match for the tiny component size and complicated 26-step manual process. The solution needed to automate and streamline the process of cutting wire, inserting in sleeves, crimping the parts together and inspecting the final component — all at micron-level resolution. “The majority of robotic products were too large and not accurate enough. We worked closely with the team at Cretex Medical to define requirements and perform feasibility testing to eliminate risk before building the automation,” says Ari Pitkanen, Chief Executive Officer at Arimation Robotics.

 

Arimation brought in their value-added distributor, Mechatronic Solutions, to assist in recommending and sourcing the main parts. With their support, Arimation designed, built and tested a custom automation cell with three main elements: a Meca500 six-axis robotic arm, an Asycube 50 flexible feeding system with EYE+ from Asyril, and a custom wire feeding and cutting solution.

KEY FEATURES

Precision Robotics

 

The Meca500 six-axis robotic arm was selected for its small form factor and 5 micrometers repeatability for precision automation.

Ultra Compact Design
Ease of use and plug-and-work capabilities

RESULTS

 

The automation cell achieved technical performance metrics required for the micro-assembly, centered around the 5 micrometers repeatability of the Meca500 robot and a custom wire cutting solution that accurately and consistently manipulates 0.1 mm thick wires. Furthermore, the small footprint of the solution is just 25% of the size of the 12-foot manual process, allowing Cretex to maximize their clean room space.

The automation cell was built to automate and streamline the complicated 26-step manual process, achieving the required assembly standard all at micron-level resolution. The small form factor of the automation is a critical technical advantage, as it allowed Cretex to maximize their clean room space. Ultimately, the automation was necessary to meet demand and ensure a consistent, high-quality assembly.

0
Repeatability for precision automation
0
Assembly line footprint compared to the manual process
Maximized Clean Room Space
 
Achieved Micron-Level Resolution
Ensured Consistent, and High-Quality Assembly
Steve Lagergren, Manufacturing Engineering Supervisor at Cretex Medical
"Think of this manual process as the extreme limits of what you can humanly do by manipulating tweezers under a microscope. The size of this assembly is not any bigger than an eyelash, and the ergonomics of this repetitive process were taking a real physical and mental toll on our people." 
meca500-robot-compact-position-with-power-supply
The Meca500 is by far the smallest and most compact six-axis industrial robot arm. It is also the most precise one. 

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