Medical Device Manufacturing Experts

1) Why did you choose to join TE? What makes you stay here?

I've been with TE for about 8 years. Previously, for most of my career I was in the tech space working on semiconductors. Right before joining TE, I worked for a solar company. I liked the sense of purpose I felt there, and I thought medical would be a good next move, as it would also allow me to have a positive impact on people's lives. TE was a good fit and has been great -- for my career, for myself and for my family.

2) What do you enjoy most about your work?

I especially like working with our customers’ R&D engineers. Often customers come in with a good idea of what they want, but just need some help tweaking it so it’s final. Not only do we have a large array of solutions in our back pocket, but we also have the ability to tweak things to fit their exact needs. This allows us to successfully help them with challenges they were struggling with. It's especially satisfying when we can provide a novel solution they've never seen before.

3) What’s the most interesting project you’ve worked on at TE?

The ability to use our solutions in new ways makes things very interesting. Take our reflow products. Typically, adhesive is used in these products as a sealant. One customer asked if we might be able to use the adhesive in a different way. On their suggestion, we were able to use the adhesive not only to seal, but to bond and build up a structure that solved their challenge.

4) What are the biggest challenges customers face?

Going forward, sustainability is a big driver for both TE and our customers. But there is this pull between single-use components to enhance patient safety and the desire to reduce medical waste. Medical devices don't breakdown easily, so we need to find new ways to make reusable products safer. Recently we looked at antibacterials that can be added to polymers. The concept of a circular economy, reusing more and being less wasteful is what our customers are increasingly focused on, especially in Europe.

5) Which personal traits are essential for today’s engineering challenges?

For today's engineers, I think curiosity is key. There must be a desire to learn and a willingness to change one's mind. This means looking at a challenge we've always handled a certain way and asking: 'what can we do differently? So often, we must fail first before finding a new and better solution.

6) What types of engineering changes do you expect to see over the next five years in heat shrink tubing?

There haven't been a lot of major changes in medical tubing in recent years. But exciting things are coming, thanks to the rise of 3D printing technology. Currently, we're working on miniaturization, which could be key in neurovascular applications. We also remain committed to supporting cutting edge minimally invasive procedures by pushing the capabilities of our materials and equipment in novel ways.

7) How does TE approach innovation, in a way that directly translates to the solutions we provide to customers?

The level of knowledge and innovation that exists within TE is tremendous. Our various labs across TE allow us to easily connect with a variety of subject matter experts. I have access to people with PhDs in areas I might only have surface level knowledge in. It can be very inspiring to go outside our smaller teams to get ideas and learn about what's possible.

1) What challenges you in a positive way?

Our customers are always pushing the boundaries of manufacturing, so keeping up with the latest technology in order to meet our customer’s demand is one of the best things about my job. I also relish using new advancements and technologies to adapt to new challenges.

2) How do you think you make a difference?

I have 13 years experience in guidewire design and manufacturing; this experience enables me to quickly understand the customer requirements and get prototypes to our customers quickly and accurately.

Insight. Experience. Creativity. Resilience. These traits define TE engineers. Makiya Kimura has had a love of designing and assembling models since he was a boy. As a TE Medical engineer, he still enjoys working with multiple components to construct a product--only now he's solving customers' problems and often helping build products that change people's lives. Collaboration with customers is key, to understand their challenges and find solutions quickly.

1) What has been your most interesting project to work on at TE?

I had the opportunity to work on two new I/O connectors, which both required a high-degree of design skill. The high pin count (456 pins or 456P) connector is very complex, and the other USB size 38P connector is simple but very small. Our product lines are full of variety, so every new project seems very interesting to me.

2) What do you enjoy most about your work?

I get to learn different types of connector design and development and have many possibilities to develop my career at TE. Here, I am on the cutting edge of technology and enjoy creating new products and seeing them be released to the market. Because of all the ways our products connect to people’s lives, I feel like I am contributing to society in a positive way just by working at TE.

3) What are the biggest challenges customers face?

Material selection for connectors is very challenging and very important because the materials must be able to tolerate sterilization. We use plastic and metal for connectors, so as sterilization requirements increase or become more harsh, being able to understand how materials will react and offer alternative, more durable solutions is crucial for design. Collaborating with customers is key because the customer’s challenge is our challenge as well.

4) Why did you choose to join TE?

I feel like I have been an engineer since boyhood—I always liked making plastic models and radio-controlled model cars. Now, my interest has shifted to connectors and I still enjoy working with multiple components to design and assemble the product model in development. Another aspect of working at TE Medical is that both mechanical design and electrical design skills are needed for connector design--something that interests me greatly as an engineer.

5) Which personal traits are essential for today’s engineering challenges?

As design requirements become more complex, the latest tools such as CAD systems and CAE tools help engineers design and build to specifications. However, it is important for engineers to consider the simplest solutions even in complex designs and systems. If some failure happens during development, which it often does in new product development, we have to be able to solve the problems quickly and the best way to do that is to start with the simplest solutions. Overall, the most important trait is to not give up—there is surely an answer somewhere and it’s our job to find it or to create it.

1) Why did you become a product manager?

I come from a technical background and besides solving technical problems, I became very interested in providing solutions to customers from a business perspective by putting together the entire puzzle. As a product manager, I take great pride not only in the product offerings I represent, but also growing the business by effectively partnering with our customers.

2) What made you want to work for TE Medical?

There are many reasons. At TE Medical, we are building custom solutions for our customers who are in the very important business of saving lives. Everyone at TE is passionate about putting the customer at the center of everything that we do. Plus, TE’s Wilsonville, Oregon location, near Portland, is also a wonderful place to live.

3) What are some recent projects you have been working on?

I am working with a few key strategic customers and markets. We are pushing the boundaries in technology by offering customers complete assembly level solutions - not just sub-components. These have been some very exciting projects that I can't wait to see come to life.

4) What do you feel sets TE apart from the competition?

I believe that what sets TE apart is the simple fact that TE has been doing this for years but that we are constantly striving for innovation. We are looking to understand and develop the latest and greatest technologies for our customers. TE offers not only sub-components but has the engineering talent to work with our customers in providing complete solutions. Whether we start from a very basic design concept or we work to develop full assemblies. Our passion for an extraordinary customer experience drives so much of what we do.

5) In your global role, what are some things you are seeing?

I'm fascinated by what I see happening in Asia. Asia Pacific is growing and expanding with the demands and requirements on technology being different than in the US and Europe. Leadership in technology and development work continues to be dominated by the US and Europe. In my role, I love to work with my teams around the world to understand what is happening in the different markets and how we must adapt to address the customers' needs.

6) What’s a memorable story about TE you would like to share?

Well, so many stories come to mind. Here is an example of one: We were at an impasse with a customer where we were informed that we had won an opportunity, but the customer was not willing to issue the PO until they received specific data from TE. Because the customer was located in Europe and was available only at a particular hour, due to time sensitivity, some lead engineers from TE decided to take the call with the customer at 1:00 AM their local time to discuss and allay the customer’s concerns so that we can all move forward. And, guess what? The progress was made where both companies, TE and its customer, could partner together to move forward. Again, it's about delivering an unparalleled experience for our customers.

1) Tell us about ECE (Extraordinary Customer Experience).

ECE is not only a program, it's our commitment to a culture that all TE employees are encouraged to live by. ECE relies on the fact that we should treat everyone as we would like to be treated. TE's ECE program gives us guidelines and motivates us to exceed expectations of both our internal and external customers. Every detail can make the difference. We work hard to deliver ECE in innovation, quality, delivery and service and support with our customers in every interaction.

2) Do you hear about many ECE success stories?

We have had great ECE stories since the launch of our ECE Program. My favorite ones are those where an opportunity becomes a success story. There are many things that our internal and external customers need, and our challenge is to not only meet customers' needs but to exceed their expectations. By doing so consistently, will be able to continue to improve our partnerships and strengthen our relationships to help ensure a solid future.

3) What are some challenges your customers face?

Our customers’ biggest challenge is that they need partners that are committed to excellence because their products are used to save lives. Our goal to deliver on that challenge is not only to deliver products with high quality standards, but to make our connection solutions more innovative on a daily basis. At TE Medical and with our customers, we foster open collaboration and innovation so we can help deliver excellent products to the market.

4) What do you like best about working for TE?

I enjoy working at TE because this is a company that fosters inclusion and diversity. I love the TE brand because it stands for innovation and growth. We offer advanced connectivity in catheter systems, sensors technology, and many other applications that will make our products more innovative for our customers.

5) What inspires you?

My family is my big inspiration. I am proud to be part of TE Medical and support our customers who manufacture life-saving medical devices that can make a tremendous positive impact in the lives of our loved ones. My family inspires me to continue looking for daily improvements; they inspire me to help my team to be better leaders as ambassadors of the Extraordinary Customer Experience. At the same time, my commitment is to keep learning and be open to innovate with our internal and external customers.