New Britain manufacturer OKAY Industries has invested $1.5 million in new lab spaces where employees will work on research and development for complex engineering design.
OKAY, which designs and manufactures metal and plastic parts used by medical-device makers, has unveiled the new R&D spaces — called NextTech Labs — in its New Britain and Berlin facilities, where engineers and others will work with customers to develop, prototype and manufacture new medical devices, the company said.
While OKAY already works with customers on prototypes for new devices, NexTech Labs will expand this role, with eight to 10 engineers dedicated to that task full time, a spokeswoman said. That means customers can work with engineers earlier in the design process, and work out possible problems before designing the prototype.
“By working one-on-one with medical device [original equipment manufacturers] early on, we create custom manufacturing solutions that deliver high-quality, reliable components and sub-assemblies with speed and cost efficiency,” said Sean Stowik, OKAY’s director of sales and marketing.
The new spaces will also enable the company to meet customer demands, which have been expanding as medical devices become more complex.
NexTech Labs will also offer 3D printing, allowing for quicker feasibility testing, the company said. OKAY has already hired six new engineers for the initiative, and expects to hire more, a spokeswoman said.
OKAY’s New Britain location is 100,000 square feet, 2,500 square feet of which will be dedicated to NexTech Labs. Its 63,000-square-foot facility in Berlin will have 1,000 square feet of space dedicated to the R&D lab.