Case study

Challenge

1. Our customer had designed a new portable ECG monitor, and wanted to add haptic feedback to the coloured touchscreen display. This would allow medical professionals to receive the same button press sensation when they use the monitor, as when they used the dedicated keypad on the control panel.
2. They had limited knowledge of how haptic feedback technology works so were struggling to successfully integrate haptics into the device.
3. Our customers’ key concern was mitigating the risk of the motor interfering with the ECG’s ability to pick up the rhythm and electrical signals produced by a patient.

Solution

• PMD’s team of application engineers reviewed the product specifications, and worked with our customer’s in-house engineering team. We helped support them from the development stage right through, and into mass production.
• Our engineering team proposed a 10mm LRA vibration motor as this has a low EMI (Electromagnetic Interference) shadow, and with the correct driver can offer crisp haptic feedback effects.
• We shared the datasheet and our test results for the proposed motor, to prove that it would meet the required EMI rating.

Results

• The product was successfully launched on time and to specification into the European Medical Market. Users liked the addition of haptic feedback on the touchscreen.
• Our customer has had a consistent annual order and Precision Microdrives has supported them to manage their costs by having a flexible call-off annual sales agreement.
• Recently there has been an increase in demand for this device and we were able to support their ramp-up in production, without impacting costs or lead time.
• We have been successfully supplying this customer with our motor solution for over five years.

STAGE 1

Designing for application

• We supported our customer throughout the design process and provided them with a large amount of technical support.
• This enabled them to overcome the difficulties they were having adding the haptic feedback sensations they wanted.
• The customer had concerns about the level of EMI (ElectroMagnetic Interference) that the motor would transmit when the monitor was being used. We presented a 10mm LRA vibration motor as the solution.

STAGE 2

Manufacturing and testing

• The vibration motor was successfully tested to prove the EMI rating was sufficiently low enough not to interfere with the main function of the ECG monitor.
• The device was thoroughly tested and validated, to ensure it would perform as needed before it was signed off and went into full mass production.
• Our detailed support work enabled them to launch an innovative product that allows medical professionals to provide more accurate results to patients.

STAGE 3

Results and relationship

• We were able to support the customer from the development stage through to mass production and this saved their engineering team considerable R&D work.  
• Due to the level of technical support, we provided the customer they decided that they would make us their sole supplier for the LRA vibration motor for this device.
• By agreeing to a yearly order commitment we have proactively managed their risk, helped them ramp up their production and reduced their supply costs.