Ti-TaMED and Airwave Engineering – specialist OEM component suppliers to the medical device, aerospace, marine and aviation industries

A cleaner, more efficiently designed and arranged machine shop floor you will be hard pressed to find

A cleaner, more efficiently designed and arranged machine shop floor you will be hard pressed to find – not just in South Africa, but anywhere in the world. Sister companies Ti-TaMED and Airwave Engineering, based in Paarden Eiland, Cape Town, are at the forefront in the medical device, aerospace, marine and aviation precision engineering industries, fast gaining on their reputation as a competent OEM manufacturer.

Considered OEM manufacturers for companies like Simera, ATTRI Orthopaedics, and yacht builder Southern Wind Shipyard, the company didn’t find navigating their current trajectory in the medical space an easy one at first as they faced significant pressures from various stakeholders in the field that didn’t agree with their exemplary moral ethics and professionalism.

The current success these two companies are enjoying is born not just out of hard work, quality and consistency, but from sound business acumen and the ability to diversify in the face of adversity.

Debbie Katz Ti-TaMED’s Managing Director with Production Manager Adrian Hendrikz

“Ti-TaMED was conceptualised in 1996 by my father Kevin Katz when he sought to develop the spinal system that we are most well-known for,” explains Debbie Katz, Kevin’s daughter and Ti-TaMED’s Managing Director, who joined her father’s business in 2010.

“A surgeon came to see him at the business that he owned at the time – Medac – which was a company that made sports injury bracing. The surgeon, Guillaume du Toit, an orthopaedic surgeon, was concerned that the market at the time was very constrained due to international market players who were not prepared to cater for a small and insignificant market like South Africa.”

“Based on this, Kevin took up the challenge to design and develop a spinal system locally so that we could accommodate for a patient’s unique needs. This could also be done more efficiently, quicker and more cost effectively, instead of struggling to source it from abroad.”

Ti-TaMED was conceptualised in 1996 by Kevin Katz when he sought to develop the spinal system that the company are most well-known for

“He also wanted to show the world that South Africa has the skills and ability to do this if we wanted to. And almost by accident, during the design and testing phase, they found that this particular system had a very unique technique to correct scoliosis (the “S” curvature deformity of the spine), which also became the unique selling point of the product. As the market progressed and the demands changed, so we changed to meet what the market was looking for.”

The Ti-TaMED Spinal System includes a variety of titanium screws, different configurations of titanium hooks and rods, cross connectors, and other tools designed to support a wide range of spinal surgeries addressing diseases, trauma, and deformities. The distinctive uniaxial screws enable innovative techniques for both posterior and anterior scoliosis surgeries. The implantable components are crafted from medical-grade titanium 6Al-4V ELI, while the surgical tools are made from high-quality stainless steel and can be customised to meet specific ergonomic needs of the surgeon.

Ti-TaMED and Airwave Engineering have built a well-respected reputation for their ability to to machine complex components

“Unfortunately, at that point in time, the medical industry was battling its own corruption issues and with our ethical stance that does not allow for capitalisation on someone else’s pain, we therefore decided to pull back from the field to diversify on non-medical offerings. At that stage we had already started getting some interest from the aviation industry as we were able to manufacture unique products out of titanium. Titanium is significantly lighter and more durable than stainless steel and so suits the aviation industry perfectly.”

“We started getting more involved in the aerospace industry and took up the opportunity to OEM for other companies too, further diversifying into the OEM market and other general engineering fields.”

Katz recounts: “In 2011, when the Volvo Ocean Race landed in Cape Town, there had been a huge storm resulting in a lot of the yachts’ masts being damaged. We received a knock on the door and a request… ‘We believe you work with titanium. Can you help us fix this?’”

Ti-TaMED have diversified into machining components for other industries including marine, aerospace, and medical industries, with marine products making up 50% of their business, aerospace-related projects 30%, and medical products 20%

“Besides assisting with the repairs, we were also able to show them where in their design they had created these stress risers. What we didn’t realise was that we were talking to the CEO of one of the largest mast builders in the world at the time, and that’s how we got into the marine industry.”

This is roughly when Airwave Engineering was established – a name that was intentionally conceived. “Air” for aerospace and “Wave” for marine to reflect the intersection of these industries. It reflects the need to manufacture components in materials that are corrosion-resistant, durable, lightweight, thermally stable, and capable of withstanding extreme conditions.

“Already poised with the specialised skills and experience, we were well-positioned to meet these demanding requirements in a market where few companies are able to handle challenging raw materials, low quantities, and tight tolerances,” says Katz.

The company has recently purchased a Kitamura Mytrunnion-4G, supplied by WD Hearn Machine Tools

CNC machines include Fanuc RoboDrills

“At present, we serve the elite yacht industry, high-end speed yachts, luxury sailing yachts and superyachts. This industry is known for unique requirements and customisation, ranging from functional to interior design components.”

Katz says that while they were finding success in the aerospace and marine industries, the medical industry in South Africa began to change. Economic pressures, exchange rate fluctuations, and reduced government budgets led to a renewed interest in local manufacturing. The cost-sensitive market is beginning to favour local suppliers, and they were approached by medical institutions and designers to re-enter the field. Since then, the focus has been on producing a broader range of orthopaedic implants for example, shoulders, hips, knees and elbows, all being manufactured locally and to international standards.

The aim, she says, is to also produce custom implants tailored to individual patients’ needs, a trend that has been gaining traction globally, but something that represents the founding principle of why Ti-TaMED started in the first place. The company has also explored new materials like PEKK – Polyetherketoneketone – a highly specialised material closely resembling bone structure for future 3D printing projects.

Though Ti-TaMED and Airwave Engineering service entirely different industries, they share a shop floor of highly skilled and experienced, handpicked artisans. Their machining capabilities are boosted by 28 CNC machines that include 3, 4, and 5 Axis CNC machines, CNC lathes, CNC turn-mills, EDM wire cutting machines and a CMM. Currently, there are around 40 employees employed by both companies

A Renishaw probe checking components

Ti-TaMED wants to become a leader in providing customised, high-quality orthopaedic solutions, not just for South Africa, but for the entire African continent. An exciting development within this field of customisation is the ability to take a patient’s CT scan and fully customise an orthopaedic or similar component, specifically for that patient. As Katz says, everybody is different, and having the ability to take advantage of technology and fully customise solutions for specific needs, fits perfectly with the core ethics of why they do what they do.

Production capacity now spans across the marine, aerospace, and medical industries, with marine products making up 50% of their business, aerospace-related projects 30%, and medical products 20%.

“We have also worked closely with university start-ups like CubeSpace and Simera on various satellite prototyping projects and it has been very rewarding to walk the journey with them watching them evolve into very successful spinoff companies of their own,” Katz says proudly.

The companies specialise in working with materials including titanium, invar and super invar, various stainless steels such as 17-4PH, duplex 2205, nitronic, aluminium, bronze, brass, copper and high-performance polymers. Their expertise is backed by international certifications in various fields comprising of ISO 13485 for medical device production, AS9100 for aerospace and aviation manufacturing, FDA, SAHPRA and ISO 9001 for general manufacturing.

For further details contact Ti-TaMED and Airwave Engineering on TEL: 021 510 8382 or visit https://titamed.co.za and https://airwaveengineering.com