Be it in anaemia diagnostics, blood donation screening or acute blood loss: quick haemoglobin readings are essential for rapid decisions. Especially against the backdrop of rising patient numbers and scarce resources. WILD helps EKF-diagnostics GmbH deliver this technology reliably and profitably.

Quick, precise and right in the field: EKF-diagnostics GmbH has developed Hemo Control, a compact point-of-care analyser that can measure haemoglobin levels and calculate the haematocrit in just 25 to 60 seconds. The system‘s applications include anaemia diagnosis, acute blood loss, blood donation screening or sports medicine monitoring. Its simple operation allows for its use even outside conventional laboratories, thus enabling medical professionals to take quick, well-founded decisions.

EKF-diagnostics GmbH has relied on the WILD Group‘s manufacturing competence to ensure that this technology can be reliably and profitably brought to the market since 2025. WILD produces central assemblies for the Hemo Control system and is currently delivering around 5,000 units per year. They include precision components, various casings and control cuvettes. “For other devices like the Quo-Lab or the Biosen analyser used for glucose and lactate measurement, we currently manufacture components for the stirrer and the bottle compartment“, says WILD Project Manager Christian Doujak.

Apart from WILD‘s considerable manufacturing expertise, what convinced EKF to enter a collaboration was, above all, the compelling medical technology references of the group as a strategic partner for products ranging from the smallest assemblies to complete devices. “The  positive experience of other customers with regard to quality, reliability and professional project management have contributed significantly to our decision“, stresses Filip Novak, Head of Global Product Management at EKF. Moreover, already during the selection process, WILD demonstrated a deep understanding for the requirements and products of the diagnostics specialist.

OPERATIVE RELIEF AND ADDITIONAL SCALABILITY.
Instead of having to coordinate numerous individual parts and suppliers, EKF outsources complete assemblies to WILD. As a result, issues  such as materials procurement, supplier management, complaints or logistics are centrally pooled and secured through established processes. The customer can thus focus more on their own core competencies, especially on the final production of devices and the ongoing improvement of their systems.

“Collaboration creates a tangible added value for us, since it reliably complements our manufacturing and, at the same time, frees internal capacities“, Novak explains. WILD takes charge of production in stable, quality-assured processes, thus ensuring predictability, delivery reliability and consistently high quality.“ At the same time, this cooperation allows the company to gradually outsource more processes step by step without creating additional complexity. “This flexibility provides us with the necessary freedom to grow and to react quickly to market requirements. It total, we are increasing our efficiency, bolstering our economic security and creating more room for innovation and future developments.“

This agility in particular proved to be a decisive advantage soon after the project started. “Due to the international tender business, demand grew significantly within a very short time. Instead of the 400 units originally planned, at times we ended up delivering up to 800 assemblies per month. This was made possible by cross-border teamwork between our Austrian and Slovakian sites, well-integrated processes and the longstanding experience of our workforce“, Doujac stresses.

PRECISION ENGINEERING
The project proved quite demanding also from a manufacturing point of view. “The accurate adjustment of mechanical precision components was particularly challenging. Even minimal deviations can have an impact on measurement quality. Therefore, we rely on well-defined test processes, trained teams and documented quality controls throughout the entire manufacturing process“, Doujak explains. In addition, an optimal supply chain network was put in place, consisting partly of existing suppliers of the customer and partly of new ones from the WILD Group‘s supplier network. At the same time, WILD worked together with EKF to review existing documentation, adapting it to the new supplier and manufacturing structures.

The fact that serial production could launch within a few months can also be attributed to the digital project transfer management system developed by WILD, which provides transparent mapping of all steps involved and facilitates collaboration across production sites.

In addition to high process safety, EKF emphasises the quality of daily coordination in particular: “Short reaction times, direct communication and a high level of commitment guarantee that everything runs smoothly. Collaboration is open, personal, and solution-oriented. This common understanding of values makes WILD a perfect fit for us, not only from a technical but also from a cultural point of view“, says Novak.

This cooperation is already going a step further: For its next generation of devices, EKF intends to involve the technology partner in development as well, among other things in the reworking of the system‘s measurement path.