How Benson Clinical Viscometers Uses Qimtek to Fast Track the Procurement of Bespoke Medical Components

Background Benson Viscometers is a UK medical device manufacturer of clinical viscometers, including the BV1 and BV200 analysers used by NHS and private hospitals, laboratories and research facilities. Each viscometer contains hundreds of bespoke components, ranging from metal or plastic CNC machined parts and 3D printed components.

The production and purchasing departments manage stock for the day-to-day flow of parts needed to keep builds on track. With every machine requiring so many unique components, they needed a sourcing method that could support low-volume but high-mix production and ensure long-term consistency across devices to be able to continually deliver quality products. 

The Challenge

Most orders that Benson places must come with at least three quotes, which is a requirement driven by internal procedures. When a single viscometer contains hundreds of unique components, gathering those quotes becomes time consuming.

Benson also requires suppliers who are able to provide component and material traceability documentation, ISO 9001 certification, willingness to sign NDA’s quickly and able to offer reliability for long-term continuity. The team needed a way to streamline the process  which Qimtek was able to offer. 

“Our clinical viscometers contain multiple parts that sourcing manufacturers and components used to take significant time and resources. For us here at Benson Viscometers, quality and consistency are everything.”  - Benson

The Solution

Qimtek provided Benson with exactly what they needed, a fast, safe and compliant way to find trusted UK manufacturers for small-batch medical components.

The team uploads drawings and specifications through the Drag, Drop, Source feature, and instead of hours of outreach, she receives multiple relevant quotes within 24 to 48 hours from UK subcontractors with the right capabilities.

“We upload a drawing or email it over to Aaron, our account manager, and the quotes start coming in. This used to be a manual process that could take days, but Qimtek streamlined this process for us.” - Benson 

The ability to filter suppliers by ISO certification and NDA acceptance gave Benson’s the confidence that the suppliers receiving their CAD files were appropriate for sensitive medical work. Benson always requires an NDA before any drawings are shared, and managing this manually used to be an extremely time-consuming process.

“We always need an NDA in place before we can send drawings. Finding suitable companies and gathering NDAs would take time that Qimtek’s electronic NDA process has made simple and efficient."  - Benson

The Results

Using Qimtek has transformed the way Benson sources bespoke components.

What once required hours of research, supplier outreach and spreadsheet work can now be completed in minutes. Quotes arrive quickly, decisions are clearer and everything remains well organised for internal review.

Most importantly, Benson has been able to build long-term, reliable supplier relationships, all discovered through Qimtek, which gives them confidence when manufacturing equipment that must be accurate, safe and medically compliant.

“We find the process is user friendly and convenient. Qimtek is simple, reliable and the support has been excellent. It has opened new ways for us to manufacture our products”  - Benson

Building long-term supplier relationships

Once a supplier proves reliable, Benson will often work with them directly for repeat orders. However, when tight lead times arise or existing suppliers are at capacity, Benson simply puts the project through Qimtek to explore additional options. This is how they originally found 3D printing companies who not only met our urgent deadlines but also introduced Benson to the idea of 3D printed components that had traditionally been CNC machined. 

“Qimtek has helped us source components quickly more than once. We have found great 3D printing companies who have give us fantastic turnaround time and quality when we need it most” - Benson

Benson has found several key suppliers through Qimtek and these companies have been able to provide ongoing small-batch precision parts, offering the reliability and on-time deliveries that Benson absolutely depends on to keep production running smoothly.

“Communication is important to us, we expect our suppliers to keep open lines of communication, provide up to date feedback and deliver when they say they will. With Qimtek we deal directly with the suppliers from the start. ” - Benson

Summary

Benson uses Qimtek to:

• Source bespoke metal and plastic components
   
• Quickly find ISO-certified and NDA-ready UK suppliers
   
• Save significant sourcing time and improve production flow
   
• Communicate directly with suppliers for technical clarity
   
• Build long-term partnerships with trusted manufacturers
   
• Receive reliable project support from their account manager
  
  

For medical device manufacturers facing similar challenges, Benson Viscometers experience shows how Qimtek offers a fast, safe and highly efficient way to source bespoke components, even in low-volume and high-mix environments.

“Qimtek gives you confidence. The suppliers are compliant, the NDA process is simple, and you get the quotes you need quickly.” - Benson