Baltimore County Partnership Helps Potomac Change the World

Potomac is thrilled to have recently been featured on a new video from Baltimore County, highlighting recipients of the government-sponsored Boost Fund.  The flexible loan program is designed to help small businesses in growth industries by providing capital in order to increase employment in the County. But of course, our work in advanced manufacturing that helps us change the world is a unique story that captured Baltimore County’s imagination.

 

Using tools of the next industrial revolution such as laser micromachining and 3D Printing, Potomac is changing the world through new devices in the biotech, medical device and microfluidics industries.  Whether to fight cancer, detect concussions, provide point of care diagnostics or create drugs for personalized medicine, much or our work revolves around helping improve people’s lives.

 

Why Advanced Manufacturing?

In recent years there has been tremendous miniaturization of products in the medical field.  Implantable devices must be small enough to fit into the human body with minimal disruption to the entire human system. The latest work involves bringing drugs or micro-robots to the specific area of the body that needs treatment with pin-point accuracy, which also requires tiny delivery systems.

 

Potomac has the unique expertise to manufacture these new devices.  Working in sizes that are smaller than the 70 micron diameter of an average hair is normal on our factory floor.  We routinely drill holes, machine channels and complex patterns, and fabricate tiny parts using feature sizes as small as 1 micron.  In addition, we have the capabilities to do so with high precision, accuracy and repeatability to ensure quality control across the board.  With a toolbox that includes traditional manufacturing processes such as CNC machining beside new technologies such as 3D Printing and laser micromachining, we are always able to provide just the right tool for any specific job.

 

Workforce of the Future

Our employees really are the workforce of the future, utilizing advanced manufacturing tools and technologies today.  We have an active on-site training program, an apprenticeship program through Fab Lab Baltimore at the Community College of Baltimore County, and incentivize our staff to further their education.  Increasing the number of job opportunities in partnership with Baltimore County is as gratifying as helping patients with new medical devices.  We have been able to increase interest in STEM-related [Science Technology Engineering Math] jobs that according to a recent Baltimore study pay 61% more than jobs that require equal training in non-STEM fields.

 

We are grateful to participate in an innovative company that makes going to work every day rewarding!

 

You can watch the Baltimore County video interview with our CEO Mike Adelstein.  It also includes a tour of the Potomac advanced manufacturing plant with some examples of our life-changing applications.