Smithstown Light Engineering Ltd, a medical manufacturing company based in Shannon, Ireland, is celebrating its 50th anniversary. From its humble beginnings as a toolmaking business with just four employees, it has grown to operate three manufacturing sites and employ over 165 people. Known for working with leading medical device and orthopaedic companies, Smithstown relies heavily on Open Mind Technologies’ hyperMILL CAD/CAM suite to improve productivity and efficiency.
Originally focused on producing plastic injection moulds for the electronics industry, Smithstown made a strategic shift to medical manufacturing in 1990. This move proved successful, and the company has expanded to include two sites in Shannon covering 80,000 square feet and a 15,000 square foot facility in Poland. Approximately 75% of their technology is less than five years old, and the company is certified in ISO: 9001, ISO:13485, and ISO:14001. Their high-tech equipment includes Citizen sliding-head turning centres, Rollomatic, Jung, and Jones & Shipman grinding centres, DMG Mori and Mikron machining centres, Trumpf 3-D additive manufacturing, and Makino EDM technology.
Smithstown provides a full-service solution for its clients, including Stryker, Boston Scientific, Zimmer Biomet, and Cook Medical. The company handles everything from concept design to prototyping, machining, and validation of medical components and orthopaedic implants. With over 14 million components produced annually, Smithstown places a strong emphasis on quality control, which is critical for the ultra-precision parts used in life-saving surgeries.
Gerard Henn, CEO of Smithstown Light Engineering, has been with the company for nearly three years. He works closely with the principal director to manage operations. Reflecting on the company’s history, Henn said, “Smithstown started in 1974, and today we are experts in precision machining to the highest quality standards. We take pride in supporting our customers through both challenges and successes.”
Henn also shared why Smithstown chose to implement hyperMILL: “There are many options available, but Open Mind Technologies made it easy for us to move forward with hyperMILL. The features and capabilities of the system—particularly its machining strategies and cutting paths—really suited our needs. The partnership with Open Mind has been incredibly valuable for us.”
One of Henn’s key goals upon joining Smithstown was to address the shortage of skilled engineers by upskilling the existing workforce. He added, “Open Mind was very supportive and understood our objectives. This positive relationship has helped us achieve our goals, and I would recommend Open Mind to any company looking to upskill their internal teams.”
Smithstown operates primarily in the medical sector, supporting orthopaedic and medical device companies in Ireland and globally. The company also produces instrumentation for medical procedures, further solidifying its focus on the healthcare industry.
With over 200 employees across two sites in Shannon and a third facility in Rzeszów, Poland, Smithstown continues to grow and innovate. Henn explained, “We have two sites here in Shannon, located just 1km apart, and a third site in Poland. We’ve also recently announced a major expansion there.”
The company is continuously improving its manufacturing processes. Henn explained, “Process development is iterative. We optimize machining and cutting processes, ensuring that dimensions are checked both on the machine and against virtual CAD models. Thanks to Open Mind’s support, we’ve gained a deep understanding of hyperMILL. This knowledge, combined with our efforts to upskill, allows us to deliver parts to specification faster, which is exactly what our customers want. Collaboration across all teams is key to our success.”
