Fastening and pressing equipment have been used to assemble medical devices for decades, and that's not likely to change anytime soon.

There are many ways to run a custom machine building business. Some systems integrators are dedicated to a particular industry, such as auto parts manufacturing. Others specialize in a particular kind of assembly machine, such as high-speed continuous motion systems.

Engineers have many options for joining identical or similar materials. To join, say, a steel part to another steel part, engineers can use screws, rivets, welds, adhesives, clinches or press-fits.

Over its 30-year history, Bovie Medical Corp. has gone from making disposable penlights to becoming the largest manu-facturer of battery-operated cauteries in the world. The company manufactures products for some of the largest medical OEMs in the United States.