Complex geometries of implantable devices, exacting requirements of surgical instrumentation, and the high standards required by diagnostic equipment call for surface finishing results that go above and beyond what is possible with traditional techniques.
We have been processing medical components for over 25 years and have a wealth of experience, providing solutions to healthcare, medical devices, and pharmaceutical industries.
We process FDA and EU-cleared devices on our manufacturing sites and understand the complexity and quality requirements related to doing so.
The proven shaping, deburring and polishing results delivered by our Extrude Hone® processes are especially well-suited to meet the surface finishing needs of the medical device industry.
WHY IS SURFACE FINISHING IMPORTANT FOR MEDICAL EQUIPMENT ?
With patient safety depending on them, medical devices demand the highest design, quality, manufacturing, and reliability level for the best outcome.
Production benefits for medical applications
- Implant ECM machining to tight geometries
- Deburr and polish hard-to-reach internal areas, where other techniques fail
- Reduce wear
- Improve laminar flow quality.
- Improve functionality with smooth, low-friction surfaces
- Remove stress risers that could lead to component failure with improved durability
- Eliminate the hazard of loose metallic particles
- Enhance sterility of instruments for contamination prevention
- removing surface imperfections
- reducing roughness for improved cleanability
- eliminating sharp edges
- Achieve mirror finish surfaces when required
- Accomplish precise machining of intricate shapes
- Improve the surface finish of Additive Layer Manufactured (ALM) components
- Shape and finish devices in one single step
- Advanced finishing techniques for the intercondylar area (the central box section and cam)
- Automate deburring and surface finishing removes the manual processes and increases throughput.
Medical components & devices needing surface improvement
- Implantable devices
- Knee implants, the box and cam area machining
- Spinal implants
- Cardiovascular assistance devices (VAD’s) like tubes, stents, and valves
- Orthopedics other implants (bone screws, bone plates, bone anchor..)
- Additive Layer Manufactured (ALM) implant finishing.
- Medical instrumentation
- Chromatography tubes
- Ion-blocks for mass Spectroscopy machines
- Minimally invasive surgical instruments
- Pharmaceutical
- Surgical instruments
- Other devices
- Drug delivery manufacturing with tablet press tooling.
- Diagnostic, treatment, and sedation equipment.
- Medical bed motion improvement.
- Mask fabric process enhancement.
EXTRUDE HONE TECHNOLOGIES AND MACHINES FOR THE MEDICAL DEVICES INDUSTRY
Depending on your finishing requirements, the component geometry, the material, and the manufacturing process we have solutions for you.
Electrochemical machining and TEM for medical devices deburring
Electrochemical machining solves deburring, radiusing, or specific shaping on edges.
Electrochemical Machining is highly competitive against CNC machining for the CoCr knee implant intercondylar area (the central box section and the cam). ECM machining is fast and cost-effective because the material toughness does not matter to ECM.
When only deburring is required, Thermal Deburring may be adopted to remove burrs, flashing, and unwanted material in milliseconds. TEM-specific applications could also involve some thermoplastic materials. Not only is burr removal achieved, but also surface improvement.
Abrasive flow machining for medical device polishing
Abrasive Flow Machining is the mainstream process already qualified on numerous Medical Devices that are FDA-approved, most of them being implantable devices.
MICROFLOW belongs to the same family and is now available in a high-flow variation that should be considered if you have small passageways to be polished.
Contract shops for medical devices finishing
By the way, no need to invest, “LET US SO IT FOR YOU” and benefit from our Contract Shop offer.
3D animations covering our technologies and products.
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