CNC MACHINING FOR THE MEDICAL INDUSTRY: THE PRESCRIPTION

Meeting the Challenges of Medical Machining.

In 2022, there was a 14% increase in hip and knee replacements over the previous year. As the average age of the population of the USA and other developed nations increases, so does the demand for a wide range of orthopedic implants, surgical instruments, medical molds, and other medical devices.

But machining components for the medical industry can be a challenging endeavor. Here are four things to keep in mind when evaluating new opportunities in the medical machining field.

Growth is expected. So is change.

As procedures increase, manufacturers will develop new and innovative products to deliver better outcomes and maintain their competitive edge. Suppliers of machined medical components must be ready to meet the demands for increased volumes, multiple part sizes, and more frequent part design changes. Flexibility in both machining technology and processes is key.

Exotic materials are commonplace.

Materials used in implants, surgical tools, and other medical devices face demands that products in other industries do not. They must meet strict mechanical and biocompatibility requirements, and stainless steels, titanium, cobalt alloys, magnesium, ceramics, polymers, and composites are all on the (surgical) table. Understanding the ins-and-outs of machining a wide range of materials—and having the equipment to machine them—is essential for getting ahead.

Surface finishes are critical.

Medical implants, surgical tools, and molds for medical devices all demand high-quality surface finishes. The right machines, controls, workholding, tooling, and cutting strategies can reduce or eliminate the need for secondary finishing processes, helping medical machining shops to deliver precise parts profitably.

Get it done in one.

With extremely tight dimensional accuracy requirements and the above mentioned surface finish challenges, multiple part setups can be a quality and productivity killer. Thankfully, there are a wide range of machine tools, from 5-axis machining centers to swiss-style lathes, with advanced tooling that can produce some of the most complex parts in a single setup.