Medical Machining: Tooling

The $148 billion medical device market in the United States is the largest in the world and is expected to grow to $155 billion by 2017. Demand is high for contract manufacturers that can meet the machining, micro machining, and laser processing demands for smaller and more complex surgical implants, orthotic devices and medical instruments that are being made from newer materials. To help OEMs save time and money and get medical devices into the marketplace faster, contract shops must be able to deliver very small burr-free features (<50 microns) with tolerances as tight as ±1.0 micron that require no secondary processing. Here is some of the newest equipment and tooling that is available to help these shops quickly deliver accurate, dependable components that meet all validation and verification requirements – and still hold their costs down.

The World’s Smallest and Strongest Clamping System
The extremely thin VERO-S NSE mini pneumatic quick-change module from SCHUNK is ideal for retrofitting and fully utilizing existing machines to directly clamp and process small precision parts used in medical technology.

High Speed Air Power Spindle for Micro-Machining Medical Parts
Driven by air supplied through a stop block or through the machine spindle, the RBX12 Air Power Spindle from BIG KAISER achieves variable rotational speed of 100,000 rpm to 120,000 rpm so that normal machine tools can be upgraded cost effectively to perform micro-machining.

Grinding Wheel Arbor for Producing Shaped Bone Fragments in Surgical Grafting
Briney Tooling Systems developed a custom HSK50E balanceable grinding wheel arbor with a special anti-bacterial/viral chrome plating to meet demanding ISO 13485 requirements for medical OEMs and contract manufacturers.

Precision Hydraulic Chucks for Medical Manufacturing
High performance WTE Precision Hydraulic Chucks from ERI America provide extreme temperature stability, super strong holding forces combined with excellent vibration damping and high radial stiffness to guarantee improved surface qualities on the workpiece during machining.

Thread Whirl Toolholder for Complex Thread Production of Medical Bone Screws
An inexpensive alternative to dedicated thread whirling machines, this toolholder from EXSYS Tool is ideal for processing micro-components and machining high-precision OD threads in challenging materials with long, slender thread profiles.

Application Specific Thread Whirling Inserts in Less Than Three Weeks
GenSwiss offers quick delivery of Utilis inserts for thread whirling that improves thread surface finish and can be utilized for threads smaller than 12 mm diameter in medical devices.

Solid Carbide End Mills for High-Feed Milling
SN 200R/400R/500R solid carbide end mills with 2-, 4- and 5-flute options from Niagara Cutter allow medical parts manufacturers to achieve maximum productivity when performing face, slot and select plunge milling operations.

Versatile Milling of Small Features on Any Size Medical Component
The versatile CoroMill 390 end mill with size 07 inserts for small diameters from Sandvik Coromant is ideal for shoulder milling, deep shoulder milling, edging, linear and helical ramping, plunge milling, slot milling and face milling.

PVD Inserts for Medical Parts Made from Difficult to Machine Materials
Tiger·tec Silver PVD coated inserts from Walter USA efficiently machine stainless steel, high temperature alloys and other materials with challenging properties.