The CNC machining industry has been around for decades and serves many industries, but the medical industry is one of the last to adopt computer numerical control (CNC) technology. In the early days, CNC machining first gained widespread adoption in the aerospace and defense industries. At the same time, the medical industry was still using manual lathes and bench tools to make parts.
Times have changed. CNC machining has become the core, first-choice technology for medical parts machining. It is used in almost everything from medical parts to highly specialized laboratory automation components.
Why use CNC machining to manufacture medical parts
CNC machining services mainly make these special materials into complex shapes and sizes that meet the requirements according to customer drawings and actual needs. Some accessories are even implanted in the human body, so these workpieces must meet extremely stringent precision requirements and require the workpiece surface to be quite smooth without burrs and stripes.
However, CNC machining mainly uses computer software to guide the movement of machinery and other tools. This can better control the function of the tool and reduce the risk of human error due to less human involvement. It is also compatible with a variety of materials, enabling it to meet the various material requirements of different medical applications. Compared with other manufacturing methods, the benefits include cost-effectiveness and shorter turnaround time.
CNC machining has a mature and detailed manufacturing process, various processing techniques and treatment methods, and even extremely hard materials can be turned into smooth instruments that meet the requirements. It can even design each seamless part according to the drawing to assemble it into a large instrument in the right way to achieve the best performance of the instrument. Because medical device parts have higher requirements for workpiece materials, processing accuracy, and surface finish, it also means that precision machining capabilities need to be taken to the next level.
Certification requirements for CNC machining medical parts
If a company wants to meet the requirements for manufacturing medical parts, CNC machining companies must meet two basic requirements: ISO 9001 quality and ISO13485 certification. If medical parts are manufactured for other countries, they must meet local requirements and comply with the standards of the International Organization for Standardization. According to the regulations of international organizations, companies involved in the design, production, development, distribution or service of medical parts must demonstrate the ability to provide medical devices that consistently meet customer and regulatory requirements. For this purpose, the standard used is ISO 13485, which is the only way to obtain the recognition of the most important regulatory agencies and conduct related business smoothly.
Requirements for CNC Processors of Medical Parts
Manufacturers using CNC machining must take many steps in addition to complying with all standards and certifications. The basic requirements for meeting the requirements of medical CNC machining are:
(1) Precision machining equipment with very tight tolerances
(2) 4-axis and 5-axis machining that can process complex geometries
(3) Very high cleanliness requirements, especially in the manufacture of implants, where the surface finish of various manufacturing materials, from stainless steel to medical plastics, is the highest
(4) A complete production quality management system
Another potential requirement is. Medical device components are usually very demanding in terms of the materials used, machining accuracy and surface finish, which places high demands on the high reliability of the machining system. Therefore, there are also extremely high requirements for machine tools, fixtures, cutting tools and CAM software.
Common Applications of CNC Machining of Medical Parts
Manufacturing Medical Implants
One of the most important applications of CNC machining of medical parts is the manufacturing and production of body implants. The advantages are short response time, no tooling costs, and guaranteed quality when mass-producing customized implants. Generally speaking, CNC machined implants are usually made of titanium and cobalt-chrome alloys and special plastics such as PEEK. These materials are not only strong but also meet biocompatibility regulations. Because they do not break down in the human body and are not easily corroded. The most common CNC machined implants are hip, spine and knee implants.
Manufacturing Surgical Instruments
CNC technology can process medical professionals to manufacture surgical instruments. These include: surgical scissors, biopsy tubes, cutters, forceps, clamps and many other instruments. The reason for choosing CNC machining to manufacture such instruments is that it can provide the necessary machining accuracy and meet the necessary safety requirements required for medical parts. Therefore, medical device manufacturers can use CNC machining to mass-produce commonly used tools or customize special tools. The most widely used materials for manufacturing surgical instruments are stainless steel and titanium alloys.
Manufacturing parts for electronic medical devices
CNC machining can manufacture parts for devices that are more complex than surgical instruments, which are usually made of one or two metal parts.
Medical devices contain many individual parts, and the requirements for part processing accuracy and quality stability are very high. Therefore, medical device manufacturers usually prefer CNC machining technology to customize related parts. Medical devices that use CNC machining parts include: ultrasound equipment, magnetic resonance imaging, diagnostic equipment, monitors, etc.
Related materials suitable for medical applications
- Magnesium alloy: fast heat dissipation, light weight, good rigidity, certain corrosion resistance and dimensional stability, impact resistance, wear resistance, good attenuation performance, easy to recycle; in addition, it has high thermal conductivity and electrical conductivity, non-magnetic, good shielding, non-toxic and other characteristics.
- Aluminum alloy: has the characteristics of low density, good mechanical properties, good processing performance, non-toxic, easy to recycle, electrical conductivity, heat transfer, corrosion resistance, etc.
- Stainless steel: beautiful surface, diverse uses; good corrosion resistance, longer durability than ordinary steel; good corrosion resistance; high strength, so it is very likely to use thin plates; high temperature oxidation resistance and high strength, so good fire resistance.
- Magnesium alloy: Magnesium alloy is a proprietary material developed by the Institute for the manufacture of complex product parts as small as 0.025mm. .
- Microfluidics: Watershed (similar to ABS) and Accula 60 (similar to PC) are transparent materials that can be used for microfluidic components and transparent components such as lenses and housings.
- Medical Alloys: Between machined and die-cast metals and sheet metal, there are more than 20 metal materials to choose from for medical components, instruments, and other applications. Metals such as Fe-Cr-Ni alloys provide high-temperature resistance, while various stainless steel materials provide corrosion resistance and strength.
Conclusion
The manufacturing process of CNC machining is essential to the medical industry because of its perfect precision, material versatility, and speed. It can be used in everything from manufacturing surgical tools to hip implants and numerous medical applications. Many specialized medical machine shops manufacture parts through CNC machining processes. This is due to the need to manufacture parts with very tight tolerances and safe and compatible materials. In addition, they are able to manufacture parts that meet all international requirements and standards.
CNC machining is used due to the desirable characteristics of this type of manufacturing, which requires tight tolerances and perfect levels of precision. Any shop with a machining machine can manufacture medical parts that meet the set requirements.
Work with Elimold
Elimold CNC machining factory can process medical parts commonly used: speed sensor probe housing, medical sensor probe housing, medical device anal plug, blood pressure meter valve parts, medical device copper valve and other medical device parts.
As long as you have medical parts that need custom processing, Elimold’s team can help. Our team of experts can talk you through your part design drawings and help you choose the best process for your project. As a trusted CNC machining partner, Elimold not only improves quality through part manufacturability analysis and improvement, but also provides high-quality parts through CNC machining equipment based on routers, lathes, drills and milling machines. Contact us now to get started.