When it comes to casting a metal part for medical applications, only a few metals could commonly be used, which include stainless steel, titanium, tantalum, platinum and palladium. Compared to stainless steel, these other materials are rare precious metals, and significantly more expensive. That makes stainless steel casting the most cost effective alternative for medical devices.
There are certain criteria that the medical part must meet the standard of stainless steel casting. First, the stainless steel grade must be castable enough that it can be shaped into the desired dimensions.
Next, the stainless steel casting also must allow for a smooth surface, usually achieved through passivation or electropolishing. This means the instrument can be easily cleaned, which is of paramount importance in a medical setting. It’s not enough that the surface looks clean, but it must also not harbor any bacteria.
There is one important note that any manufacturer of medical devices must be aware of. In some cases, there is evidence that a small percentage of patients may have something like an allergic reaction to a metal’s chemistry such as stainless steel.
About Stainless Steel Casting
Stainless steel casting in China is a time-tested lost wax investment casting technique. It involves the creation of a three-dimensional wax pattern to make a mold. After completing the mold, we melt the wax inside and pours molten metal into the cavity. When the stainless steel hardens, our worker removes the investment to reveal the cast part.
Stainless steel casting is an excellent option for medical components because it produces a smooth surface finish along with the ability to achieve tight tolerances. It is ideal for intricate designs and offers the consistency needed for medical device applications. Lots of medical parts used in various types of hospital and clinic equipment are made via stainless steel investment casting process.
Benefits of Stainless Steel Casting for the Medical Industry:
- Manufacture complex shapes for sensitive applications with great dimensional accuracy
- The ability to use stainless steel of different grades that may be difficult to machine
- Improved surface texture to promote bone integration
- The creation of smooth, seamless components that require little to no machining
- Efficient method to manufacture parts
- Tight tolerances
- Castings are available in a variety of sizes and wall thicknesses
CFS Stainless Steel Casting for Medical Applications
CFS Stainless Steel Foundry is the professional stainless steel investment casting manufacturer in China, we have over 30 years of experience in stainless steel casting and uses stringent process controls to produce components for the medical applications. We work with different stainless steels and incorporate the highest level of precision into all our investment casting processes.
In addition to medical stainless steel casting, we offer secondary services including heat treating, machining and non-destructive testing. Our casting foundry will handle all aspects of your projects and performs many of our services in-house for quality control and shorter lead times.
Parts of Medical Equipments that Use Stainless Steel Casting:
- Operating tables
- Operating instruments
- X-ray machines
- MRI machines
- Stretchers
- Wheelchairs
- Implantable components
- Devices that stabilize injuries
- Shields
- Heatsinks
- Pumps components
- Filter components
- Connectors
- Ultrasound machines
- Apheresis equipment
- Whole blood oximeters
- Hemodynamic monitoring equipment
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