A nitinol-based components manufacturer recently launched the High-Performance Nitinol Tubing Center of Excellence in response to increasing market demand for High-Performance Nitinol Tubing in challenging medical applications.
Confluent Medical (formerly Nitinol Devices & Components “NDC”) expects the center to support Nitinol component manufacturers for applications such as Transcatheter Heart Valves, Neurovascular, Electrophysiology, and Interventional Pulmonary.
The High-Performance Nitinol Tubing Center of Excellence has world-class internal capabilities that include high purity ELI Nitinol material; a wide range of Nitinol tubing sizes and tolerances; precise Nitinol tubing processes; and superior surface finish.
In furnaces and ovens all over the world, most of the material being heat-treated at 1000°F or above is metal or a metal alloy, with a fair percentage being other materials like glass and ceramics.
Thermal processing is used to heat other materials, as well, though, as we all know, but perhaps one of the most unusual purposes is found at the source article for Heat Treat Today’sBest of the Web feature for today.
Our story focuses on researchers who have developed an annealing process for eumelanin, an electrically conductive type of melanin — yes that natural chemical pigment that gives color to our eyes, hair, and skin, and which protects our skin from harmful radiation, yet which also can lead to cancer. Vacuum heating films of eumelanin at 1112°F (600°C) modifies its properties and makes it more useful for modern biotechnology applications and perhaps even to create devices to help treat Parkinson’s, control artificial limbs, and more.
The researchers have published their findings in an article titled, “Evidence of Unprecedented High Electronic Conductivity in Mammalian Pigment Based Eumelanin Thin Films After Thermal Annealing in Vacuum” in the journal Frontiers in Chemistry.
A development and manufacturing services provider to medical technology and devices industries recently broke ground on a new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility located in Hudson, Wisconsin, with completion expected in late 2019 to mid-2020.
Phillips-Medisize, a Molex company, announced the new site is expected to support at least 230,000-sq. ft. of manufacturing space for FDA-regulated products. Founded in the town of Phillips, Wisconsin, over 50 years ago, Phillips-Medisize has multiple manufacturing sites around the world, including facilities for heat treating equipment such as continuous debind and sintering furnaces, batch furnaces, dedicated metal injection molding equipment, and metallurgical lab capabilities.
Matt Jennings, CEO and President, Phillips-Medisize
This new Phillips-Medisize facility will be situated on a 34-acre site in St. Croix Meadows development, representing the company’s single largest operation in Wisconsin with opportunity to expand.
“We are proud to invest in growing Phillips-Medisize’s manufacturing presence in our founding state of Wisconsin,” stated Matt Jennings, CEO and President, Phillips-Medisize. “Hudson has been home to Phillips-Medisize for the past 36 years, so we are excited to reinforce our commitment to the vibrant community with our St. Croix Meadows facility. We expect to support over 250 employment opportunities for area residents in jobs, ranging from skilled manufacturing to engineering. It also reaffirms our commitment to better serve customers as a global end-to-end provider of innovation, development and manufacturing solutions.”
“The St. Croix Meadows redevelopment is aimed at transforming the riverfront community,” said Hudson Mayor Rich O’Connor, who hosted the groundbreaking ceremony. “By creating employment opportunities with Phillips-Medisize, I hope to encourage young people to stay in Hudson.”
Groundbreaking of new manufacturing site for Phillips-Medisize in the St Croix Meadows area of Hudson, Wisconsin.
Phillips-Medisize is a provider of innovation, development and manufacturing solutions in pharmaceutical, diagnostic, medical device and specialty commercial market segments.
Photo caption: St. Croix Meadows developer Klint Klaas, Phillips-Medisize Vice President Dave Thoreson, and Mayor Rich O’Connor turn over soil at the ceremonial groundbreaking for Phillips-Medisize.
Nikhil Gupta, associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at NYU Tandon
Researchers at three professional schools within a U.S. university recently collaborated in the development and testing of a heat-tempering process involving magnesium alloys that leads to stronger and less breakdown in the body following surgical fixation procedures, such as knee replacements and jaw implants.
The Tandon School of Engineering, New York University, along with NYU School of Medicine and NYU Dentistry, reported on the tests of a magnesium alloy that was subjected to a process called T-5 tempering, involving heating at 210 degrees Celsius for 48 hours.
“In our lab, we put both as-cast and the heat-treated alloy in a solution of sodium chloride to simulate body fluid environments. Not surprisingly, the as-cast version corroded a lot. However, the heat-treated version did not corrode at all,” said Nikhil Gupta, associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at NYU Tandon. “What we have discovered is that by employing heat treatment we can change the alloy completely from a degradable, resorbable structure to one that doesn’t degrade over time. In essence, heat treatment makes magnesium behave, in vitro and in vivo, more like titanium.”
Two projects involving controls upgrades were recently completed at a Dayton, Ohio-based, heat treating company that serves the medical supplies industry, as well as automotive, defense, firearms, and construction sectors.
Super Systems Inc. (SSi), located in Cincinnati, Ohio, announced two upgrade projects at American Heat Treating in Dayton, Ohio. Controls were upgraded on a Beavermatic integral quench furnace that included a Series 9205 with a 12.1” HMI for atmosphere and temperature control and datalogging, a Series 804 for oil quench temperature control (heating and cooling), and other ancillary items. A second project included a controls retrofit of a Lindberg 3000 SCFH endothermic generator with an SSi AutoGen control system.
“Our long-range plan was to upgrade the controls on the Beavermatic, but when the old controller failed without notice, Super Systems jumped into action and did the complete upgrade project quickly,” said Van Hatcher, Instrument Technician and project leader at American Heat Treating. “Our endothermic generator has been operating with the new SSi AutoGen controls with no issues since commissioning. We look forward to the operating cost savings that come with the automated turndown features.”
Dogs come in all shapes, sizes, and colors, and in the case of certain breeds, they are also prone to higher incidences of hereditary defects, deformities, or infirmities.
Dr. Kevin Parsons, an orthopedic veterinarian, Langford Vets
Small dogs can present particular health issues that are a challenge to correct because their size and weight offer little to no margin for error. In dachshunds and Shih Tzus, abnormal bone growth can sometimes cause their front paws to point outwards. And pugs, and other breeds with corkscrew tails, are susceptible to spinal problems caused by misshapen bones. Fortunately, if diagnosed in time, these conditions can be treated with surgery, but with such small animals, corrective surgery to drill and cut bones, stabilize vertebrae or reposition limbs is a laborious and intricate process.
Two animal specialists from Britain, Dr. Kevin Parsons, an orthopaedic vet based at the small animal hospital at Langford Vets, in Bristol, and a former colleague Tom Shaw a neurosurgeon, now at Willows Veterinary Centre and Referral Service in Solihull are pushing the boundaries of additive manufacturing in veterinary science and are applying it to both scenarios. They have been exploring the world of 3D-printed anatomical guides and titanium implants, manufactured on a GE Additive Arcam EBM Q10plus in South Wales, as a means to provide animals suffering from malformation an opportunity to live longer, pain-free lives.
Integral to Langford Vets’ additive journey has been its partnership with Swansea-based CBM Wales (CBM) – a commercially focused advanced research, product development and batch manufacturing facility, established by the University of Wales Trinity Saint David.
Dr. Ffion O’Malley, CBM Wales
Dr. Ffion O’Malley and an experienced team of additive manufacturing designers and engineers at Swansea-based CBM Wales (CBM) — a commercially focused advanced research, product development and batch manufacturing facility, established by the University of Wales Trinity Saint David — oversee production of bespoke surgical guides (either in polymer or metal) and titanium implants to match exactly to each individual patient’s anatomy to restore mechanical and/or aesthetical functions. Each implant design, follows precise specifications from the Langford Vets’ surgical team, using CT or MRI diagnostic imaging data.
Diagnosis: Topsey (pictured above), at aged one, was diagnosed by Tom Shaw with hind limb weakness caused by a severe spinal malformation. CBM Wales were briefed to produce a stabilisation implant required to work in conjunction with a surgical drilling guide.
Surgical Guide: Five drill cylinders were used to guide the pilot drill to achieve the correct trajectories. The bone bound surface of this surgical guide contoured the spinal anatomy so that it located and fit accurately onto the bone.
Implant: Ten screw holes were designed onto the implant and located in the same position as the drill cylinders to achieve the correct trajectories. The bone bound surface of this Titanium implant contoured the spinal anatomy so that it located and fit accurately onto the bone.
The Q10plus is particularly well-suited for medical implant manufacture and has been developed for easy powder handling and fast turnaround times. The EBM process takes place in a vacuum and at elevated temperatures, which results in stress-relieved implants with properties better than cast and comparable to wrought materials.
The bespoke implants are built in Titanium Ti6Al4V ELI, which is certified to the USP Class VI standard for biocompatibility and is extensively used for FDA and CE marked implants. CBM has ISO 9001:2015 certification for the provision of a design, prototyping and small batch manufacturing service and ISO 13485:2016 & EN ISO 13485:2016 certification for the design and manufacture of custom made 3D-printed surgical guides and implants.
A global leader in materials manufacturing, headquartered in Windsor, Berkshire, United Kingdom, has recently shortened lead time for its braze alloy service in the U.S., specifically in support of mission critical components used in aerospace, medical and industrial applications.
Morgan Advanced Materials, which manufactures specialist products, using carbon, advanced ceramics, and composites, announced that its Braze Alloys business has enhanced service for customers using its braze alloy solutions. The FTSE 250 company can provide precious and non-precious braze alloys, pre-sintered preforms (PSPs), and braze inhibitors like Stopyt, that prevent the unwanted flow of molten brazing filler metals.
Braze Alloys manufactures braze alloys in configurations that are specific to customers’ requirements. A large number of assemblies that are made using Morgan materials are designed to tight specifications, while the alloys themselves can be developed to suit requirements. Many applications of braze alloys are used in research and development projects and information and data are needed quickly for small-run orders. To facilitate this urgency from contract braze houses, Morgan has created a dedicated resource to handle these inquiries, while reducing lead times on commonly used alloys.
Adam Ebert, Business Development Manager at Morgan’s Braze Alloys Business
“One of Morgan’s strongest competencies is its superior materials research and development. This is a key reason for why our braze alloys are so popular and trusted,” said Adam Ebert, Business Development Manager at Morgan’s Braze Alloys Business. “We’re keen to continue delivering our knowledge and our braze alloys in as quick a timeframe as possible. This has seen us reduce our lead times on some of the most common braze alloy products, including our popular Nioro alloys, as well as gold-copper alloys and copper-silver alloys. We’re now aiming for a three-day turnaround on any product across the whole of the US.”
Morgan launched its Metals and Joining Center of Excellence (CoE), located in Hayward, California, in October 2017 to deliver new material science and process solutions.
A medical device design, development, and manufacturing company recently announced plans to acquire an innovative biomaterials and OEM company that develops and commercializes silicon nitride for various biomedical applications including orthopedic, dental and arthroplasty.
Amedica Corporation announced that it has entered into an asset purchase agreement with CTL Medical, based in Dallas, Texas, medical device manufacturer with in-house manufacturing facilities that focuses on the spine implant and instrument market. The agreement will make CTL Medical the exclusive owner of Amedica’s portfolio of metal and silicon nitride spine products, with access to future silicon nitride spine technologies.
Dr. Sonny Bal, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Amedica
As part of the up to $10 million transaction, CTL Medical will acquire Amedica’s entire existing inventory of spine products, including US and OUS regulatory clearances and intellectual property related to such. Amedica’s products, which are presently sold under the brand names of Taurus, Preference, and Valeo will be transferred to CTL Medical, while manufacturing, R&D, and all intellectual property related to the core biomaterial technology of silicon nitride will remain with Amedica in Salt Lake City. Amedica will serve as CTL’s exclusive OEM provider of silicon nitride products.
Following the purchase, CTL Medical will change its name to CTL Amedica. Amedica will re-position under a new name that is reflective of the breadth of its technology and potential applications.
“The transaction makes strategic sense, by monetizing our commercial spine sales organization and allowing Amedica to focus on its core biomaterials and OEM business,” said Dr. Sonny Bal, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Amedica. “The addition of a highly-differentiated silicon nitride and metal product line to CTL Medical’s complete offering of spine surgery implants and instruments will benefit both companies, as well as our surgeon customers. Amedica’s products and scientific data have established that silicon nitride resists bacteria, promotes bone healing, and has superior clinical outcomes. CTL Medical is best positioned to profitably leverage these advantages in the retail spine market.”
CTL Medical produces a full line of cervical, thoracic, and lumbar products (hence “CTL”) at its manufacturing headquarters in Dallas, Texas.
Canadian and Russian medical science technology researchers have been collaborating on a project to develop an industrial technology for the production of metal rod stocks used for creating modern bone implants, particularly for implants to treat spinal problems such as scoliosis. They recently published the success of their work — which includes a form of heat treating.
Vadim Sheremetyev, one of the research authors and a senior research associate at NUST MISIS. (Photo supplied by NUST MISIS)
Scientists at the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) MISIS (Moscow, Russia) along with colleagues from the Ecole de Technologie Superiore (Montreal, Canada), announced the development of a new combination of alloy processing that produces solid and durable implants that are fully compatible with the human body. The research article is published in the Journal of Alloys and Compounds.
“The working material of this new generation of alloys is based on Ti-Zr-Nb (titanium-zirconium-niobium), which possesses so-called superelasticity, meaning it can restore its original shape against large and repeated deformation. Ti-Zr-Nb is also noted for its high mechanical strength and resistance to corrosion.”
“Our method of combined thermomechanical processing of alloys — in particular, radial-displacement rolling and rotary forging — allows researchers to get the highest quality blanks for biocompatible implants by controlling their structure and properties. Such processing of blanks gives them an outstanding resistance to fatigue and overall functional stability,” said Vadim Sheremetyev, one of the research authors and a senior research associate at NUST MISIS.
A medical devices design and manufacturing firm recently expanded its Electrochemical Grinding (ECG) technology, enabling it to provide more robust processing of harder materials such as spring-tempered steel and heat-treated stainless steel.
Cadence Inc, which is headquartered in Staunton, Virginia, installed its latest equipment for processing profile grinding- shavers and related products at the company’s Cranston, Rhode Island, facility. The expansion incorporates high precision, burr-free grinding with CNC control
“This latest technology allows us to produce high precision, burr-free point grinding, as well as complex geometries with a cost-effective process for our customers,” stated John Rose, Senior Project Engineer at Cadence RI. “Some of our current operations such as tube cutting, stylet notch cuts, and trocar tip forms are now burr free in one efficient process.”
The new ECG technology also allows grinding to extremely tight tolerances and very low cutting forces for thin wall parts. Furthermore, Cadence can cut almost all types of metals burr-free with this new technology.
In addition to medical devices, Cadence manufactures life science and industrial products.
