Medical & Healthcare

As a precision sheet metal machining technology, photo etching achieves exacting tolerances, is highly repeatable and in many instances is the only technology that can cost-effectively manufacture precision metal components with the accuracy necessary in demanding and often safety critical applications. Once design engineers select photo etching as their preferred metalworking process, it is important that they fully appreciate not just its versatility, but also the specific aspects of the technology that can affect—and in many instances enhance—product design. This article analyzes the key considerations that design engineers must appreciate to get the most from photo etching and benchmarks the process against other metal machining technologies.

GF Machining Solutions LLC, Lincolnshire, Ill., has named Ellison Technologies Inc., Los Angeles, as its distributor to serve customers in two regions in the upper Midwest.

Optoflash is the newest and fastest addition to the Marposs' optical measuring line and can measure small-size shafts, fasteners and dental implants. Its robust external structure allows the Optoflash to perform static and dynamic measurements in the production environment with the same quality as it does in the lab, according to the company.

For today's manufacturers of precision components, there's no getting around deburring, rounding and polishing. These production steps are often seen as a necessary evil due to the high costs associated with them in some cases. Use of the right technology permits reliable processing at reduced costs.

The 6 S system is a modified version of the lean manufacturing principle of 5 S. Developed by Taiichi Ohno, an industrial engineer for Toyota, lean production is a systemic method designed to optimize the efficiency of a business. Lean was born from the more specialized Toyota Production System, which is a system that helped Toyota grow from a small automobile manufacturer when it was founded in 1937 to where it is today: one of the largest manufacturing conglomerates in the world.

Stents and tubes are used in countless medical devices and new ones are being added every day, fueled in part by the growth of minimally invasive surgery and the commonplace use of stents. The sheer number and diversity of devices is rapidly increasing – and with it, the demand for more and more laser cut stents; flexible tubing, cannulas and micro cannulas, needles, biopsy devices and other minimally invasive tools.

GF Machining Solutions says its new AgieCharmilles CUT P Series of wire EDMs provides users precise positioning and contouring capabilities for enhanced part quality and productivity. The CUT P 350/550/800/1250 machines feature efficient power generators, robust designs and intuitive human-machine interfaces (HMIs), as well as several automation options for lights-out operation.

Marposs offers its high-accuracy Mida Diamond touch probes, which feature piezo-electric technology and are designed for 5-axis machining centers and milling machines. These probes, available in optical or radio transmission styles, provide enhanced measurement performance on 3D surfaces with repeatability within 0.25 µm and are well-suited to industries where precision requirements are pushed to the limits daily, such as die and mold, aerospace, aeronautics and biomedical.