Today’s Medical Developments

Titanium-Copper Alloy May Improve 3D Process for Medical, Aerospace Applications

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Source: Today’s Medical Developments

 

A new category of high-performance titanium-copper alloys for 3D printing is being considered for medical device, aerospace, and defense applications, and heat-treating may improve the process further.

In a collaborative project, leading researchers from RMIT University, CSIRO, the University of Queensland, and The Ohio State University studied the problem of titanium alloys being prone to cracking or distortion due to cooling and bonding together in column-shaped crystals during the 3D printing process. But a titanium-copper alloy developed by the research team seems to have solved this dilemma.

“Of particular note was its fully equiaxed grain structure,” said Professor Mark Easton from RMIT University’s School of Engineering in Today’s Medical Developments. “This means the crystal grains had grown equally in all directions to form a strong bond, instead of in columns, which can lead to weak points liable to cracking. Alloys with this microstructure can withstand much higher forces and will be much less likely to have defects, such as cracking or distortion, during manufacture.”

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CSIRO Senior Principal Research Scientist, Dr. Mark Gibson, says their findings also suggest similar metal systems could be treated in the same way to improve their properties.

“Titanium-copper alloys are one option, particularly if the use of other additional alloying elements or heat treatments can be employed to improve the properties further,” Gibson says. “But there are also a number of other alloying elements that are likely to have similar effects. These could all have applications in the aerospace and biomedical industries.”

 

Read more: “Adding Copper Strengthens 3D-Printed Titanium”

Main photo credit / caption: RMIT University / 3D-printed titanium-copper bars with titanium powder and copper powder.

Titanium-Copper Alloy May Improve 3D Process for Medical, Aerospace Applications Read More »

Nextremity Relocates Medical Device Manufacturing to Indiana

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Source:  Today’s Medical Developments

The global orthopedic worldwide market is about a $45 billion opportunity with a worldwide growth rate of around 9% while the foot and ankle sector – standing around $3 billion – is growing around 12% to 15% per year. Nextremity, a medical device manufacturer focusing on foot and ankles, recently relocated to Warsaw, Indiana, to be closer to its supply chain. Read more about this company and the medical device sector it serves.

Read more: Nextremity Solutions Medical Devices are All About the Foot and Ankle by Elizabeth Engler Modic

 

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Vapor Degreasing Re-Gaining Wider Heat Treat Acceptance

/ FEATURED NEWS, MEDICAL HEAT TREAT

  Source:  Today’s Medical Developments

Vapor degreasing has historically played a critical part in the heat treating process. When oils get on the parts, the parts often have to be cleaned. In the past, vapor degreasing was a very popular way of cleaning the parts, but it became an environmental issue because the solvents used were problematic. Other cleaning solutions were adopted but typically were not as effective as vapor degreasing.  Now vapor degreasing is making a comeback with less problematic solvents.  This article, although not dealing specifically with heat treating, will have a significant impact on heat treaters.

Read more:  Vapor Degreasing Returns for Medical Device Cleaning edited by Eric Brothers

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Medical Device Market’s Custom Solution – Magnesium

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  Source:  Today’s Medical Developments

Magnesium alloys, commonly used in aerospace, performance cars, and nuclear industries, are now being used in medical devices.  In fact, some magnesium alloys are replacing titanium and stainless steel in bone repair applications.

Read more: Medical Device Market’s Custom Solution by Paul Lyon and edited by Elizabeth Engler Modic

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Enhanced Properties for Bright 17-7 PH Stainless Steel

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  Source:  Today’s Medical Developments

Already extensively used in aerospace, semiaustenitic stainless steel 17-7 PH is finding new applications in the medical industry. The material is most often used in sheet and strip form, with springs, clips, and bellows being widely produced. The high alloy content of 17-7 provides excellent corrosion resistance, an attractive attribute to the medical industry.

Read more to find out how this material behaves after annealing at 1,950°F…….

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Metal Medical Miracles

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BOTW-50w  Source:  Today’s Medical Developments –

Many physical ailments would go untended if it weren’t for the metals and heat treatments used to repair us. Cobalt chrome alloys, titanium, stainless steel – these and a host of proprietary metals are used in knee and hip joint replacement, fusion cages that relieve pressure on ailing discs, pacemakers and pumps, and the screws and hardware that hold it all together.

Read More:  Metal Medical Miracles – Sandvik Coromant

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Laser Marking for Passivation and Corrosion Resistance

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BOTW-50w  Source:  Today’s Medical Developments

The most commonly used medical device materials are stainless steel 304 and 17-4. These materials have a natural passive corrosion-resistant layer, consisting of chromium oxide, which resists repeated sterilization and has an inert surface that will not react inside the body.

During the manufacturing process, multiple machining steps can remove or degrade this passive surface by embedding iron chips and particles into the surface. The material must then be put through passivation to rebuild the passive layer – removing iron from the part’s surface, which also removes potential corrosion sites.

The style of mark required by the medical device industry is called a dark or annealed mark. This mark does not remove any material from the part, avoiding any potential for any contamination to collect. When handling the part, the dark or annealed mark must not be able to be felt on the surface of the material. The heat input needed to build up this oxide layer tends to degrade the passive layer on the marked surface and can cause local migration of alloying elements.

Read More:  Laser Marking for Passivation and Corrosion Resistance by Geoff Shannon and Gary Firment

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NIST, Partners Create Standard to Improve Sustainable Manufacturing

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BOTW-50w  Source:  Today’s Medical Developments

“According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, manufacturing accounts for one-fifth of the annual energy consumption in the United States – approximately 21 quintillion joules (20 quadrillion BTU) or equivalent to 3.6 billion barrels of crude oil. To reduce this staggering amount and improve sustainability, manufacturers need to accurately measure and evaluate consumption of energy and materials, as well as environmental impacts, at each step in the life cycles of their products.”

Read More:  NIST, Partners Create Standard to Improve Sustainable Manufacturing

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