Medical Devices and Orthopaedic Implants
Many medical orthopaedic implants, such as hip and knee joints and dental implant screws are blasted to produce a precise keyed surface topography which improves adhesion of special coatings such as Hydroxyapatite to aid their integration into the bone surrounding the implantation site.
Additionally, automated grit blasting is often used to produce a ‘glint free’ satin finish to surgical instruments such as scalpels, forceps and scissors and by dental technicians for casting investment removal and micro deburring dental structures.
Automated shot peening system for medical implants
Guyson has designed, manufactured and installed into an international manufacturing company, a large automated, robot loaded, dual media shot peening system (above) for fatigue life enhancement, typically required on medical implant applications.
The system comprises two Guyson Multiblast® RXS900 automated blast systems; one for steel shot peening and one for glass bead peening, with robotic work piece transfer between the two blast systems. The computer-controlled process was designed to meet AMS2432 standards demanded by the client. This fully integrated process with traceable record keeping delivered increased capacity with less labour compared to the existing process.
Medical Component Cleaning
During manufacture, metal medical devices and implants are subjected to contaminants such as metal debris, polishing compounds, grinding fluids and general handling soils that remain on the surface or become trapped in holes and crevices.
Surface cleanliness also critically affects the success of subsequent procedures such as plating, PVD/CVD and ceramic coating and flame spraying. Ideally suited to a wide range of precision cleaning needs in the medical marketplace is the modular Microclean aqueous cleaning system (standard configuration is heated ultrasonic clean, rinse, rinse, warm air dry).
Additive Manufactured Medical Component
Guyson International has recently installed into Fusion Implants, a new hi-tech medical start-up enterprise, one of their Formula 1400 blast cabinets, together with a benchtop ultrasonic bath for surface finishing and ultrasonically cleaning their 3D printed parts which are used during veterinary implant procedures. Fusion Implants takes full advantage of all the new creative design and production opportunities brought about by additive manufacturing – now being able to create components that would, in the past, have been impossible to manufacture without this new technology.