Medical/Dental
Metal components for the medical industry must meet uncompromising levels of precision. Subject to strict regulatory requirements, medical equipment and device manufacturers have no time for questions over reliability or performance.
Benefits of the MIM process for medical equipment and devices
The MIM process is known for producing incredibly dense, precise parts with high strength. But at OptiMIM, our proprietary process and years of industry experience bring more than just parts to the table.
We work with leading medical and dental manufacturers to deliver components across a range of applications including precision surgical devices, telemedical equipment, diagnostic equipment, dental equipment, and even veterinary implants. These companies partner with OptiMIM because we can offer them the functional precision they need to deliver unparalleled performance and wear resistance—whether this is for products designed for a single-use or implants destined to last a lifetime.
For the medical and dental industries, OptiMIM’s value lies in our ability to get your product to market sooner, produce reliable, complex components at scale, and deliver a return on your investment over the life of the product.
Stay ahead of FDA regulations with accelerated speed-to-market
We’re committed to giving you the best performing parts as quickly as possible—the first time around. At OptiMIM, we know that the FDA validation process is lengthy and rigorous. The sooner you can transition from the prototyping and design stage to leverage the advantages of the MIM process from the onset, the easier it is to get your project approved.
By getting involved with your MIM supplier early, you can avoid manufacturing roadblocks like prototyping re-designs or secondary operations that could slow you down. Take advantage of our design team’s expertise—for instance, utilizing part consolidation with MIM or prototyping with machined MIM materials—to streamline your product’s course to mass production.
High performance and precision at scale
Several manufacturing processes can deliver precision or performance, but often at the cost of scalability. You can machine your medical components to achieve your design requirements to get your medical component validated, but machining is not scalable over the life of your product into mass production.
MIM, on the other hand, achieves an extremely dense, net-shape part that is scalable with less investment over time than you would spend in a traditional route like machining once your product moves into mass production.
But what can MIM promise in terms of part performance?
OptiMIM’s precise and uniquely engineered feedstock composition helps to form our proprietary grain structure, which allows us to deliver high strength components with the highest elongation performance in the industry. With other processes, design engineers are often forced to decide between optimizing mechanical strength or optimizing elongation—with OptiMIM, you can have both.
Want to learn more about how to engineer value into your MIM part? Read our blog here.
Medical material selection
The medical industry is wide-ranging and constantly evolving—which means that the applications and medical equipment requirements are as well. A successful supplier must be able to provide innovative solutions and a wide range of choices to suit the needs of each individual device.
For medical equipment and devices, MIM 17-4 strikes a good balance between corrosion resistance and strength. For devices that require high strength, we’ve had success with both 316 and 420 stainless steels. We have also manufactured implantable devices with F75 cobalt chrome alloys. But that’s just the beginning of what we offer. We will even create custom alloys when standard options can’t deliver the performance they need.
To see more of our popular alloy offerings, click here or read our MIM Material Options blog post.
We can also deliver a range of value-added surface treatments to achieve the necessary biocompatibility or medical grade requirements for Class 1 and Class 2 medical devices, like electropolishing, Teflon coating, or chrome plating. And, of course, we give manufacturers the freedom to choose from traditional ferrous alloys such as stainless steel to titanium and cobalt-chromium.
Unparalleled medical manfucaturing experience
Since the MIM process lends itself to successfully manufacturing medical equipment and devices, we have a lot of experience across the industry. We have the capability to mold surgical devices and equipment, telemedical equipment, diagnostic equipment, dental equipment, and even implants. Some of our process capabilities include:
- Surgical clamps
- Knee brace components
- Orthotic braces
- Handheld surgical rotation limiter
- Veterinary implants
- Disposable surgical devices
- Disposable implant molds
- Knife shaft tools
- Concept devices for surgery and implants
- Knife and scalpel shafts
- Implantable and exterior pumps
- Drug delivery pens
- Oxygen concentrators
ROI with Metal Injection Molding
With MIM, you see a return on your investment with the value that is engineered into each and every component, from design of your medical device all the way to your customer’s doorstep. With OptiMIM’s design for manufacturing methodology, custom feedstock, and complex capabilities, traditional design and operation constraints are lifted.
What we’re saying is that metal injection molding with OptiMIM adds value across your entire supply chain. You won’t just see ROI on the part itself, but throughout the whole value stream. With increased speed-to-market, guaranteed precision, and high-performing parts, you’ll see the benefits of MIM from start to finish.
