Mechanic technologies for med-tech industry

CNC machining and finishing technologies for medical devices applications

CONTRACT MANUFACTURING

CNC machining of high precision medical and surgical instruments

Valtecne has considerable experience in the field of manufacturing medical parts for orthopaedic
use, with a special focus on surgical instruments.
The company has at its disposal all the technologies needed to manufacture high precision parts for medical devices industry: fixed head turning, Swiss-type turning, 3-4 axes milling, 5 axes milling, EDM.

Furthermore, there is a large department dedicated to finishing and assembly operations.

The more regularly employed materials include several types of stainless steel (AISI 630, AISI 420B, AISI 420MOD, AISI 316L and so on), titanium, aluminum and special plastics for medical use.

HIGH PRECISION TURNING

Turning technologies enabling the production of medical devices components

Valtecne can execute high precision turning to manufacture complex mechanical parts for medical devices industry.

The company has at its disposal several CNC lathes. They include traditional fixed-head machines, both horizontal and vertical, as well as slanting head Swiss-type lathes.

The turning department can machine several materials, ranging from stainless steel AISI 630 and AISI 420B, to more valuable materials such as titanium, cobalt-chrome and special plastics for orthopaedics.

Fixed-head lathes are equipped with motorized tools suited to perform drilling. Swiss-type lathes are dedicated to smallest parts: machining is made from the raw bar, with turnable diameter up to 38mm.

Valtecne has adopted CAM software Esprit to program Swiss-type lathes. This enables the company to fully optimize machines setup, reducing overall lead time and production non-conformities.

State-of-the-art milling technologies

A large set of machining centers to manufacture high precision medical devices parts

Valtecne holds a solid expertise in milling technologies. With several machining centers, the company can manufacture a large variety of parts with very complex shapes and tight tolerances.

The factory includes both horizontal and vertical machines, allowing the implementation of the best machining strategy depending on the characteristics of the part. Most of the machines are equipped with multiple pallets, enabling a significant reduction of setup times.

The department includes several machining centers with 5-6 axes, suited to the manufacturing of medical devices parts with very complex shapes. They are programmed by Valtecne technicians with the help of Hypermill, the CAM software developed by Open Mind Technologies AG. The company also has at its disposal the Vericut software, used to simulate the tools’ trajectory outside the machine, thus reducing the chance of errors during the production phase, even in the most complex jobs.

Valtecne can perform milling from the raw bar as well as from castings and forgings. The company can operate using any type of material, from metals to plastics.

FLEXIBILITY WITH EDM

Wire-cut Electrical Discharge Machining to finish milled and turned parts

Wire-cut Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM) is a technology widely used by CNC operators to obtain the geometric characteristics of some orthopaedic instruments (such as trial femurs, cutting masks, cutting guides) without using expensive milling tools.

EDM department includes several machines that guarantee a large production capacity. The table size is up to 550 x 350 x 400 mm, giving the chance to machine any part used in orthopaedic surgery and other medical fields.

Furthermore, EDM machines are also used to manufacture prototypes as well as producing equipment designed by Valtecne’s technical department.

FINISHING OPERATIONS AND ASSEMBLY

State-of-the-art equipment and qualified people to perform finishing operations and treatments

The company has set up a department dedicated to the finishing operations for medical devices manufacturing.

CLEANING process aims at reducing products contamination below the maximum values allowed by customer specifications. Valtecne has at its disposal a washing tunnel equipped with a number of tanks suited to execute pickling, ultrasound washing and other treatments.

The washing equipment can perform PASSIVATION too. This treatment comes at the end of parts production cycles in order to prevent corrosion of metallic materials.

Valtecne has invested in furnaces to execute HEAT TREATMENT of stainless steel. The most frequent cycle is H900 applied to AISI 630, the most used material in the manufacturing of orthopaedic instruments. The performances of the furnaces are subject to regular inspections according to AMS 2750 requirements.

Valtecne has at its disposal personnel and equipment able to treat machined parts in order to obtain the requested surface finishing. POLISHING is what we do when metallic parts must achieve a mirror-like aspect, which is obtained through abrasive belts/ribbons and grinding equipment. If surface needs to be opaque, the right treatment is instead BEADBLASTING. The company has a number of automatic machines that perform bead blasting by the means of appropriate mixtures of glass/zirconia microspheres and white corundum.

The MARKING of the parts – a highly important requirement for medical devices industry in order to guarantee the traceability (ex. UDI number or QR code) – can be made directly by mechanical engraving or through laser marking. The company is equipped with two laser machines that allow marking any kind of device with a very good quality. These machines can also perform laser engraving, a technique often used in bundle.

Valtecne makes use of arc (MIG and TIG) and laser WELDING operated by specialist personnel who hold the necessary accreditations. The laser machines are semi-automatic and operate on 3 axes; they are equipped with a microscope for micro-welding and can carry out circular welding using a spindle.

At the end of the production cycle, Valtecne has at its disposal a specialist department to carry out complex ASSEMBLY operations. Teams of highly trained operators can perform the assembly of med-tech parts made up of dozens of components. The department is equipped with workstations comprising specialist toolsets for construction and assembly such as pliers, clippers, reamers and so on.