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Applications for MIM I: Medical and Orthodontic
Fig. 16 Parts from an orthodontic tooth
positioning system manufactured by Flomet
LLC, USA. (Image courtesy MPIF, USA)
Orthodontic components
One of the first major MIM application areas was for orthodontic brackets and today this still remains a major product for the industry.
These extremely small precision parts are usually made from 316L stainless steel.
Surgical instruments
MIM has over the last 15 years become an essential manufacturing technology for the medical device industry, thanks to its ability to produce high volume precision components to
net-shape.
Fig. 17 A 17-4 PH stainless steel articulation
gear manufactured by Parmatech Inc, USA,
and used in a surgical stapling unit.
The part shown in Fig. 17 is an articulation gear used in a surgical stapling unit. Produced by MIM to net shape from 17-4 PH stainless steel, the part has a density of more than 7.65g/cm3, ultimate tensile strength of 900MPa (130,000psi), yield strength of 730 MPa (106,000psi) and a 25 HRC hardness.
This part won an MPIF Grand Prize in 2008.
Implantable MIM components
There has been much progress towards the development of implantable MIM products for applications such as drug delivery devices and joint replacements.
Fig. 18 MIM-Ti6Al4V base plate. (Courtesy
TiJet Medizintechnik GmbH, Germany)
Base Plate
A base plate for an implantable infusion pump made from MIM-Ti6Al4V is shown in (Fig. 18). The base plate, the most expensive part of the pump, combines several functional elements.
The extreme aspect ratio of 78 mm diameter and a wall thickness of only 1 mm is almost impossible to realise with conventional cold runner toolings, but with a hot runner this mould can be completely filled with high reliability.
The moulded part weighs almost 50g. Two small bores are moulded in, a conical one with 0.8 mm at the top and 0.4 mm at the bottom and a cylindrical one with 0.5 mm diameter.
Fig. 19 MIM knee implant parts made
from Ti6Al4V. (Courtesy
Maetta Sciences Inc., Canada)
Knee implant parts
Fig. 19 shows prototype MIM knee implant parts made from Ti6Al4V by Maetta Sciences Inc., Canada.
For load bearing surgical implants, the typical post-treatments are, after HIPping, bead blasting, polishing, electropolishing and anodising.
Next page: Applications II: The Automotive Industry
