The medical industry is an industry known for its little chances for errors，This same rule also applies when producing medical parts.  machinists’ machining process in producing medical parts has to be one that can accommodate tight tolerances and high precision measurements. This is because the industry involves human life, and little errors can lead to deadly health issues or even death.

What is CNC Machining?

According to Wikipedia, a CNC machine processes a piece of material to meet specifications by following a coded programmed instruction and without a manual operator.

Defined as a machining system that is controlled via a computer, CNC machining allows manufacturers to automate many processes that would have to be performed manually.

It is widely recognized for producing parts with greater durability and accuracy than other machine processes that involve manual input. As a result, CNC machines boost productivity, reduce waste, and lower the risk of human error.

CNC machinery is experiencing such rapid growth due to the need to:

Decrease operating costs and improve the efficiency of mass production

Avoid errors in manufacturing

Use manpower more efficiently

Adopt automation and ensure quality

In the last few years, the number of production facilities adopting CNC machines has grown, and by 2025, the global CNC machine market is expected to reach nearly $100 billion in value, growing at an annual rate of more than 8% from 2015 to 2022. 

This growth is expected to continue in multiple sectors, including aerospace, government, telecommunications, electronics, pharmaceutical, medical, packaging, food processing, and general manufacturing.

But there are several different types of CNC machines, each of which has its own unique functions: CNC milling machine, CNC plasma cutting machine, CNC lathe machine, CNC laser cutting machine, CNC electric discharge machine, etc. 

CNC machining can be a perfect solution for product developers who need high-quality parts. Here are some of its most important advantages: 

Speed – CNC machining can turn raw materials into finished parts in a matter of hours.

Accuracy – CNC machines are very precise and accurate, making parts to tolerances of .05 or better.

Works with different materials – CNC machines are able to work with many kinds of metals like stainless steel and titanium, as well as plastic substrates.

Easy to modify – CNC machining has digital instructions the alteration of which is simple and takes a few minutes. 

CNC machining is among the most flexible orthodox manufacturing processes. Its flexibility ranges from the kind of parts you can make and the volumes manufactured to the materials you can use for manufacturing.

Importance of CNC machining for the medical industry

CNC machining plays a vital role in the medical industry by boosting the quality of medical gadgets. For instance, there are millions of medical devices produced via CNC machining. This alone is proof of the essence of CNC machining in the medical industry.

It's an effective, dependable means that lets manufacturers produce high-precision devices and parts. Considering all the lives saved using medical gadgets annually, it's clear that lives depend on these gadgets.

For instance, there is a broad scope of medical devices manufactured and exported from India. There are also numerous regulations where the importers need gadget approval in India. Meanwhile, let's see the importance of CNC machining in the medical industry;

Unmatched versatility for manufacturers

CNC technology not only lets firms manufacture products with high accuracy and precision but also offers them supreme versatility in terms of production.

For instance, instead of needing to set up the tools for a complex project, the manufacturer can program this machine to undertake various tasks. This way, the manufacturer can swiftly shift from one process to the other, letting them adequately respond to modifications in demand and eventually surge their profits.

Durability and safety

A wide array of medical parts and devices are made using metal and are manufactured via CNC technology to guarantee durability and safety.

These gadgets include anything from medical syringes and needles to complex gadgets like surgical instruments. As the medical gadget manufacturing industry is a high-profit venture, it should not be surprising that organizations are utilizing CNC technology to make their products.  

High accuracy and precision in manufacturing

Medical devices need to be as accurate as possible; a hundredth of an inch could be the difference between manufacturing an unusable device and a usable one. You simply can't take any chances.

If a surgeon needs a surgical tool to make an incision in the body, they need to be certain that the tool sports no imperfections that could impact its function.

This is where CNC technology comes in handy; it lets manufacturers produce products with high accuracy and precision, which is integral for top-quality medical gadgets.

Improves quality and lessens waste

The conventional machining process eliminates the raw material's extra stock, which yields scrap. CNC technology leaves behind reduced materials, hence less waste to throw away. And since there are not that many raw materials, firms can decrease the material bought. Moreover, they can buy the raw material in bulk and save more!

Since CNC machining lessens waste, it is more affordable than other manufacturing techniques.

While some firms want to buy their tools for CNC machining, most opt to outsource this work to a specialist. The advantage of doing this is saving funds on tools and buying costs.

CNC machining is the future of medicine

In recent years, Smart tech has been the basis of medical research and innovation, thus becoming an integral section of modern healthcare by letting doctors diagnose and identify diseases, health patterns and find life-saving medical solutions. AI-driven devices like clothing that can assess a patient's condition, fast foresee and identify issues and infections, & information communication are a few useful and reliable examples of CNC machining. The manufacturing of medical gadgets will significantly benefit from engineering and technological advances. Recent technology in the medical manufacturing industry, like CNC machining, offers huge improvements from the requirements of COVID-19 and the health sector investments and will hugely impact the medical industry. CNC technology for the medical industry is getting better and innovating continuously. New tools and enhancements are developed daily. Patients are living longer thanks to technological improvements in the medical industry and gadgets, which will always be vital.

CNC Medical Equipment – from Implants to Dentistry

A wide array of products come straight from the hands of medical machining specialists. CNC machining is responsible for the making of everything from simple tools and mobility equipment components to spinal fusion cages.

When it comes to medical machining, the production itself does not vary much from the usual process. Creating a single part can include using different CNC machines and operations, including cutting, grinding, etc.

For example, making a knee implant requires roughing, tray base roughing, chamfer milling, undercut machining, tray base finishing, and deburring of the parts for a final finish. Reaching a great surface finish is especially critical with internal implants, as any kind of rough edges or surfaces may require a replacement of the implant sooner rather than later.

Thus, medical machine shops have their bar set a little higher than the others on the market.

Contemporary technology like 5-axis machining combined with CNC grinding can ensure short cycle times while maintaining a quality good enough to meet these market needs.

Medical CNC Machining Materials

As seen in the last paragraph, there is quite a variety of possibilities when it comes to materials for the medical sector. It just depends on the specific application and the selection of grade must be in accordance with it.

At GT, we regularly work with the following materials and others:

• Stainless Steel: This is the most popular material in the medical industry. Stainless steel offers various hygiene benefits, which is valued by our medical industry clients. It offers a high level of corrosion resistance, and durability, which is very important in a medical industry. 

• Nitinol ®: Nitinol is one of those alloys, which have received approval from the medical fraternity in the recent years. This is an alloy of titanium and nickel, which is well known for its shape memory effect, excellent damping capability, biocompatibility as well as superelasticity. These properties make it ideal for building various types of medical devices. 

• Titanium: Titanium is widely used for building implants because it is biocompatible. The material possesses a wide array of beneficial properties including excellent flexibility, and elasticity, strength, lightweight, non-toxicity, and corrosion resistance. We provide CNC machining for medical grade titanium and titanium alloys. 

• Plastics: Various types of plastics are used in the medical industry. Plastic polymers are robust and easy to process. Also, they offer low-friction, long term performance, and are affordable. We offer precise CNC machining of plastic medical tools, devices, and components. 

• Composites: These materials are largely used in building medical devices, and components across the medical industry. Today, diverse composites are used to build devices and equipment that help diagnose, ease, and treat effects of injuries and diseases. 

You can contact us for more details of our CNC machining services for the medical industry. Alternately, you can request a quote for medical CNC machining.

Advantage of GT-PROTO CNC Machining Services for Medical Industry  

• We have many years experience in ultra-precision machining of medical devices, manufacture high precision medical instrument parts.
• We have advanced process and inspection equipment and regular investment in leading-edge equipment.
• We can participate in and assist customers from the initial product design and development to the entire stage of mold making and product production and delivery.
• We provide a perfect project Management System.
• We provide innovative solutions based on varied industry experience.
• We guarantee our molds for the life of your project.