Tag Archives: Medical Industry

Medical

Orthopedic Implants, Part 1 – Surface Finishing Enhances Component Life, Function

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Fueled by more active lifestyles and increased life expectancy, the market for knee, hip, and other replacement body joints is on the rise. According to ORTHOWORLD, orthopedic product sales accounted for more than $55.5 billion in worldwide sales in 2022.

Thanks to significant advancements in materials and new or improved surface finishing technologies, today’s artificial hips and knees can last more than 20 years, giving the recipient decades of comfort and agility.

Parts that are finished using modern mass finishing and shot blasting methods play a key role in extending the lifespan of orthopedic implants.

Rosler has extensive experience in these processes which often include cleaning, deburring/edge radiusing, surface smoothing, post-casting surface preparation, machining, CNC grinding, and, of course, final finishing. These finishing technologies make big differences in the quality and performance of such products.

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Medical

Orthopedic Implants, Part 4 – Finishers Meet Standards, Face New Challenges

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While choosing the right implant material is of utmost importance, as discussed in our previous Orthopedic Implant Series post, the significance of optimum surface treatment throughout the entire implant manufacturing process cannot be overstated. This relates not only to the right surface finish, but also total compliance with the specified tight dimensional tolerances.

The functionality of an orthopedic implant is determined by the perfect match between the various implant components. This depends, to a large extent, on the surface treatment procedure(s).

With extensive experience in the medical industry, Rosler is an expert in designing systems and solutions for the treatment of joint reconstruction implants utilizing shot blasting and mass finishing technologies.

Our Orthopedic Implant Series continues with an overview of the stringent finishing standards for orthopedic implants.

Continue reading Orthopedic Implants, Part 4 – Finishers Meet Standards, Face New Challenges →
Medical

Orthopedic Implants, Part 1 – Surface Finishing Enhances Component Life, Function

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Fueled by more active lifestyles and increased life expectancy,the market for knee, hip, and other replacement body jointsis on the rise. With more than $19 billion in annual worldwidesales, implants for joint reconstruction make up nearly 40 percentof all orthopedic product sales.

Thanks to significant advancements in materials and new or improvedsurface finishing technologies, today’s artificial hips andknees can last more than 20 years, giving the recipient decadesof comfort and agility.

Parts that are finished using modern mass finishing and shot blasting methods play a key role in extending the lifespan of orthopedic implants.

Rosler has extensive experience in these processes which often include cleaning, deburring/edge radiusing, surface smoothing, post-casting surface preparation, machining, CNC grinding, and, of course, final finishing. These finishing technologies make big differences in the quality and performance of such products.

Continue reading Orthopedic Implants, Part 1 – Surface Finishing Enhances Component Life, Function →
Mass Finishing, Shot Blasting

Spinal Implants, Part 3 – Mass Finishing Versus Shot Blasting Methods

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implanted spinal rods
Implanted spinal rods

With worldwide sales at nearly $10 billion annually, there is a high demand for spinal implants. These implants are subject to very specific and strict surface finishing requirements to ensure longevity and fixation to bone.

Mass finishing and shot blasting play key roles in creating the right finish for spinal implants, not only for intermediate surface treatment after forging, casting, machining, additive manufacturing, etc., but also for placing the final surface finish before implantation.

Let’s examine the capabilities of mass finishing and shot blasting for spinal implants and how Rosler can develop a precise and repeatable finishing process to meet your unique challenges and goals.

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Medical

Joint Reconstruction, Part 6 – Shot Blasting for Surface Finishing, Coating Preparation, and Increased Component Life Span

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Like mass finishing, shot blasting is an exceptionally versatile surface treatment technology. Its applications range from general cleaning after casting and forging to shot peening and, even, cosmetic blasting for placing a fine, matte finish on the work pieces.

For shot blasting of orthopedic implants Rosler Metal Finishing recommends mainly air and occasionally wet blasting systems. The blast media is accelerated by compressed air and thrown at the work pieces through a blast nozzle, creating an extremely precise blast pattern compared to turbine blasting. Another advantage of air blasting is that it can be used with metallic, mineral as well as organic blast media.

These attributes and many more make this surface finishing method particularly useful in the medical industry. 

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Mass Finishing, Medical

Joint Reconstruction, Part 5 – Mass Finishing for Smooth, polished surfaces

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Mass finishing is a highly versatile finishing technology that can be used for a wide variety of different surface treatment operations including those in the medical industry. Therefore, it is no surprise that mass finishing processes are utilized at practically every manufacturing stage for all kinds of orthopedic implants.

Rosler Metal Finishing has decades of experience in mass finishing. In this installment of the Joint Reconstruction Series, we will compare the various machines used to provide precise finishing for endoprosthetic manufacturers.

Examples of Mass Finishing

Mass finishing is used for a variety of joint replacement work pieces including:

  • Descaling and edge radiusing of hip stems, knee femorals, and other implants after forging or casting, e.g. lost wax or investment casting. 
  • Deburring and surface smoothing of various implants after belt or CNC grinding.
  • Final polishing of knee femorals, femoral heads, and the inside of acetabular cups to Ra = 0.8 micro inches as the last finishing stage before implantation.
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Mass Finishing, Medical, Shot Blasting

Joint Reconstruction, Part 4 – Comparing Surface Finishing Methods

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Shot blasting and mass finishing have become indispensable technologies for surface preparation and finishing of joint reconstruction implants. Their applications range from surface cleaning, deburring, edge radiusing after forging, casting, additive manufacturing, and machining to surface preparation for different kinds of coatings, shot peening for increasing the longevity of an implant, and placing an extremely smooth, high-gloss finish on the implants before they are inserted into the body.

Rosler Metal Finishing leverages its extensive experience in the medical industry to create customized solutions and equipment for the treatment of joint reconstruction implants.

This installment of the Joint Reconstruction Series will compare the working principles and features of utilizing shot blasting and mass finishing technologies for endoprosthetic implants.

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Mass Finishing, Medical, Shot Blasting

Joint Reconstruction, Part 2 – Material Standards

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Joint reconstruction implants allow millions of individuals to regain mobility and reduce pain. Just as surgical skill is required to implant these artificial joints, so is skillful construction and finish of the joint components themselves.

A leader in surface finishing for medical technology, Rosler Metal Finishing has extensive experience in shot blasting and mass finishing a wide range of medical devices from instruments to implants used specifically for joint replacement.

Our Joint Reconstruction Series continues with an overview of the most common materials used for these endoprosthetic implants.

Material Standards

The most common materials used for joint reconstruction implants are currently titanium and titanium alloys and cobalt-chromium alloys. Both materials are very tough, corrosion-resistant, highly biocompatible, and have proven themselves to be absolutely reliable.

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Medical

Joint Reconstruction, Part 1 – Expertise for Endoprosthetics

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With more than $18 billion in annual worldwide sales, implants for joint reconstruction make up nearly 40 percent of all orthopedic product sales. More active lifestyles and increased life expectation continue to contribute to the rapid growth of this market segment.

Thanks to significant advancements on the material side and enhanced surface finishing technologies, artificial hips and knees can last more than 20 years before they must be replaced. Rosler Metal Finishing’s shot blasting and mass finishing capabilities are examples of processes and equipment that have and continue to evolve to accommodate the demand for increased endoprosthetics which are also known as orthopedic joint reconstruction implants.

These techniques play a key role in intermediate processing steps including cleaning, deburring/edge radiusing, surface smoothing, and surface preparation for coatings after casting, forging, machining, CNC grinding as well as placing the final finish on the implants before they are inserted.

Continue reading Joint Reconstruction, Part 1 – Expertise for Endoprosthetics →
Medical

Surface Finishing Guidebook for Trauma Implants

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It is not surprising that trauma implants, along with other medical devices, are subject to the most stringent quality standards. Any material defect or malfunction can have catastrophic consequences for a patient.

For implants, the two key issues for manufacturers to deal with are selecting the right material and attaining the required surface finish. The finishing requirements can range from simple cleaning or deburring to surface smoothing and high-gloss polishing. Components exposed to a lot of tensile and bending stress even undergo a shot peening process to improve their fatigue life.

Download Rosler's Trauma Implants GuidebookSome implants must have a textured or “rough” finish to promote osseointegration, which is the attachment of surrounding bone tissue to the implant. Other trauma implants require a very smooth surface to prevent the bone from attaching itself to the implanted material.

We’ve created another exclusive surface finishing guidebook to cover this complex topic, in which we will discuss the surface finishing needs of trauma implants and the impact finishes have on their functionality and performance. Examples of mass finishing and shot blasting applications will also be presented followed by detailed machine reports of actual applications used in the industry today.

If you are interested in sending us your parts for FREE process development, contact us here.