The growing market for medical devices and equipment has become an incredible opportunity for manufacturers. With an ever-increasing life expectancy, demand is growing for more medical device manufacturing to keep people healthy and mobile. Engineering advancements have also made medical devices more cost effective to produce. As a result, the medical device manufacturing industry is already valued at $65.81 billion. Growing at a CAGR of 10.9%, analysts expect the market to more than double to $167.34 billion by 2030.
The Challenges of Medical Device Manufacturing
Medical manufacturing differs from many sectors because of strict regulations and high level of precision and customization that must go into each part. Machine shops generally create products in one of three categories:
- Permanent medical implants, such as joint replacements, spinal fusion plates, and bone screws.
- Semi-permanent devices, such as instruments used in surgery.
- Machine components for medical equipment, such as respirators, MRI machines, and defibrillators.
All three categories have strict regulations around material type, finish quality, and even cutting fluid used in the operation. The most stringent requirements surround permanent implants, since they need to withstand the challenging environment of the body without causing inflammation or toxicity. However, manufacturers of any kind of medical equipment must be cautious about the type and quality of the materials they use, as well as their manufacturing processes, to ensure the equipment’s quality before coming into contact with patients.
How Quality Cutting Fluid Helps Manufacturers
To keep up with demand and remain profitable, manufacturers must carefully manage their operations to create clean, high-precision parts that meet suppliers’ and customers’ standards. This includes using only approved materials during the process. New medical-quality cutting fluids like TRIM® MicroSol® 642RX are formulated specifically with these needs in mind, and are instrumental in helping manufacturers succeed in this growing market.
Next generation cutting fluids can help manufacturers:
Increase Productivity While Machining Medical-Grade Materials
The medical industry uses a wide array of materials in devices and machinery, ranging from titanium and stainless steels to alloys, copper, and aluminum. 642RX is compatible with all of them. Its multi-metal versatility limits the number of metalworking fluids needed in a facility, reducing supply costs and simplifying the approval process.
Optimize Cutting Precision
Medical devices, especially permanent implants, must be machined to absolute perfection to ensure their safety in the human body. 642RX provides optimum lubricity and cooling at the point of cut so workers can maximize part quality without the need for excessive rework that could reduce productivity and increase scrap rates.
Maintain Cleanliness
Cleanliness is critical in any medical manufacturing operation, and any type of residue on workpieces and finished parts can create problems for manufacturers having to perform additional post-processing steps. A low-residue, clean-running cutting fluid will make a cleaning process more effective and extend cleaner bath life.
Successful medical manufacturers transform their operations from the ground up to meet the complex requirements of their customers. Proper cutting fluid is essential for every kind of machine shop, and a carefully selected cutting fluid is a pillar for manufacturing parts for the medical industry.
To learn more about TRIM MicroSol 642RX and other high-performance cutting fluids, call +1 800-537-3365, or email us at [email protected].
