Etched titanium implants at Medtec Europe

9th March 2018

Anna Flockett

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Returning to Medtec Europe once again this April is Precision Micro, as it is a great platform to showcase its photo chemical etching technology for medical devices. Exhibiting from booth 9A40 at the Messe Stuttgart, from 17th-19th April 2018, attendees will see examples of the intricate and accurate metal parts Precision Micro produces for leading medical OEMs, including connectors, contacts, springs and meshes for hearing aids, medical implants, and instruments, including bone saws used for knee and hip surgery.

Chemical etching is a highly precise, tightly controlled metal machining technology used to produce complex metal components with very fine detail – and Precision Micro has over 50 years’ experience developing the technology to make it accessible to a wider range of high-tech industries, including the medical device sector.

Chemical etching is suitable for the widest range of metals, including medical grade alloys which exhibit high strength-to-weight ratio, biocompatibility and corrosion resistance, attributes making them difficult to machine with traditional metalworking technologies, and indeed chemical etching.

Massive investment in etchant chemistry, dedicated equipment and a stand-alone production unit has enabled the company to develop a proprietary etching process to machine titanium, a notoriously difficult, but highly desirable metal.

Precision Micro leads the way in Europe as the only manufacturer that can fulfil the requirements that medical OEMs have for precision titanium parts and components, and is further reinforcing its commitment by working towards ISO 13485 accreditation by the end of 2018.

A variety of chemically etched titanium implants will be on display, including intricate meshes used in pacemaker batteries, contacts used in hearing aids and craniomaxillofacial (CMF) meshes – parts which previously could only be sourced from outside of Europe with long lead-times and at high prices.