YG-1’s Tooling Solutions for Medical Industry

This article was sourced from: YG-1 Corporate Magazine Vol. 61, 2024

Since all manufacturing industries including the automotive, aerospace, electrical and electronics, medical, and energy industries are using more and more of lighter and smaller difficult-to-cut materials to protect the environment, the necessity for high-tech cutting tools is getting more evident. The medical industry which is growing exponentially is not an exception due to aging and health span extension. With the increasing attention to the next generation smart healthcare industry that connects advanced technology with the medical industry to provide new medical services, the medical device area is developing greatly everyday thanks to the ground-breaking technology development of the fourth industrial revolution.

The constant improvement of the medical industry is also increasing the attention to more accurate and efficient equipment and high-tech cutting tools to process medical device components. Since cutting tools to machine medical devices determine the quality of medical devices greatly, their demand is very meticulous. In particular, the development of medical skills with a focus on tailored care for each patient and precision medicine is accelerating the technology development of innovative medical devices. Tool materials and tooling strategies play a key role to manufacture such miniaturized and high precision medical devices. Mr. Yair Bruhis, Industry manager for the medical industry, shares his ideas about YG-1’s tooling solutions for the medical industry.

Like RCH-Coating, all coatings aim to provide extended wear resistance. As machining comes along heat, the better a coating can deal with this, the better off it is. Considering that such a protective layer is just a few 1/1000’s of a millimeter thick, the effect it has on tool life is remarkable. As any coating is much harder than the substrate it is applied to, it has to be flexible at the same time to avoid cracks.

The Key is the Development of High Precision Cutting Tools with the Latest Technology

Since most cutting tools for the medical industry have small and complicated geometries, they need special solutions for individual manufacturing conditions. The continuous miniaturization and precision of medical devices is activating the development of high precision cutting tools and coating technology. Even though cutting tools for medical components vary from medical diagnostic and test equipment to surgical equipment, artificial joints and organs, the demand for cardiovascular, dental and orthopedic medical implants is showing growth. In order to secure the quality and reliability of such medical component processing, raw materials that guarantee safety, durability and precision, high tolerance for geometry and differentiated coating technology that suits the characteristics of raw materials and medical devices play a key role. Furthermore, since medical devices require high standards for biocompatibility, they must be harmless to humans and coating methods for them also need evaluation and tests on toxicity of materials, mechanical stability, and allergic reaction to minimize their effects on human bodies and have to get approval from each country.

It is fundamental to secure quality “stability” and “accuracy” by using imaging systems like MRI and CT scanners, laboratory analysers and point-of-care testing devices. CNC machining is also essential because even 1 micrometre in high precision processing can determine the availability of a component. For example, bone screws can carry out precision processing one millimetre in one direction with tight tolerances, produce tailored components to meet each patient’s demands, support flawless finishing to reduce the risks of medical procedures and avoid component failure. Not only raw materials but also coating technology for each material plays a significant role in improving the performance of medical components and minimizing the damage to patients. Including PVD coating which supports perfect biocompatibility, PCD, CVD and ceramic coatings that support wear resistance, smooth finishing quality and antibacterial activity are mainly used for such occasions.

The Application Range of YG-1 Cutting Tools for Medical Devices and Components










The Perfect Tooling Solution for Medical Component Manufacturing

The strong advantage of YG-1 is its ability to rapidly provide optimal solutions for customized special tools to machine medical devices and market demands. For the medical industry that develops new materials constantly, YG-1 supports medical device component processing with its high-tech tools for excellent quality and production improvement as well as differentiate coating technology. The field in which YG-1 focuses is the dental and orthopedic medical implant market that has shown exponential growth with the soaring orthopedic damages, joint problems and aging population. Since cutting tools for implant or artificial joint manufacturing must meet precise and special demands, they should be equipped with technical expertise and capability. YG-1 is expanding cooperation with raw material developers, CAD/CAM companies and machine tool manufacturers because medical devices that are implanted in human bodies must be made from materials that meet biocompatibility standards and have excellent surface roughness, high precision and tight tolerances.

Thanks to the expanding demands for related cutting tools by the technology development of 3D printing, robotic surgery, and tailored medical devices, YG-1’s market penetration into the United States and Europe, the biggest healthcare market in the world, is going actively. Last year, it received favorable evaluations when it demonstrated standard and special dental tools using CAD/CAM at IMTS and AMB. Various tools to machine titanium including YG401, turning inserts which are proper for Heat-resistant super alloys (HRSA), especially titanium, TitaNox-Power HPC, X5070, X1-EH end mills and tailored tooling strategies drew great attention from visitors. All displayed products adopted PVD coating technology and multi-flute geometries to machine substitutes for human organs such as dental implants, artificial joints for hip and knee joints. They are available for tailored design for patients and precision prosthetic appliance manufacturing. Since the use of medical robots is increasing, YG-1 is also accelerating the speed of its cutting tool development to help more exquisite and safer surgery.