//php echo do_shortcode(‘[responsivevoice_button voice=”US English Male” buttontext=”Listen to Post”]’) ?>
Medical technology is a growing field that requires fast, high-quality turnaround from advanced manufacturers to meet the demands and advancements of the healthcare industry, particularly in the realm of pediatrics and NICU care. Healthcare professionals may not realize how intricate the parts must be to produce lifesaving medical technology, and advanced manufacturers are critical to designing the technology physicians use daily.
To capture this expected demand, specialty manufacturers should prioritize implementing manufacturing solutions and expertise to accelerate product development with great precision and innovation, achieve scale and ultimately protect the general population’s health.
While there are several ways to create advanced manufacturing components for the medical industry, a leading solution is through a process called electroforming, given its versatility, precision and reliability to meet industry demands. This article will review the electroforming process and its benefits while outlining how it is practically used in modern healthcare solutions.
What is electroforming?
Electroforming is a preferred method for medical technology manufacturing, as it is highly versatile and can adhere to extremely precise specifications, complexity and surface finish. Electroformed optical components are created from plated metal, electro-deposited to provide a precision reproduction of a surface. Every component is an exact replication of the mandrel, making this an economically favorable manufacturing method.
By Global Unichip Corp. 04.18.2024
By Shruti Usgaonkar, Principal Engineer, Microchip Technology 04.18.2024
Following the electroforming process, the part is carefully inspected to ensure it meets all product specifications. After the post-production processes, which may include applications of coatings or electroplated finishes, all components are fully inspected by the quality assurance department to verify product quality and accuracy consistent with all customer requirements.
Electroforming is preferred over traditional methods like machining, casting, stamping or forging, as it can deliver high-volume, quality components with extreme accuracy and design complexity. Other key advantages to electroforming include its excellent mechanical properties and uniform thickness, which is critical to the part’s functionality and durability. Electroforming is also highly scalable and suitable for producing small and large quantities of parts.
Practical applications for electroforming
In a medical setting, advanced manufacturers rely on electroforming because of its extreme precision to produce reliable components. The process is versatile and can be applied across a variety of medical specializations.
One way we’ve used electroforming is by creating custom reflectors for newborn-baby warming devices. The warmers combine advanced technologies with innovative features to deliver state-of-the-art thermoregulation while promoting family-centered care. Each device’s simple features are intricately designed to allow healthcare providers to focus on the most critical aspects of their job—caring for newborns and their families.
The custom electroformed reflector simplified a complex design, ultimately reducing production time and increasing heat output with an improved gold plating that reflects a greater amount of energy. Through our electroforming process, we produce the custom reflectors by submerging a mandrel in an electrolytic solution, through which an electrical charge is applied and attracts nickel ions in the bath to the mandrel.
Over time, the nickel forms a thick-enough layer that can be separated from the mandrel, creating the electroformed component. Optical coatings and electroplated finishes are applied to enhance the spectral properties and improve performance. This streamlined manufacturing process produces high-precision reflectors for these baby warmers, which ultimately helps keep young patients safe and healthy.
The future of medical manufacturing
As healthcare continues to evolve, medical technology manufacturers will be called on to produce precision parts for a range of new devices and technologies. With the likelihood of increased robotics and AI presence in healthcare environments, the need for highly specified and calibrated parts to build out this machinery will only become greater and more urgent. Specialty manufacturers should stay keenly updated on the direction of the industry and look for ways to use electroforming for new technology and diagnostic devices.
There are many ways that medical technology manufacturers contribute to lifesaving systems, and electroforming is a leading solution to ensure hospitals and doctors’ offices are upgraded with reliable equipment to handle their patients’ needs.
