Stamping or Machining: What Do You Choose for Your Metal Devices?

You’re developing a metal medical device and balancing a budget, deadlines, design considerations, and more. Which process do you choose—stamping or machining? MD+DI asked metal manufacturing veteran Steve Santoro, executive vice president for Micro, to compare the two processes as well as look forward to the future in metal manufacturing. Santoro has been at Micro since 2002 and has been in the contract manufacturing industry his entire career. MSC-3087 Steve 1[1] copy.jpg Steve Santoro Image Credit:  Steve Santoro MD+DI: What are the basic differences between stamping and machining when it comes to medical devices? Santoro: The main determinant when considering stamping versus machining has to do with the fit, form, and function of a component coupled with the geometry of the part and material used. If a medical device is designed for an indefinite number of uses, then machining works best, as it produces complex parts that support durability. For products that are meant to be used just one time, stamping is a better approach as it can produce precision parts that tend to be less durable. Volume can also be a significant driver in the decision-making process. When several million components a week are needed, such as ligation clips, this can be easily achieved with stamping. To machine such quantities might require 100 machining centers. Thus, scaling to this degree with machining may not be practical in terms of capital outlay. Tooling costs are a...
Source: MDDI - Category: Medical Devices Authors: Tags: BIOMEDevice Boston Contract Manufacturing Materials Source Type: news