Heraeus Medevio is recognized worldwide for its metals expertise and the engineering innovation to handle the most complex technical challenges for our customers. Leverage our NiTi design and processing expertise including laser cutting, shape setting or heat treating, and electropolishing. This mastery of materials, combined with our design and development capabilities and end-to-end vertical integration, will help bring your interventional device to market faster.
Nitinol Processing
Nitinol (NiTi), is a unique, specialty material used in complex implants and delivery systems for structural heart, peripheral vascular, and non-vascular devices.
Nitinol Laser Cutting
Whether your design is an intricate and complex part with a tight tolerance in early concept or design freeze, we can make cost-effective parts to your specifications in prototype and production quantities. In addition to laser cutting of tube materials (both on-axis and off-axis), we also offer laser cutting of small parts from flat materials up to .050” thickness.
Material Sizes for Laser Cutting
- Material (Wall) Thickness = .002” - .050”
- Tubing Diameter = .008” - .700” O.D.
- Flat Cutting: small parts only, up to roughly 3” x 5" maximum dimension
Cut Width (Laser Kerf Width)
- Thin Wall Materials (.002” - .005”) Kerf = .0006” - .001”
- Thicker Wall (.006” and larger) Kerf = .0008” - .004”
Nitinol Shape Setting / Heat Treating
Shape Setting is the process of heat-forming a nitinol device from its original configuration into its final shape.
At Heraeus, we have various proven shape setting processes for different applications. Leverage our expertise when it comes to shaping and heat treating nitinol from its original configuration, whether that be drawn tubing, wire, or flat material. The nitinol heat treating methods we use depend on your unique specifications. From design to production, Heraeus Medevio engineers will collaborate with you to ensure your nitinol device meets your specific application requirements.
Nitinol Shape Setting Capabilities
- Multi-step expansions are used depending on your design
- Shapes can range from simple radial expansion to complex geometries
- In-house fixture design and fabrication
- Shape-setting equipment: fluidized bath and air furnace
- Active Af Testing: bend free recovery (BFR), non-contact BFR, and DSC
Nitinol Electropolishing
Electropolishing is a critical final surface finishing step for any medical device.
Let our experienced engineers work with you to determine your specific electropolishing needs from minimal material removal to highly polished surfaces depending on the geometric configuration and function of the nitinol device.
Electropolishing Benefits
- Eliminates heat affected zones (HAZ) that result from upstream processes (e.g., laser, and EDM machining)
- Eliminates surface irregularities, providing a smooth and consistent surface
- Rounds off any sharp edges
- Improves performance characteristics of nitinol parts, such as fatigue life
- Dramatically enhances corrosion resistance with a rich titanium dioxide surface layer
Leverage Heraeus Medevio's full range of manufacturing capabilities required to successfully produce your devices, such as stents, heart valves, and other therapies.
Capabilities include:
- Broad expertise in processing of materials, such as nitinol, stainless steel, and cobalt chromium
- Precision laser cutting of complex geometries
- Nitinol shape-setting and heat treating
- Surface preparation by chemical cleaning, etching, micro-blasting
- Electropolishing for precision material removal and surface conditioning
- Automated visual inspection system for dimensional measurement, data analysis, and archiving
- Assembly with other metal components via laser welding, crimping, and swaging
- Cleanroom facility available for critical processing
Peripheral Vascular
- Stents
- Delivery Systems
Cardiovascular
- Stents
- Delivery Systems
Structural Heart
- Left Atrial Appendage Frames
- Heart Valve Frames
- Delivery Systems
Interventional Cardiology
- Stents
- Delivery Systems
Electrophysiology
- Sensing Tips
- Ablation Tips
Neurovascular
- Stents
- Flow Diversion
- Delivery Systems
Ophthalmic
- Stents