You may be surprised to learn that aluminum extrusions are very common in the doctor’s office, ER, and operating rooms. Anodized aluminum extrusions are used as brackets, fixtures, and structural framework of medical carts. Many people are unaware that Aluminum tubing and extruded aluminum shapes are used in medical devices used during surgery. Aluminum is used to manufacture stethoscope tubes, trocars, and laparoscopic handheld instruments. For over 20 years Profile Precision has been helping medical device manufacturers solve design challenges with aluminum tubing and extruded aluminum shapes.
Medical device design engineers have recently used annealed aluminum tubing to allow a surgeon customize the shape of a tool during surgery because annealed aluminum is very easy to bend. Bending the tool during surgery would not be possible with stainless steel or titanium components. One example of using annealed aluminum is the tool is a light source improving the visibility of the area of the body being repaired. For these types of application aluminum tubing is extruded and tempered. The extrusions are cut to length, machined, and deburred in the tempered condition to facilitate the fabrication. After fabrication the aluminum components are then annealed to a soft state and an anticorrosion coating applied.
Aluminum extruded tubing can also be used as a cost saving feature for disposable medical devices. Many laparoscopic scissors, forceps, graspers, and dissectors use stainless steel shafts. Comparable shafts made of 6061-T6511 extruded tubing machine better than stainless steel, resulting in a cost savings on fabrication. In addition, the cost of the raw tube is much less. A medical grade stainless steel tube with a .176” OD runs $0.80 – $0.90 per foot. An extruded aluminum tube of the same size costs less than $0.35 per foot in production volumes. A significant cost savings for the raw material over stainless steel.
Profile Precision Extrusions has worked on many medical projects in the past 25 years. We have experience in design optimization, prototyping, pre-production and full production of raw materials or components. We’re looking forward to working on your next project. Contact us today or call 623.936.5599.
