When a global leader needed rapid-turnaround for a new titanium heart valve stent prototype manufactured for medical devices, the company looked for a quality-driven partner with engineering expertise that could ensure excellence. The part’s design included more than 20 unique radius features and wall thickness points that were as thin as 0.006mm. The delicate component posed a variety of manufacturing challenges – from sourcing materials, to optimizing production, to essential part handling and more. With a combination of manufacturing capabilities and collaborations across skill-sets, the AVNA team delivered on this complex medical component.
The first challenge in the stent prototyping was sourcing materials. While tubing was the obvious first choice, the large diameter and titanium alloy specification would have resulted in high costs and long lead-times. After a careful review of the part’s design and manufacturing considerations, the AVNA team turned to our advanced Accu-LaserSwissTM CNC machining with integrated laser cutting technology. A solution was developed to produce the prototype from more readily available, and lower-cost, titanium bar stock. The sophisticated process shaped the bar stock and formed the component in one operation – matching laser-cut and machine-cut contours with precise geometry control, seamlessly blending the two technologies with extreme accuracy.
Manufacturing the stent prototype required specialized customizations and refinements in both machinery and processes, and our team was focused on compliance and quality at every stage. Our engineers also developed a unique coolant flow system to address laser heat and slag – custom mixing gasses to ensure the laser would cut cleanly and without material discoloration.The delicate design and thin material also required the development of specialized handling procedures, moving finished parts off the equipment without distortion or damage.
The AVNA team was ready to meet the challenges of this stent prototype with a rapid, cost-effective approach – delivering precision, high-quality components – on-target and on-time.
Our team combines manufacturing expertise and advanced engineering capabilities on every prototyping project and is ready to put our skills to work on your toughest challenges. Tell us about your medical component prototyping needs and let us demonstrate how, at AVNA, “Quality is Always King.” Contact us today.
