9 Reasons to Use Wire EDM Services for Medical Applications

When manufacturing medical devices, every feature must be machined perfectly to achieve the quality necessary for hospital or clinical settings. It’s a responsibility we don’t take lightly at Arbiser Machine. 

To uphold the highest level of quality, we often use wire EDM services for medical applications. 

Why Use Wire EDM Services for Medical Applications?

We always guide our customers to the capability that works best for their needs. Here’s why we often recommend wire EDM for our customers in the medical industry: 

1.Material capability. Medical parts are commonly made from stainless steel or titanium, which are excellent materials for wire EDM services. Unlike with precision machining, material hardness is inconsequential with wire EDM—we can even easily cut materials that have been hardened. As long as the material is capable of conducting electricity, wire EDM can cut it. Here are a few medical-grade materials we commonly work with: 

• 17-4 stainless steel. If you need an exceptionally durable grade of stainless steel, 17-4 is a good choice. It’s also highly corrosion resistant.

• 304 stainless steel. This grade is the most common type of stainless steel and is used for applications like bone fixation, catheters, and medical needles. 

• 316 stainless steel. Durable enough to withstand intense sterilization processes used in the medical industry, 316 stainless steel can be found in artificial heart valves, orthopedic implants, and surgical instruments. 

• 400 series stainless steel. Stainless steel in the 420-440 grade range is ideal for surgical cutting tools because of its exceptional hardness and resistance to corrosion and wear. 

• Titanium 6AL-4V and 6AL-4V ELI. These grades of titanium are commonly used for medical implants and surgical devices. 

2. Complex shapes and features. Small precision instruments for medical applications often have complex features that are almost impossible to cut conventionally. Whether the part has small holes that need to line up with other features, long and thin geometries, or parabolic curves, wire EDM can achieve these intricate shapes and features with minimal post-processing. 

3. Multiple planes. Parts for surgical tooling may require cutting on more than one plane to execute complex design features. Multi-axis wire EDM services allow us to make these cuts with a high level of precision. 

4. Long holes. Whether you're manufacturing a syringe or a port that needs a specific, non-standard tunnel to run through it, you need a capability that can create long, precise holes. Wire EDM is an excellent method for this challenging task. 

5. Precision. As a rule of thumb, we recommend wire EDM services to our customers for applications where precision and accuracy are paramount. Wire EDM’s multi-axis machining capability cuts different features simultaneously, ensuring that the finished part is entirely within even the tightest tolerances.

6. Fine details. We can use small wire EDM to create tiny features without compromising the integrity of the part, like in the instance of a hypodermic needle. The wire diameter determines the size of the cut, and at Arbiser Machine, we can work with wires that are just wider than a strand of hair to achieve super-fine details. 

7. No burrs. CNC machined parts often need to be deburred—to remove imperfections. Wire EDM parts are typically cut to tolerance and meet surface finish specifications without the need for deburring. For high-volume parts requiring smooth finishes, wire EDM can save a substantial amount of lead time. 

8. Consistency. Each time a surgeon reaches for a new scalpel, it should feel exactly like the last one they used. Wire EDM produces consistency across parts that goes beyond making sure every part is in tolerance. That’s because the EDM wire is continually replenished. Unlike the tooling for CNC machining, which can wear down across a batch of parts, EDM ensures a fresh cut every time. 

9. Speed. When we use wire EDM for production parts, we turn these projects around quickly by strategically stacking multiple parts to cut simultaneously. But wire EDM isn’t only a fast solution for production quantities. Due to its minimal setup time, we regularly use wire EDM services for rapid prototyping as well. This way, if a surgeon tries a tool and needs it adjusted, we can produce new iterations quickly. 

Mini Case Study: Using Wire EDM for Medical Applications at Arbiser Machine

Want an example of how we use wire EDM services for medical applications? 

A customer approached us with a part that needed a .030” slot in an inch-long tube made of stainless steel. The part would likely have broken if we had tried to put an end mill in the tube wall to machine it conventionally. 

Even if we could have successfully used the end mill in the tube, it would have left behind a burr in the tunnel that would have been challenging to access and remove. Instead, we used wire EDM to create this part without breaking it or creating any burrs. 

For medical applications requiring superior care and attention to detail, you can rely on Arbiser Machine’s wire EDM services to get the job done. Request a quote today!