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Medical nitinol processing: How NiTi is turned into wire, tubes and sheets for medical devices

September 12, 2023 By Jim Hammerand

One result of medical nitinol processing is a stent; pictured are two stents made of medical-grade nitinol, one compressed and the other expanded. — Medical nitinol processing turns nitinol rods into tubes that can be cut to make stents like these — one compressed and the other expanded. [Photo by Zarathustra via Adobe Stock]

Medical nitinol processing transforms raw nickel-titanium alloy into wire, coils, tubes and sheets for medical and dental device manufacturers.

We previously covered nitinol’s journey from the earth’s crust through high-temperature melting crucibles and forging operations to create nitinol ingots and then smaller, more workable shapes such as rods and plates.

But turning those into wires, coils, tubes and sheets can be challenging due to the same superelastic and shape memory properties that make nitinol so appealing for a variety of advanced medtech applications.

Read the rest at Medical Design & Outsourcing.

About Jim Hammerand

Jim Hammerand is the managing editor of Medical Design & Outsourcing. He has more than 15 years of professional journalism experience spanning newspapers, magazines, websites and broadcast news. For nearly a decade, he reported and edited business news for American City Business Journals as a reporter and digital editor at the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal and then managing editor of the Puget Sound Business Journal in Seattle. He holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Minnesota. He is based near Seattle in Edmonds, Washington, where he and his family live. Connect with him on LinkedIn or by email at jimhammerand@wtwhmedia.com.