SOLUTIONS FOR PRECISION SURFACES IN MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY

OTEC Präzisionsfinish GmbH combines Mass Finishing and Electro Finishing techniques to process surgical instruments, implants, prostheses, stents, impellers for heart pumps, and components made from titanium, CoCr, plastics, and 3D-printed materials. OTEC offers innovative surface treatment processes for medical technology and dental products, meeting the highest standards of precision, repeatability, and cost efficiency. By integrating mechanical methods such as stream finishing, drag finishing, and disc finishing with Electro Finishing, OTEC sets new benchmarks for quality and process reliability.

ADVANTAGES OF MASS FINISHING IN MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY

Mass Finishing brings numerous benefits, making it an essential method for surface processing of medical components:

Reproducible Precision
Ensures consistent, homogeneous surface treatment for high quality.
Gentle Processing
Avoids material deformation or microcracks that may occur with manual handling.
Efficient Deburring and Polishing
Smoothly removes burrs and sharp edges, leaving even surfaces.
Optimized Surface Roughness (Ra values)
Creates hygienic surfaces that minimize bacterial adhesion on implants or surgical tools.
Automation Potential
Highly efficient for serial production with consistent results.
Suitable for Delicate Components
Ideal for intricate designs and complex geometries such as bone screws or catheter components.

The smoothing of surfaces plays a critical role in reducing microscopic roughness, limiting contamination and germ adhesion. The biocompatibility of medical implants and instruments is preserved, as the process prevents material alterations. Removing burrs and surface defects also enhances corrosion resistance, minimizing the risk of degradation while improving the durability of components. Besides functional advantages, this method also offers aesthetic benefits. Homogeneous, polished surfaces improve the visual quality while fostering trust in medical devices. Automation further ensures consistent quality, reduces processing times, and minimizes manual reworking, enhancing efficiency and lowering production costs.

ADVANTAGES OF ELECTRO FINISHING IN MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY

Electro Finishing elevates surface quality to a new level, offering exceptional advantages:

Perfect Smoothing and High-Gloss Polishing
Eliminates microscopic roughness, improving biocompatibility.
No Material Loss at Critical Points
Enables selective processing without dimensional changes.
Retention of Cutting Performance
Maintains the sharpness of surgical instruments.
No Abrasive Contact
Prevents mechanical stress, making it ideal for sensitive components.
Access to Hard-to-Reach Areas
Suitable for treating complex internal contours, such as in minimally invasive instruments.

Microscopically smooth surfaces improve hygiene by reducing contamination and ensuring easier cleaning. Enhanced corrosion resistance results from chemical passivation, which shields metal surfaces from oxidation and chemical damage. Simultaneously, high-gloss surfaces enhance perceived quality. By combining mechanical processing and Electro Finishing, rework is minimized, waste is reduced, and overall production costs decrease, creating a clear economic advantage.

SURGICAL DRILLS – PRECISION, BURR-FREE, AND HYGIENIC

The production of surgical drills made of stainless steel demands precise deburring to ensure functionality and safety. Traditional manual processes are time-consuming and unreliable, often resulting in high rejection rates. OTEC’s SF-Series delivers reproducible results and short cycle times using pulse finishing technology. Complementary Electro Finishing with the EF-Series further smooths drill surfaces and removes microscopic irregularities. Key benefits include:

Maximum sharpness and burr-free edges, preserving cutting performance.
Optimized cleaning through chemically smoothed surfaces for easier removal of tissue and blood, improving hygiene and extending tool life.
Increased corrosion resistance thanks to passivated stainless steel surfaces resistant to cleaning agents and sterilization.

BONE SCREWS AND PLATES

For bone screws requiring sharp, burr-free edges and smooth surfaces, Mass Finishing ensures excellent results and can be enhanced with Electro Finishing for high-quality needs. The extended process chain removes microscopic peaks, prevents bacterial adhesion, and simplifies sterilization.

For bone plates, where strong edge rounding and a homogeneous surface are required, Mass Finishing combined with electrofinishing achieves flawless surfaces. This improves fit and
allows implants to be integrated stress-free into the body.

IMPLANTS – SURFACES FOR MAXIMUM FUNCTIONALITY

The lifespan of medical implants significantly depends on surface quality. Specific requirements such as smooth contact areas or high-gloss surfaces demand tailored processing solutions. High-Gloss polished joint implants: Hip and knee implants benefit from OTEC Mass Finishing, which removes machining marks and achieves surface roughness values of up to Ra = 0.01 μm. Electro Finishing complements the process by eliminating micro-scratches, creating highgloss, biocompatible surfaces that:

Reduce abrasion.
Increase glide performance.
Prolong implant durability.

COMPLEX PROSTHESES

For linked knee prostheses with intricate internal geometries, OTEC technologies provide ideal solutions:

Mass Finishing efficiently processes hard-to-reach areas through controlled motion and specific workpiece angles.
Electro Finishing smooths complex geometries, enhances resistance to external factors, and improves the sliding properties of contact areas

AUTOMATION – EFFICIENCY THROUGH ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY

OTEC’s SF-Series machines enable high efficiency with optional robotic loading systems for seamless integration into production lines. Future automation within Electro Finishing processes will further support the treatment of large volumes with consistently high quality.

STENTS – SMOOTH SURFACES FOR OPTIMAL BIOCOMPATIBILITY

Stent processing requires unmatched precision and smooth surfaces to optimize blood flow dynamics and biocompatibility. OTEC’s Electro Finishing solution efficiently processes both metallic and polymer-based stents:

Burr-free edges through gentle pulse finishing.
Optimized surfaces: Electro Finishing removes microscopic irregularities and creates a mirror-smooth surface that reduces platelet adhesion.
Increased longevity via enhanced surface resistance, critical in corrosive bodily environments.

IMPELLER – PRECISION FOR VITAL APPLICATIONS

Heart pump impellers demand strict compliance with requirements for precision, functionality, and biocompatibility. OTEC provides tailored methods for processing these complex components:

Precision geometries – Drag Finishing ensures meticulous treatment of intricate designs like impeller blades.
Improved surface quality – Electro Finishing creates smooth, polished surfaces to optimize blood flow and prevent deposits.
Comprehensive safety – the combination of OTEC processes ensures precision without material weakening, guaranteeing stability and functionality.

OTEC technologies enable the serial processing of impellers to consistently high standards, ensuring the reliable operation of heart pumps.

PROCESSING OF SPECIAL MATERIALS IN MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY

TITANIUM AND COCR

Titanium and cobalt-chromium alloys (CoCr) are critical in medical technology due to their biocompatibility, durability, and mechanical strength. However, they present unique challenges in processing. OTEC offers specialized solutions for precise and burr-free results:

Titanium: Electro Finishing reduces roughness and produces chemically stable, smooth surfaces ideal for in-body use.

CoCr: This hard, wear-resistant material benefits from a tailored combination of Drag Finishing and Electro Finishing for even, high-gloss surfaces, essential for joint implants and prostheses.

3D-PRINTED COMPONENTS

Additive manufacturing (3D printing) offers new possibilities in medical technology but requires extensive post-processing due to layer lines and rough surfaces. OTEC provides customized solutions to address these challenges:

Mass Finishing: Ideal for complex geometries commonly found in 3D-printed implants or prostheses. Precisely controlled processing smooths surfaces without altering geometry.
Electro Finishing: Creates mirror-like finishes, enhancing functionality, biocompatibility, and cleanliness. This method is particularly beneficial for 3D-printed stents and implants, extending their service life.

The processing of titanium, CoCr and 3D-printed materials shows how OTEC uses innovative technologies to meet the diverse requirements in medical technology.

YOUR PARTNER FOR PERFECT SURFACES

OTEC combines Mass Finishing and Electro Finishing to provide optimal solutions for any surface requirement. We invite you to discover the precision and efficiency of our processes tailored to your specific needs. At our in-house Finishing Center, clients from around the world can process sample components to define the ideal method.

OTEC Präzisionsfinish GmbH – Your Expert in Surface Precision.

OTEC Präzisionsfinish GmbH
Heinrich-Hertz-Straße 24
75334 Straubenhardt-Conweiler
Germany +49 7082 4911 711
sales@otec.de

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