Current Process
Biopsy needle notches are machined using milling, conventional abrasive grinding, or wire EDM.
Challenges
Exposing the material to high heat can affect the chemistry and mechanical properties of the material requiring manual secondary finishing operations. Setup and production are slow, requiring extensive mechanical adjustments. Frequent wheel dressing causes faster wearing, resulting in higher tooling costs.
Solution
Glebar’s Tridex SG-1645 NC/CNC and SG-2060 CNC Burr-Free Electrochemical Grinding (ECG) Machines
Electrolytic Grinding (ECG) provides fast, accurate, and burr-free results with no metallurgical damage and no distortion. Burr-free grinding eliminates the need for deburring or other secondary operations, improving productivity and reducing scrap.
Biopsy needle pointing can be completed using the PGS-100 ECG Point Grinding System. The PGS-100 can be easily added to the SG-1645 and SG-2060. It is a fully programmable pointing and material handling system with the ability to manufacture a wide variety of medical device points on tubing or solid wire using electrolytic grinding.
Almost all metals can be cut burr-free.
Increases throughput by notching multiple needles per cycle.
Less frequent wheel truing and dressing reduce tooling costs.
Maintains tight tolerances on complex grinds in high production environments.
Loading time can be reduced to almost zero using the optional pallet loader and 180-degree index table.
