Medical Device Case Studies

Challenge: To grind two mating metal components, with a tight clearance requirement between their surfaces, to create a powered arthroscopic shaver used in orthopaedic joint surgeries.SolutionIn this application, two tubes are assembled, with as minimum a gap between the two parts as possible ‐sometimes as small as 0.0005” ...

ChallengeThe arthroscopic shaver teeth are commonly produced by conventional abrasive grinding, wire EDM, or laser cutting; slow processes resulting in long cycle times. EDM and laser cutting burn away the metal at high temperatures leaving changes to the metal surface including a heat affected zone, recast, and slag. Laser cutt...

Challenge: The customer is looking for a turnkey, one-operation automated process allowing a single-pass solution for Stainless Steel Bone Pins, for example.SolutionAble to hold extreme tolerances and fitted with a six-axis robot, cleaning, drying, and gauging stations, Glebar’s automated GT-610 CNC Infeed/Thrufeed High Prec...

Challenge: To grind two mating metal components, with a tight clearance requirement between their surfaces, to create a powered arthroscopic shaver used in orthopaedic joint surgeries.SolutionIn this application, two tubes are assembled, with as minimum a gap between the two parts as possible ‐sometimes as small as 0.0005” ...

Challenge: To size implantable spinal cord stimulation devices that deliver precise doses of electricity to targeted nerve sites for patients suffering from chronic back problems. The device is long and flexible, which made it difficult to handle. It is also constructed of dissimilar materials of varying diameters, from metal...

Asthma inhalers are comprised of a medicine canister fitting inside a plastic sleeve. When the patient pushes the canister, the stem, a small metal pin, releases an actuator inside the sleeve allowing the medication to be released and inhaled by the patient. The stem must mate properly with the actuator to ensure the medication is d...

Challenge: To thrufeed grind ceramic pellets, which are used to manufacture radiopharmaceuticals (radiotracers) used in CT scans. The pellet count had to be tracked through the machine and the customer needed to measure a set frequency of parts that would be programmable. In addition to accounting for all the components, the ...

Challenge: To point and shape catheter bodies free of debris and scratches, at high production rates.SolutionSome catheters require a grinding operation after extrusion in order to taper the distal end for flexibility. To increase flexibility, different durometer tubes are bonded or welded. This presents a challenge grinding ...

Challenge: Infeed grinding 0.010”  on two diameters over a 7” long metal drill blank in one operation while maintaining 0.0002” diameter accuracy, .00006 roundness and maintaining part straightness and concentricity. SolutionA GT-610-CNC was employed to automatically process the part. CNC dressing was used to compensa...

Challenge: Lack of a clear, simple method to inspect the geometric profile of many components. Existing systems are slow, unreliable, and complex to operate.SolutionGlebar’s P4K gauging system was designed to inspect components ranging from medical bone drills and guidewires to arthroscopic shavers to titanium fasteners with the push of a ...

Challenge: Lack of a clear, simple method to inspect the geometric profile of many components. Existing systems are slow, unreliable, and complex to operate.SolutionGlebar’s P4K gauging system was designed to inspect components ranging from medical guidewires and arthroscopic shavers to titanium fasteners and medical bone drills with the p...