Diamond Point Needles | Tridex PGS-100
Challenge
Traditional needle pointing relies on converted OD grinders with custom tooling and soft grinding wheels that wear quickly, requiring significant setup and changeover time and extensive mechanical adjustments. In most cases, parts must be taped before handling, adding steps to the production process and reducing overall efficiency. The primary cut produces a large internal burr that must be removed through secondary operations such as grit blasting or electropolishing, further extending cycle times. Complex needle point geometries, such as Menghini points, require a separate primary bevel cut followed by a secondary sharpening operation, compounding the time and cost of production.
The challenge was to develop a solution that eliminates taping, pre-processing, and post-processing steps while enabling quick setup and changeover and handling the full variety of needle point geometries used across the industry.
Process
The Tridex PGS-100 Point Grinding System serves as a fully programmable adjunct to the SG-1645 and SG-2060 electrochemical grinders, offering fast setup and changeover times for producing medical device points on tube or solid wire using the ECG process. Its servo-controlled design ensures high-precision rotation and repeatability, while an all-stainless steel construction provides the durability and robustness required for demanding production environments.
The PGS-100 can produce any number of facets, including tri-bevel, back-bevel, trocar, diamond, stylet, Franseen, Menghini, and custom points. Fully programmable part setup eliminates mechanical adjustments, making changeovers between diameters and tip geometries faster and easier, while simple loading and unloading tooling allows trained operators to run multiple machines simultaneously. By eliminating the need for grit blasting or taping, the PGS-100 significantly reduces cycle times and streamlines the overall production process. The system accommodates workpieces up to 4 in (100 mm) wide and supports secondary operations, including burr-free cross-slot grinding and notch cuts for biopsy needles. For high-volume pointing applications, the Tridex APM-SG Automated Pointing Machine Surface Grinder automates the entire PGS-100 process, continuously grinding on one side while automated loading and unloading run simultaneously on the other.
Contact an EngineerSolution: Tridex PGS-100 Point Grinding System
The Tridex PGS-100 Burr-Free Electrochemical Point Grinding System is a fully programmable pointing and material-handling system that integrates easily with the Tridex SG-1645 or SG-2060 ECG Grinders.
Using ECG, the PGS-100 manufactures a wide variety of medical device points on tubing or solid wire, such as medical needles or K-wires, burr-free. The PGS-100 handles a wide range of workpieces and delivers high throughput for specialty pointing applications.
