Marshall Manufacturing offers custom 2D and 3D tubular and wire components for medical device design. When developing medical devices, designers not only need to be concerned with fit, form, and function, but also manufacturability of the device (including cost and feasibility). Additionally, as the design develops, an iterative process of prototyping may be needed until the design is finalized. Medical device components that require bending generally have machined features on both ends of the wire or tube, often with additional features along the length. These components often require specific features to be oriented to other features in three dimension. For example, a cross hole or slot on a bent tube may need to mate with a similar feature in another component. The cost of adding this feature after bending may be cost prohibitive to a device in comparison with creating the feature prior to bending. The company’s CNC bending capability often allows stock to be completely machined prior to bending, orienting the features as the part is bent.

Mandrels and other tooling are often required to produce the required shapes. Custom 2D and 3D shaped diameters are available in tubes from 0.035 to 0.500 in. and wire from 0.060 to 0.315 in. Component lengths range from 5.75 to 60 in. Materials include stainless steel, titanium, MP35N, L605 and many other metals. Such capabilities provide medical designers with freedom to create innovative and intricate medical components, including introducers, implantable spine components, orthopedic products, and other medical devices. The company offers design assistance for manufacturability and real-parts prototyping service. Complete capabilities for custom CNC precision bending, CNC Swiss machining, wire EDM, CNC milling, and electropolishing are offered as well. A full range of needle tips for wire are manufacturable, including trocar points, taper points, bullet points, and more. Features available for tubing include flaring or swaging.

Tubes may also be threaded, stamped to produce oval shapes, laser etched, burnished, and laser welded. The company can also fulfill customer requirements for specially shaped windows, slots, and patterned shapes in cannula walls. These shapes can be produced using wire EDM or laser. Additional processes available include knurling, milling, stamping, broaching, burnishing, heat treating, electro cleaning, electro polishing, and plating. Laser etching is also available for part traceability. The company’s quality management system is registered to ISO 13485:2003 and ISO 9001:2008.