The ideal heat treatment for surgical instruments

06.08.2020
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Surgical instruments are exposed to extreme environmental conditions when in use and still have to fulfill the highest quality criteria in terms of hygiene. Technological advancements have led to a substantial progress in providing the latter. The right choice of material sets the foundation for meeting quality requirements.

While silver was used previously for surgical instruments, technical progress has taught us that stainless steel, titanium or tantalum have much better basic properties. However, the right material alone is not enough. The extraordinary areas of application of surgical instruments call for the most precisely matched and performed heat treatment.

Only the combination of material and heat treatment can guarantee:

  • Resistance to wear & corrosion
  • Resistance to acid and blood
  • Resistance to rupture
  • Excellent cleanability
  • Long life & durability of the surfaces 
  • Biocompatibility of the surfaces

RUBIG provides different heat treatment processes for surgical instruments and other components in medicine or medical devices. For vacuum hardening, an MDSAP certificate is provided. But the service portfolio includes much more, e.g. DLC coating or plasma nitriding.