Providing Unsurpassed Quality for Complicated Medical CNC Solutions

There’s nothing more rewarding than knowing your work has a profound impact on improving and saving lives. Ben Machine’s long history of CNC machining for the medical industry is the most satisfying work we do. Since our founding 50 years ago, we have maintained our position on technology’s cutting edge. That has put us squarely in the midst of the most exciting medical advancements.

We have garnered quite the history of working with companies in the medical industry, producing components for medical devices like digital imagers, robotic surgical aids, and even advancements in nuclear medicine. CNC machining medical devices is in large part an extension of our aerospace and nuclear industry work. The same high levels of precision, testing, and traceability are required for all three.

The Ben Machine Difference in Medical Industry

Ben Machine focuses incessantly on pushing the limits of what we can accomplish for CNC machining medical services. We’ve stayed up with the latest machines, training, and techniques. We learn on the latest alloys and polymers. We use the latest cleaning, finishes and testing regimens. Our engineers keep up with the best practices for producing medical devices.

CNC machining medical devices requires avoiding some common processes and reorganizing others to eliminate possible stray particles or other contaminants. For example, many CNC machine shops will bow out of producing medical devices specifically because of the cooling challenges. We have learned that at times components for medical devices have to be machined without the benefit of coolant. This creates possibilities for work hardening the parts, the creation of microscopic cracking, and shorter tool life. Heating caused by dry machining can also cause dimensional distortion. All of these things have to be taken into account for particularly sensitive projects. It’s not the kind of work a lot of CNC machine shops can take on.

Once machining is done, medical parts have to be thoroughly cleaned. Ultrasonic cleaning, which is often used, can’t be used in some cases due to the possibility of creating micro fractures in the parts. Cleaning of medical parts is one of the most common reasons Ben Machine gets called in to rescue a project that’s having problems.

Seeing the Unseen: The Robotic Digital Microscopy Case Study

It’s no secret that Ben Machine has long been involved in the manufacture of the Canadarm on the space shuttle and the International Space Station. Now that company is joining with a medical technology company to produce an automated robotic digital microscope to assist in brain surgery, and Ben Machine is there. This latest technology will give neurosurgeons the ability to see digitally augmented brain structures in 3D in real-time.

The voice-controlled robotic system will reduce chances of post-operative infection while giving surgeons a stable platform with the ability to zoom in and see details for the first time ever as they operate. This will bring new cures and treatments for countless people. Scaling down the Canadarm and repurposing it as a platform for a medical device makes this both familiar and cutting-edge territory for us.

Thinking Smaller, While Solving Big Problems: Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Medical imaging has exploded in recent decades with huge, noisy, often claustrophobic machines that would make anyone nervous. You have to schedule an appointment and keep so still. It’s not anyone’s favorite pastime, but they do save lives.

One company, though, had a thought. What if they could focus on the most common use of MRI machines? They went through countless prototypes and designs, shrinking this, boosting that, and changing the sensors and software. They ran into problems with the components of their new imager during development. When they couldn’t circumvent the issues, they called Ben Machine. We were able to implement our standard medical manufacturing protocols to guarantee the safety and suitability of their parts. Bringing us in solved their problems. Now they’re rolling out a smaller, lighter MRI that focuses solely on the head.

For the first time, the MRI can be brought to the patient instead of the patient having to go to the MRI. They can be located in ERs, ICUs, and other settings where quick access is crucial. Stroke or head trauma patients can be scanned much more quickly, providing doctors with the details they need to preserve quality of life, if not actually save the life. It even utilizes room temperature superconducting magnets, which will allow MRIs to be used in emergency situations by groups like Doctors Without Borders. It’s truly life-changing technology.

Ben Machine’s Role in the Medical Industry

Ben Machine provides two crucial roles in CNC machining medical services. Our ability to quickly produce accurate prototypes speeds product development, lowers costs, and improves the final quality. Then our continued involvement manufacturing critical components for the finished devices provides components and assemblies that are thoroughly machined, tested, finished, cleaned, and packaged to protect against infectious agents or contaminants. Every single piece is measured to meet every specification. Every part is packaged to keep it protected until it’s installed. Decades of practice have made us old hands at handling medical CNC machining the right way.