Why Electropolishing is the Gold Standard for Cleanroom Integrity
In a controlled environment, “clean” is not an aesthetic, it is a measurable technical requirement. Whether you are operating a …
Forms made of metal can be finished in many different ways.
Among the most popular finishes for medical and pharmaceutical applications is electropolishing. For custom wire and sheet metal forms in the industry, electropolishing stainless steel provides several crucial advantages.
This article provides an overview of stainless steel electropolishing as well as its benefits for pharmaceuticals and medical devices.
An electrochemical polishing process removes material from a metallic workpiece by electropolishing. Surface roughness is reduced by removing microscopic peaks and valleys, improving the surface finish. As an alternative to mechanically polishing stainless steel, which can be highly abrasive, this technique is often used.
By using a chemical bath, electropolishing stainless steel procedures remove impurities from its surface. This is similar to passivation. In electropolishing stainless steel solutions, an electric current is applied to the solution.
Electrolytic solutions dissolve the surface layer of the material being electropolished when a current is run through them. Almost mirror-like, microscopically smooth surfaces remain.
For medical and pharmaceutical applications, what are the advantages of stainless steel electropolish over plain surface finishes?
Every medical or pharmaceutical application must adhere to strict sanitation standards. Microbes and soils can hide in small spots created by rough or uneven surfaces in medical tools and containers. When medical equipment is cleaned, the risk of bacteria, viruses, and soils remaining may increase.
As a result of electropolishing stainless steel, these microscopic hiding spots are eliminated, making it impossible for contaminants to hide. Between uses, electropolished stainless steel equipment can be fully sterilized.
It is beneficial to have a microscopically smooth surface on the parts of complicated medical equipment to reduce friction. To prevent galling and seizing, manufacturers of medical equipment often use electropolishing techniques on their products.
Thin, thread-like materials are commonly used here.
It is just as important for a part or tool to look clean as it is for it to be clean in a medical setting. It’s not easy to be confident in the sterility of a scalpel with burn marks on the joint between the blade and handle.
Through electropolishing, stainless steel surfaces are left clean, smooth, and uniform in appearance. A sterile part or tool can be easily identified this way.
The electropolishing process can also remove sharps and burrs that remain after welds or other metal forming processes on stainless steel. Making metal forms safer for manual use can be accomplished by cutting out sharp edges and burrs.
In a medical or pharmaceutical setting, this helps prevent minor injuries and contamination.
It is common for reshaped parts to leave microscopic fissures on their surfaces as a result of the shaping process. Especially prevalent in cold-formed metal trays and baskets (i.e. bent without heat).
Although most medical applications do not require force to clean parts, there are some situations where a storage basket’s maximum capacity may be tested. The basket can become weak in these instances when microscopic surface fractures are aggravated and deepened.
Due to electropolishing, these microscopic fissures can also be removed from stainless steel forms. Getting rid of minor flaws in an electropolished wire makes it stronger than a non-electropolished wire of the same thickness.
Stainless steel used in pharmaceutical applications benefits from electropolishing. Get in touch with Anopol today to learn more about using custom metal forms in medical and pharmaceutical applications.
In a controlled environment, “clean” is not an aesthetic, it is a measurable technical requirement. Whether you are operating a …
When it comes to surface finishing, the stakes are higher than many realise. Specify the wrong process and you risk …
Across the UK and global medical sector, electropolishing is no longer viewed as a finishing upgrade. It is increasingly being …
In the world of British manufacturing, from aerospace in the Midlands to marine engineering on our coasts, stainless steel is …
