Furthermore, contamination can be avoided if the cutting tools used are not also used on metals. Standard liquid coolant can be used, unless e. This is because liquid coolant can affect the biocompatibility of PEEK. Drilling : Deep hole drilling can cause cracks, since PEEK has a lower elongation than other plastics. Share this blog:.
Latest Articles. Aerospace CNC machining: Lightweight titanium parts and more. Factors that affect CNC machining cost. Stay in the loop. PEEK plastic is commonly used for medical implants such as these dental healing caps. Machining it takes a different approach than machining metals.
Photo: Invibio. In fact, this material is showing up in an increasing number of medical shops all over the country. Valentine provides the following material and machining information for medical shops that may have vast experience machining titanium and stainless, but are just setting their sights on machining this polymer.
PEEK polymer is available in two basic grades: industrial and medical. The industrial-grade is a strong thermoplastic that retains its mechanical properties even at elevated temperatures. The flame-retardant material is abrasion resistant, has high impact strength and a low coefficient of friction.
Components made of this material are commonly used in the aerospace, automotive, chemical, electronics, petroleum, and food and beverage industries. Medical-grade PEEK possesses those same physical properties in addition to biocompatibility, high chemical resistance and compatibility with several different sterilization methods. This provides doctors with an unobstructed view of tissue and bone growth around the implant during the healing process.
Limy Sami liked this post. I used to machine it years back. We used it as a tiny chassis inside heart pacemakers very small parts. Apparently it's a good material to laser weld inside as it actually withstands the heat from the welding process. Like the others said, sharp carbide works fine. Btw, the price is about the same as when I machined it back in the early 90's.
Red James , doug , Limy Sami , rcoope liked this post. I take it you haven't worked with Vespel or Torlon yet. Originally Posted by wheelieking I was going to bring up Vespel, but you beat me to it! Professional Plastics says a. There was definitely some anxiety involved the first time I worked with it too.
Luckily the parts weren't super complicated. Like Wruss said above triple check! Too bad the chips aren't worth anything! I could be damn near retired now lol! Atomkinder liked this post. Machined it before, of all the plastics i have turned it really holds size the best, or really is alot more predictable IMO. Aluminum or plastic if you have the rpm cutters work best, I have seen it cut dry and wet depending on application. Havn't messed with it in a few years luckily. Zahnrad Kopf liked this post.
Well, ran these parts today, and have to tell you Other variations of medical-grade PEEK can be used for custom medical components and applications, such as articulating joints and spinal devices. Most shops receive PEEK in the form of rods of various lengths, ranging from 6mm to mm in diameter. Stress-relieving before machining through an annealing process is crucial, as it reduces the likelihood that surface cracks and internal stresses will occur from the heat generated.
Additional benefits of annealing include increased levels of crystallinity and the opportunity to limit dimensional changes.
If your PEEK components will undergo long stretches of machining time, it is likely you will require additional intermediate annealing steps to assure the ability to maintain critically tight tolerances and flatness. For medical-grade PEEK applications, the best way to avoid jeopardizing the biocompatibility of the material is to machine dry.
Any chips that are a result of machining medical-grade PEEK can be reused for industrial applications. Contamination is a serious concern when machining polymer components for technically demanding industries such as aerospace and medical.
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