 |
| Main Menu | News By Date | News By Supplier | News By Category | About Us |
|
NEW STEEL BOOSTS HIP STEM SALES FOR JRI
Specialists in the manufacture of hip and knee replacement prostheses, JRI chose the new steel for a range of femoral stems. It promoted the new product as offering exceptional value whilst retaining the proven geometry of the Furlong Straight Stem designs. High nitrogen stainless steel is now regarded by the UK medical industry as the material of choice for cemented hip prostheses. It has better corrosion resistance and a much higher yield and fatigue strength than conventional stainless steels. At the same time it meets or exceeds all international specifications for micro-cleanliness. Most hip stems are produced by hot forging, which results in a fully softened microstructure in the metal. In the annealed condition, Bioline High-N exhibits a yield strength more than twice that of standard stainless grade 316LVM. Work hardening, induced by cold working the material, results in an increase in yield strength. It is predominantly this property in combination with improved biocompatibility that makes High-N type steels the material of choice. JRI's experience with machining the new steel has been good. Group Technical Manager Keith Jackson says, 'Because of the consistency of the Bioline High-N material from batch to batch, we have been able to optimise machining speed and feed rates and maximise production yield. It also means a high quality end product. The Furlong system is designed for reproducible good results, which, combined with the benefits of the new steel, means that customer feedback has been very positive. No doubt, this is reflected in the substantial increase in sales'.
|
| ©2008 New Materials International |