Stainless Steels, Cobalt-Chromium and Titanium Alloys
for Medical Devices

Learning Objectives:
Upon completion of this course, you should be able to:
  • Summarize basic metallurgy concepts including crystal structure and what happens within a metal when it undergoes forming processes such forging
  • Describe the key attributes of implantable metals and why these requirements limit the choices for implantable metals
  • List the main categories of stainless steels, cobalt alloys and titanium alloys and recognize that their chemical composition and processing have a pronounced effect on their corrosion resistance and mechanical properties
  • Discuss why production processes have significant impact on microstructure and mechanical properties of metals
  • Recognize that there is variation in critical properties such as high cycle fatigue strength and explain some of the reasons for this
  • Locate information sources (e.g. ASTM standards) that characterize key implantable materials
  • Describe recent developments, such as improved stainless steels and beta titanium alloys, that offer improvements in mechanical properties and corrosion resistance

Who Should Attend:
Medical device producers or suppliers, including design and development engineers, manufacturing and process engineers and technicians, clinicians, research personnel who are new to the device industry or need a refresher course in metals, quality assurance and regulatory personnel, and sales and marketing employees.

Outline:
  1. Review of Basic Metallurgy
  2. Brief History of Alloys and Medical Device Applications
  3. How Alloys Are Produced
  4. Classification and Identification
  5. Mechanical Properties
  6. Corrosion-Resistance and Biocompatibility
  7. Overview of Key Manufacturing Processes for Implants
  8. Effects of Processing on Mechanical Properties
  9. Typical Applications
  10. Comparison with Other Alloys
  11. What’s New on the Horizon

About the Instructor:
Phillip Andersen holds a Ph.D. in Metallurgical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin and specializes in providing metallurgical advice to the medical device community. Prior to starting his consulting practice, Dr. Andersen served as the Director of Research for Zimmer, Inc., a leading producer of orthopedic implants. During his two-decade tenure at Zimmer, he held both research and manufacturing positions, focusing on process development and problem solving, and gained a broad exposure to the alloys and manufacturing processes used in the medical device industry.