Orthodontic Bracket Medical Prouducts

Application of MIM Technology in Medical Products

1. Medical products manufactured by MIM

Medical products generally require good usability and long service life, and flexible design in structure and shape.

MIM technology was first applied in medical products in the early 1980s, and has become the fastest growing area of MIM market.

Figure 1 shows the proportion of MIM technology in different industries in North America in 2015. It can be seen that medical treatment and dentistry have become the main MIM application field in North America.

At present, most of the MIM products for medical use are stainless steel, the main brands are 316L and 17-4PH, as well as titanium alloys, magnesium alloys, gold, silver, tantalum and so on.

A. Orthodontic bracket

MIM technology was first used to make some dental orthodontics in medical field. These precision products are very small in size, biocompatibility and corrosion resistance. The main material used is 316L stainless steel. At present, orthodontic brackets are still the main products in MIM industry.

Forestadent Company of Germany produced a two-way inverted orthodontic bracket by MIM. The mechanical retention force can be increased by 30%. The bracket's friction to the arch wire can be greatly reduced by polishing after one-time forming. The product has been proved by Bjorn Ludwig to have a positive role in orthodontic surgery.