medical device coating
medical device coating
Biocompatible Chromium Coating (ME-92)
ME-92 Medical Grade Thin Dense Chrome – Clean, Precise, and High-Performing
Medical Coating
Creating More Effective Medical Instruments
Enhancing Applications Across the Medical Industry Worldwide
The Armoloy Corporation helps medical professionals protect their high-precision devices and instruments with our biocompatible Thin Dense Chrome coatings.
ME92 thin dense chrome, initially designed for surgical instruments, is the preferred solution for use in lab environments, cleanrooms, and a wide range of medical applications, and it’s also well-suited for food processing equipment. This preference arises from the process’s exceptional cleanliness and minimal exposure to contact materials. ME92 improves lubrication properties, is chemical resistant, easy to clean, and strengthens metal surfaces for wear and corrosion applications as well. With multi-value attributes and benefits, ME92 prolongs the lifespan of critical equipment, enhances performance consistency, and effectively eliminates contamination risks. The ME92 process also offers multiple sheen and color variations to cater to non-reflective applications and meet aesthetic preferences.
Armoloy ME-92 Highlights
- High surface hardness
- Hydrophobic
- Excellent wear resistance
- Absolute adhesion
- Eliminates galling
- Non-magnetic
- Compatible with nearly every base metal type
- Non-reflective, platinum and satin finishes available
- Antimicrobial
Proven applications
Applying ME-92 Biocompatible Chromium can improve the long-term performance of applications within the following industries, as well as many others:
- Medical instruments and devices
- Medical packaging
- Surgical tools
- Veterinary surgical tools
- Robotics
- Clean room applications
- Pharmaceutical packaging
- Orthopedic tooling
- Endoscopic cutters
- Dental reamers
- Saws
- Taps
- Drills
- Laboratory environment
- Stamps
- Dies
- Rolls
- Pumps & valves
- Mobile medical devices
- Refurbishment of surgical tools & equipment
Certifications
- SAE AMS2438 Plating, Chromium Thin, Hard, Dense Deposit
- SAE AMS2406 | AMS-QQ-C-320, Chromium Plating (Electrodeposited)
- AMS2460 SAE, Plating, Chromium
- USP Class VI
- Tripartite/ISO
- Anti-microbial
- Sterilization Procedures Including:
- Steam Autoclave
- STERIS SYSTEM 1
- STERRAD Sterilization
- Gamma X Ray
- Bleach Exposure
- Boiling
- Detergent scrubbing
- STERIS EtO
ME-92® Finish Comparison
ME-92® Biocompatible Chromium is available in three finishes – satin, non-reflective, and platinum
Performance Characteristics
ME-92 TDC by the Numbers
- Surface hardness up to 72Rc
- Deposit thickness ranging from 0.00004” to 0.001” (1.016 to 25.4 µm)
- Processing temperature < 160°F (<71°C)
- Bond strength of 125,000 PSI
- Corrosion resistance tested to AMS 2438 per ASTM B-117
- Certified biocompatible to ISO 10993-1
- Porosity tested per AMS 2460
- Withstands temperatures of -400°F to 1600°F (-240°C - 870°C)
- Thermal expansion of 2.7 – 4.6 (10¯⁶/°F)
- Up to 56% reduction in coefficient of friction
- Wear resistance less than 1.2 TWI per AMS 2438
ME-92 Features & Benefits
Biocompatible
Certified safe for use in medical devices and instruments, as well as clean-room applications
Absolute Adhesion to base material
Maintains cutting edges and provides a hard, scratch resistant, nonstick, easy to clean surface
Hydrophobic
Arrests moisture and water buildup, further enhancing corrosion resistance
Chemical Resistant
Compatible with caustic sterilization procedures
Anti-microbial surface
Naturally eliminates buildup of harmful bacteria
Diverse Appearances
Three finishes are available to suit your specific application: Non-Reflective, Platinum, and Satin
Completely Inert
Will not cause or promote change in structure, maintaining component integrity
No sharp edge buildup
Minimizes dimensional change
Improved fatigue life
Hard surface of TDC reduces surface roughness, increasing fatigue life in certain components
Temperature resistant
Chrome coatings perform well at high temperatures, maintaining their protective properties
Low friction
Significantly increases life of rolling and sliding applications
Barrier against base metal allergens
Eliminates patient sensitivity to base metals such as nickel
The Science Behind ME-92
The design of the Armoloy’s ME-92 pure biocompatible chromium coating makes it uniquely engineered to serve the medical industry. Applied with the utmost precision, this coating is completely inert and developed in a highly sanitized facility free of latex to meet all necessary compliance measures.
The process for developing ME-92 will begin by obtaining customer’s individual production requirements—including finish, deposit thickness, and more. When developing the ME-92 coating, our team of experts utilize electrolytic plating and a low-temperature process to uniformly apply the pure metallic chromium. This process ensures that the integrity of the application’s material remains intact.
By bonding the coating to the application’s material, Armoloy ensures absolute adhesion and high ductility. This means that the coating will not only prevent chips, flakes, and peels, but also any separation from the material under stress. The end result is a dramatic improvement to the instrument’s appearance and performance—as well as its longevity by:
- Increasing wear and corrosion resistance
- Improving surface hardness and chemical resistance
- And eliminating galling
Additional Metal Treatments
Services at Armoloy
The Armoloy Corporation is here to provide support for your project, starting from the discovery phase and continuing through a successful production launch. Whether coatings are considered during the initial part design phase or become necessary due to product failures in the field, our team can assist you at any stage in the process.
How Metals Fail
Some of the most common metal failures include:
Armoloy’s different metal coating solutions help industries avoid costly metal failures and unplanned downtime.
Partner With Us
Improve metal surface performance to its highest pinnacle. Meet our group of curious, innovative engineers and learn how we can help improve your industry with science-based solutions.