Mallet Shaft for a Surgical Application

As a member of the medical manufacturing community, McCormick Industries provides the extra level of precision needed to manufacture the most reliable and safest medical device components. We manufactured the shaft highlighted here for a mallet used in surgical applications. One of the challenging aspects of this project involved providing a smooth, blemish-free surface finish on the final product.

Constructed from high strength 17-4 stainless steel, this mallet shaft featured overall dimensions of 9.163″ in length x .709″ in diameter. As one of our core strengths, we have the technical capability to leverage the speed and precision of our high-end Swiss machinery to produce parts with very close tolerances. By choosing the best tools for cutting stainless steel, we formed the complicated features including flanges, fillets, grooves, and radii. A high-pressure coolant system, which prevented heat build-up during machining, allowed us to achieve very fast cycle times. Also, without excessive heating, the tools retained their cutting accuracy for a longer period of time, which reduced overall tooling expense.

Secondary operations involved sanding and polishing with a buffing wheel. This allowed us to create a highly polished surface, free from any nicks, dings or scratches. Producing a smooth finish was a critical part of the operation, as minor abrasions could likely serve as a hiding place for potentially dangerous pathogens, putting patients at risk for infection. In addition to accomplishing the exceptional surface finish, we held a tolerance of ±.002″ on the diameter and ±.002″ on all critical features.

To learn more about this project or our production capabilities, contact us today.