Silver-clad copper (Sil-Cop) has been selected for medical extrusion core wire for many years. Sil-Cop is highly popular for its elongation characteristics and biocompatibility. However, there has recently been a shift in choosing stainless steel for medical extrusion core wire. Continue reading to learn why stainless steel has become the number one choice of material for medical extrusion core wire.
Eliminated Risk of Flaking:
The biggest reason that stainless steel is the best choice for medical extrusion core wire is its ability to eliminate flaking. When using Sil-Cop, often times the silver cladding flakes and leaves residue in catheters and equipment. Flaking is a major contaminant issue, and that is why stainless steel is a better option for medical extrusion core wire. Stainless steel guarantees to not flake because it is a single alloy wire.
Wide Range of Impressive Characteristics:
Stainless steel provides strong overall performance in a range of categories. Annealed stainless steel nearly carries the exact physical properties of the highly popular Silver Clad or Tin Clad Copper wire. Stainless steel remains very uniform under a range of force levels and has a high yield under force. We recommend choosing stainless steel with a high-quality surface finish to allow for adequate friction during the extrusion process.
Efficient Lead Times and Inexpensive Cost:
As stainless steel is a solid material, it dramatically reduces the time of production when making custom sizes compared to other materials. We recommend 300 series stainless steel for extrusion core wire as the pricing is also relatively inexpensive compared to more exotic materials.
While Sil-Cop has long been the number one choice for medical extrusion core wire, it is clear there are numerous additional benefits of choosing stainless steel. If you are looking to buy stainless steel core wire, choose Loos Med Tech! Our stainless steel elasticore® wire is manufactured with extreme precision, and we are capable of manufacturing to custom sizes when required.
If you would like to learn more about the benefits of stainless steel versus Sil-Cop as an extrusion mandrel, check out our white papers here. Alternatively, if you have any questions, our team is happy to help! Reach out to us by email at sales@loosco.com or by phone at (860) 928-7981.