Wexmar provides CNC machining for medical devices and medical equipment from our shop in Canastota, New York. Device companies, instrument makers and equipment OEMs use us as a medical device machine shop for Swiss-turned pins and shafts, instrument components, fittings, and machined housings for diagnostic and laboratory equipment. We work in stainless, titanium, aluminum and engineered plastics such as PEEK and acetal, and we supply CMM reports, material certs and lot traceability to support your device records.
What medical device buyers order from a machine shop
Medical hardware covers a wide spread of sizes, from small instrument components to equipment frames. Typical parts we quote include:
- Instrument shafts, pins and tips for reusable surgical and handheld instruments.
- Cannulated and cross-drilled components with small through-holes and tight concentricity.
- Threaded connectors, adapters and luer-style fittings for fluid handling equipment.
- Housings, covers and mounting plates for diagnostic, imaging and laboratory equipment.
- Positioning hardware such as hubs, knobs, bushings and linear guide components.
- Fixtures and test hardware used in device assembly and verification.
Materials common to medical hardware
Stainless steel dominates medical machining. 303 is chosen for machinability on non-contact hardware, 304 and 316L for corrosion resistance, 17-4 PH for strength, and 400-series grades such as 420 and 440C where hardness and edge retention matter after heat treat. Titanium Ti-6Al-4V and commercially pure titanium are used for lightweight, corrosion-resistant components. Aluminum 6061 and 7075 are common for equipment housings. Engineered plastics include PEEK, acetal (Delrin), Ultem and UHMW, typically sourced in grades with supplier documentation for the intended use. See our materials page for machining notes by grade.
Tolerances, finishes and documentation
Medical drawings often combine small features with tight tolerances. Typical callouts include ±.0005 in. on shaft diameters, ±.001 in. on hole locations, concentricity or runout within .001 in., and surface finish of 16 to 32 Ra on sliding or sealing surfaces. Edges must be free of burrs on anything a user or tissue could contact, so deburr requirements are reviewed at quote.
Passivation, electropolish, laser marking, anodizing and heat treat are performed through qualified outside processors, and their certs are kept with the lot. Documentation available includes:
- First article inspection in AS9102 format or your own FAI template.
- CMM reports and optical comparator data for small profiles.
- Mill material certs with heat-lot traceability for each production lot.
- Certificate of conformance referencing drawing number and revision.
Our quality system is ISO 9001:2015-aligned, with NIST-traceable CMMs and ISO/IEC 17025-aligned gage calibration. We review your supplier quality agreement and purchase order clauses at the time of quote.
Quantity patterns: prototype through production
Medical programs usually start with prototype lots of 5 to 25 pieces for design verification, move to pilot builds of a few hundred, then settle into production releases of 500 to 10,000 pieces for small turned parts. Equipment components tend to run in smaller lots of 10 to 200 aligned with system build schedules. We hold the same process and material source across releases so validated parts stay consistent.
How our floor handles CNC machining for medical devices
Swiss-type turning
Four Maier MLK-32 Swiss machines with FMB bar feeders produce long, slender shafts and small components to 32 mm diameter. The guide bushing supports the bar close to the cut, which holds straightness on high length-to-diameter parts, and the machines are lights-out capable for production counts. More on our Swiss machining page.
Turning and horizontal milling
Ten CNC lathes with live tooling and Y-axis cover larger turned parts, and six horizontal machining centers with pallet changers run 3- and 4-axis horizontal milling on housings and plates.
Inspection
Two Brown & Sharpe CMMs and a Mitsubishi optical comparator verify features that are hard to reach with hand gages.
Typical medical parts, materials and tolerances
| Part | Common material | Typical tolerance | Primary process |
|---|---|---|---|
| Instrument shaft | 17-4 PH, 420 | ±.0005 in. OD | Swiss |
| Cannulated pin | 316L, Ti-6Al-4V | ±.001 in., .001 in. runout | Swiss |
| Fluid fitting | 316L, PEEK | ±.001 in., class 3 threads | Swiss or lathe |
| Equipment housing | 6061-T6 | ±.002 in. general | Horizontal milling |
| Knob or hub | Acetal, 303 | ±.003 in. | Lathe with live tooling |
Getting a quote
Send your drawing, 3D model, quantities and any supplier quality requirements. You can upload a drawing for an instant estimate, and a human estimator reviews every quote before it is issued. For medical device work, call (315) 400-2654, Monday through Friday, 7 to 4 Eastern, or email ron@backwell.com.