Medical Devices and Sheet Metal Processing

We are getting ready for Shanghai and for plenty of conversations around materials, manufacturing challenges, and current medical device projects. If you are attending, stop by and say hello. You will find us in Hall N1, Booth 1D206 in the German Pavillon.

You do not need a finished design to start the right conversation. At Medical Technology Ireland, Markus Binder and Chris Janker will be there to talk through projects at every stage, from early ideas to reliable production. Materials, tolerances, manufacturability, and process decisions all shape that path. Getting them right early can save iterations later. If you are working on something new or refining an existing device, come and talk our team.

Where does Nitinol expertise actually come from? Years of working with the material teach you a lot. Staying curious is what keeps that knowledge growing. Nitinol gives us plenty of reasons to keep asking questions. How do different shape-setting parameters influence material behavior? How closely can simulation predict what we later measure? What does a surface treatment change beyond what we can see? And what can we do when geometries push laser processing to its limits? At MeKo, our in-house simulation, testing and process development capabilities allow us to investigate many of these questions ourselves and connect the findings directly with what we see in manufacturing. And when different perspectives come together, there is even more to learn. Through the PRIME Project , we work alongside specialists across the Nitinol value chain to compare results, challenge assumptions and build a broader understanding together. Every new insight adds to the knowledge we can draw on when the next Nitinol challenge arrives, for our customers and for the wider shape memory alloy community.

At Medtec China, our experts Martin Kundrus and Thomas Hueerkamp will be there to talk materials, manufacturing, and the challenges that come with both. Nitinol, stainless steel, bioresorbable magnesium, or polymers. Each material behaves differently, and processing it accordingly can make all the difference in the final component. If you are attending, come meet our team and bring your questions, ideas, or current projects along.

Our calendar for the second half of 2026 is filling up, and once again, it will take us around the world . What we enjoy most about these events is talking through projects and new ideas with the people behind them, whether we have worked together for years or are meeting for the first time. Take a look at our upcoming stops and save the dates. More details on each event will follow as we get closer.

This week, we welcomed eight new apprentices . At the same time, two of our apprentices continued their journey at MeKo by starting an advanced apprenticeship. Over the past two days, our new apprentices had the chance to settle in before starting in their departments. They met the people they'll be working with, learned how MeKo works as a whole, and built the first hands-on skills and connections that will support them throughout their apprenticeship. Along the way, they also met their trainers as well as their apprenticeship buddies, experienced apprentices who will support them throughout their first months at MeKo. A big thank you to everyone who made these days smooth and welcoming. Now it's time for the next step. From today on, they'll join their respective departments and continue their vocational journey alongside our teams. Welcome to MeKo. We wish all ten of you a great start and look forward to seeing where your journey takes you.

What does automation look like in medical device manufacturing? It helps keep processes stable, supports consistent quality, and allows our team to focus where experience and human judgment make the biggest difference. Here is a look behind the scenes:

Ready for another trade show season. Over the years, our sample cases have become a familiar companion at customer visits and exhibitions . Inside are flexible Nitinol structures, laser-drilled microholes, tiny X-ray markers, welded assemblies, and different surface finishes, all designed to turn technical discussions into something you can see, touch, and explore. As our portfolio continues to grow, so do the ways we present it. Alongside our larger sample cases, we've developed a new slim version that fits easily into a briefcase while still showcasing a broad range of MeKo capabilities. We'll be bringing it to customer visits and trade shows throughout the coming months. If you spot one of our colleagues, feel free to ask for a closer look.

Behind that milestone, our teams in Costa Rica and Sarstedt have been working closely to prepare the facility for operations. As the cleanroom is now equipped, the focus is on transferring knowledge, establishing proven processes, and ensuring the same quality standards our customers know from MeKo. Expanding internationally is never just about opening another location. It is about bringing decades of manufacturing experience to a new team and creating the foundation for long-term collaboration. We're looking forward to sharing the next milestones as our Costa Rica facility moves closer to welcoming its first projects.

Hand someone this component, and they will almost always do the same thing: They rotate it, flex it, and try to work out how it stays together. That reaction is exactly why we made it. At first, it almost looks impossible. Every segment is completely separated from the next, yet the structure remains mechanically connected through its interlocking geometry alone. With its 25 mm diameter, the geometry becomes easy to explore by hand and even easier to understand. Interlocking designs like these are used wherever flexibility and controlled movement need to coexist, for example in steerable systems or cable-guiding applications. We regularly bring this Flextube, together with versions in smaller diameters, to trade fairs and customer meetings. It gives us a practical way to explore different cutting patterns, movement characteristics, and manufacturing possibilities long before a specific component has been designed. Choosing a manufacturing partner is not only about knowing what can be produced. It is also about understanding what becomes possible once manufacturing experience becomes part of the conversation. This Flextube was built for exactly that reason. It makes the possibilities of laser-cutting tangible, sparks curiosity, and often turns a simple "How does this work?" into "Could we use something like this for our device?"

A Nitinol component can meet every dimension on the drawing and still not behave as intended. At first, that sounds impossible. If every tolerance is met, shouldn't the component perform exactly as designed? For many implant alloys, geometry tells most of the story. With Nitinol, it doesn't. Its superelastic behavior depends on a reversible transformation within its crystal structure. And unlike geometry, that behavior isn't defined by the drawing alone. It is influenced by how the material has been processed. Every shape setting, every heat treatment and every surface-finishing step can influence the conditions under which that transformation takes place. The challenge is not simply producing the correct geometry. It is preserving the material's intended behavior while turning a tube into a functional and safe medical device. That is why experience matters. Not because Nitinol is mysterious but because understanding how laser processing, heat treatment and surface finishing interact takes years of observation , refinement and validation. Each process leaves its own fingerprint on the material. On their own, those changes may seem insignificant. Together, they determine whether the component ultimately exhibits the intended superelastic behavior, fatigue performance and reproducibility. It is this understanding that allows the finished component to perform exactly as the design intended.

"How big are your laser systems?" It was one of the questions we were asked most frequently at IdeenExpo. The answer is simple: it depends on the application. The size of the component and the required level of precision determine which laser system is the right fit. The photo, for example, shows the approximately five-meter-high storage tower of one of the sheet metal laser systems used in our MetalWorks division. For highly intricate components such as stents or heart valve frames, we rely on much smaller laser systems, many of which are designed and built in-house . This allows us to tailor both the equipment and the manufacturing process to the specific requirements of each application, from large-format sheet metal processing to micron-level precision. If you're curious about how the right manufacturing technology can influence your component design or production strategy, we'd be happy to discuss your project and show you the technologies behind it.

A MeKo bottle on a beach was all it took. A few years ago, one of our colleagues sent a photo of her MeKo water bottle from a beach in Denmark as a holiday greeting to a few teammates. It found its way into our weekly internal newsletter, and what started with one photo gradually turned into a tradition . Today, colleagues regularly send us holiday greetings featuring their MeKo bottles, mugs, shirts, jackets, and plenty of beautiful destinations along the way. From Thailand to Norway , from mountain peaks to the ocean, every picture brings a different story and a little glimpse into where our colleagues' adventures have taken them. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who has shared these moments with us over the years and thank you to our colleague Annett who started this tradition. We always look forward to the next postcard from the MeKo community, wherever in the world it may come from.

Happy Independence Day to our customers, partners, and friends across the United States. Over the past year, we have had the opportunity to connect with many of you through projects, events, and conversations. We are grateful for the trust, collaboration, and long-term partnerships that connect us. Wishing everyone a wonderful Fourth of July filled with celebration, relaxation, and time with family and friends.

The doors are open and FILTECH has started. You will find the MeKo-Team at our booth in Hall 7, Booth L21 . We are looking forward to meeting familiar faces, making new connections, and talking about the challenges that come with demanding filtration applications. If you are at the show, feel free to stop by.