Electroplating can be integral to improving the surface qualities of wire, such as resistance to corrosion, lubricity, and electrical conductivity. It is a process utilised in multiple industries, including microtechnology, electronics, watch industries and medical devices.
Accuratech Group, which comprises Polyfil, Galvarex, and Polyflex, was acquired by Sandvik Materials Technology last year to increase manufacturing capabilities and product offering. Galvarex is the entity responsible for specialising in surface treatments, electroplating, reel-to-reel plating and microelectronic products.
According to Thierry Bonjour, Technical Sales Specialist for Accuratech: “It was highly necessary to have a good partner that could be very flexible and fast, and the only way to have this was to build internally. That’s why we created Galvarex. The main focus was to be able to make our own wire and to help Polyfil to serve markets better.”
Galvarex began by serving the watch industry with its high precision plating and has since expanded its capabilities to meet the needs of other sectors.
“It’s not very common to find people who make such accurate quality that can be used for medical devices. So, we were approached by different companies worldwide who were looking for very high-tech coatings. For the medical business, we make a lot of gold-plated wire, and our cardiology department produces wire for pacemaker equipment,” Bonjour explains.
The quality requirements for implantable products are exceptionally high, especially for products such as pacemakers, which will be in the body for years. Not only are Glavarex’s plating capabilities industry-leading but having all of these capabilities under one roof is especially beneficial for highly regulated industries such as medical devices. Dealing with a single sub supplier for medical wire is excellent for supply chain visibility and makes the process much faster and more efficient.
“In the medical industry you have to really focus on the security of the process chain,” Bonjour explains. “With a one-stop-shop purchase, it’s much safer and easier if you have to audit your product. You have one partner for communication, and this partner is responsible for the entire process chain.”
Sandvik Materials Technology is constantly developing new products and processes in partnership with their customers. One area relates to the future of healthcare – sensors and telemedicine. Read more by downloading the whitepaper below.
