The Healthcare, Medical Equipment & Devices Industry

SMARTER THAN STEEL. MORE RESILIENT THAN CHROME.

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Healthcare & Medical Device Coatings — Electroless Nickel NanoDiamond for Clean, Durable Performance

In healthcare and medical device manufacturing, the margin for error is zero. Components must withstand repeated sterilization, aggressive cleaning chemistries, tight tolerances, and duty cycles that punish sliding interfaces and threads. Metal Diamond’s Electroless Nickel NanoDiamond (ENND) is engineered for these realities, providing a chromefree, wearresistant, lowfriction, and corrosiontough thin film that helps extend service intervals, simplify maintenance, and preserve fit/finish on surgical instruments, orthopedic tooling and hardware, dental instruments, medical equipment housings, pump and actuator parts, and precision fixtures.

We deliver through a partnerled model—licensed or jointventure coating providers we train, supply, and certify—so OEMs, contract manufacturers (CMs), and hospital maintenance teams can access standardized quality close to pointofuse, with line setup, process control, and assured materials supply.

Regulatory note: Metal Diamond supplies a coating technology and materials. Device regulatory approvals (e.g., 510(k)/EU MDR), biocompatibility (e.g., ISO 10993), and QMS compliance (e.g., ISO 13485/21 CFR 820) are customer responsibilities. We collaborate on applicationspecific test plans and documentation as needed.

What Is Electroless Nickel NanoDiamond—and Why It Fits Medical Duty

Electroless Nickel NanoDiamond is a NiP nanocomposite where nanoscale diamond particles codeposit within an electroless nickel–phosphorus matrix. The autocatalytic process achieves conformal, uniform coverage on complex geometries—including internal diameters, threads, splines, bores, serrations, blade profiles, valve/pump internals, and thinwall housings—often without postgrinding, supporting tight tolerances and clean assembly.

Outcome (Tier D/C language): Engineered to help reduce galling, limit wear, support corrosion management through cleaning/sterilization cycles, and preserve dimensional integrity—a path to simplified maintenance and more consistent service intervals.

Mechanisms that matter in medical environments:

Low friction / antigalling: supports smoother metaltometal operation for screws, threads, instrument joints, and sliding interfaces, reducing torque spikes and thread damage.
Antiploughing hardness: diamond reinforcement helps resist abrasive wear and microcutting during repeated use and cleaning.
Corrosion management: NiP chemistry engineered for aggressive cleaning chemicals, moisture/condensation, and repeated sterilization cycles (e.g., steam autoclave, EtO, lowtemp plasma, gamma).
Uniform thin films: typical ~7–50 μm (applicationspecific) help preserve fit/finish, edge definition, and seal interfaces.
Chromefree pathway: a hard chrome replacement coating option in many instrument and equipment surfaces where chrome has historically been used.

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Where Electroless Nickel NanoDiamond Adds Immediate Value in Healthcare & Medical

Domain	Priority Components / Surfaces	Common Stressors	Why Electroless Nickel NanoDiamond	Operational Impact
Surgical Instruments	Scalpels, forceps, scissors, needle holders, rasps, retractors, hinges/pivots	Repeated sterilization, cleaning chemicals, sliding wear	Low friction, abrasion resistance, corrosion/tough thin film	Smoother action, edge/fit preservation, reduced galling
Orthopedic Tooling & Hardware	Screws, plates, drivers, taps, drill guides, clamps	Thread galling, torque spikes, wear from repeated use	Conformal thin film on threads/IDs/ODs, antigalling	Cleaner assembly/disassembly; predictable torque behavior
Dental Instruments	Scalers, forceps, handpiece accessories	Moisture, biofluids, cleaning cycles	Thin, corrosion/tough protective layer	Enhanced durability, maintained finish
Medical Equipment & Housings	Pump rotors, valve spools, actuator rods, sensor housings, connector hardware	Fluid exposure, condensation, vibration, microfretting	Low friction + corrosion management; uniform coverage	Stable operation; cleaner service cycles
Fixtures & Test Equipment	Calibration blocks, clamps, precision nests	Wear at contact points, cleaning agents	Hard, protective film that preserves geometry	Longer fixture life; maintained dimensional fidelity

Electroless Nickel NanoDiamond vs Hard Chrome for Medical Instruments & Equipment

Historically, hard chrome has been used on certain instrument and equipment surfaces. Electroless Nickel NanoDiamond provides a chromefree alternative in many cases, with benefits in uniformity, thinfilm control, and friction/galling behavior:

Chromefree pathway aligned with modern EHS expectations.
Uniform, conformal coverage on ID/OD, threads, and complex profiles—beneficial for small features and internal passages.
Low friction / antigalling for threaded assemblies and hinged instruments.
Repeatable thin film (~7–50 μm) engineered to help preserve clearances and edge definition after finishing.

Comparison Snapshot (Guidance)

Criterion	Hard Chrome	Electroless Nickel NanoDiamond
Chemistry	Cr(VI) based	NiP matrix with nanodiamond (chrome-free)
Geometry Coverage	Line-of-sight	Conformal on complex geometry
Friction/Galling	Good, process-dependent	Designed low friction; antigalling behavior
Thin Film Control	Good	Excellent at ~7–50 μm, application-tuned
Cleaning/Sterilization	Performance varies	Engineered for cleaning agents & sterilization cycles (appspecific validation required)

Engineering note: Feasibility, thickness, and finishing steps are applicationspecific; qualification follows customer standards and test methods.

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DesignforCoating (DFC) & Quality Planning for Medical Applications

Thickness targeting: typical ~7–50 μm, codesigned to protect surfaces while maintaining clearances and edge definition (e.g., on cutting tools, thread profiles, and serrations).
Surface preparation: substrate metallurgy, pretreatments, and masking planned during DFC to protect critical features.
Sterilization & cleaning compatibility: design and validate for target methods (steam autoclave, EtO, lowtemp plasma, gamma) and cleaning chemistries under your protocols.
Galvanic and stackup considerations: analyze mixedmetal assemblies and isolation requirements during DFC.
Finishing: many parts require minimal postprocessing; where finishing is required, steps are specified to protect geometry and surface finish.
QMS alignment: coating steps can be integrated into customer QMS (e.g., ISO 13485) with work instructions, specs, inspection, and traceability.

Proof of Concept Path for Medical OEMs, Contract Manufacturers & Hospital Tech Ops

Step 1 — Requirements & DFC

Review drawings, substrates, intended use, sterilization method(s), cleaning chemistries, service interval goals, and tolerance stackups.

Step 2 — Pilot Batch & Bench Alignment

Coat a pilot batch—e.g., surgical instrument joints, orthopedic screws/tools, pump rotors/valve spools, housings/fixtures—and align bench tests to your methods (wear/galling, chemical/sterilization cycling, dimensional checks, surface finish).

Step 3 — Controlled Use Trial

Track cycles, inspection findings, fit/finish, and surface condition after cleaning/sterilization runs.

Step 4 — Standardize & Scale

Approve an Electroless Nickel NanoDiamond specification for the component family and scale through local certified Partners to support production cadence and maintenance timelines.

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Metal Diamond does not operate local coating shops. We enable qualified medical device suppliers, contract manufacturers, instrument refurbishers, and hospital maintenance vendors via licensing or JV.

Partner Value Proposition:

Territory rights with performance criteria
Exclusive materials supply (nanodiamond additives, electroless nickel chemistries)
Coating line design, installation & commissioning (typ. 3–6 months to readiness)
Training & certification (operators, QA, safety) and periodic audits
Sales enablement: medical playbooks (instruments, ortho tooling, equipment housings), ROI tools, proposal kits
Ongoing R&D updates and process optimization

Partner Application

Implementation FAQs (Healthcare & Medical)

In many instrument and equipment applications, yes. It provides a chromefree, wearresistant, lowfriction thin film with conformal coverage. Final feasibility is applicationspecific and validated under customer QMS.

The coating is engineered for durability under repeated sterilization/cleaning. Compatibility and cycle counts are validated per application through customer protocols.

We target ~7–50 μm and codesign to preserve clearances, edge sharpness, and thread/torque performance.

Implant applications require customerdriven biocompatibility validation (e.g., ISO 10993) and regulatory submissions. We support feasibility and test planning, but regulatory responsibility rests with the device manufacturer.

With our line setup & commissioning, most partners reach readiness in 3–6 months, subject to scope and approvals.

Metal Diamond is the exclusive supplier to certified Partners under longterm agreements.

Through SOPs, operator/QA certification, audits, and optional digital QA dashboards for process monitoring and benchmarking.