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In the core structural system of medical devices, sheet metal parts play an indispensable and critical role, as their quality directly determines the safety performance, operational stability, and service life of the equipment. Compared with general sheet metal processing, medical sheet metal customization must closely meet the specific requirements of the medical scenario. This is especially true for high-frequency-use equipment like biological safety cabinets and medical carts, which are directly related to diagnostic and treatment safety. The process selection for these devices always revolves around three core dimensions: compliance, functionality, and safety. This article will delve into the key sheet metal processes for these two types of equipment and analyze the contextual design logic behind them.
As the core protective equipment in medical institutions and laboratories, the primary function of the biological safety cabinet is to isolate harmful microorganisms, ensuring the safety of operators and the integrity of experimental samples. Its sheet metal structure must meet multiple stringent requirements, such as sealing protection, corrosion resistance, and ease of disinfection. The core processes are as follows:
Key components such as the cabinet frame and sealing panels require extremely high dimensional accuracy. Laser cutting can achieve a processing tolerance of ±0.1mm, ensuring that the components fit together seamlessly after assembly. The core reason for choosing this process is that the cabinet’s sealing performance directly affects the stability of the internal airflow. Any significant dimensional deviation in the sheet metal parts may lead to air leaks, disrupting the internal negative pressure environment and increasing the risk of harmful microorganisms escaping. Furthermore, the non-contact nature of laser cutting avoids burrs or deformation on the surface of the sheet metal, reducing potential gaps where microorganisms could breed.
The cabinet joints are welded using argon arc welding or laser welding techniques to achieve seamless connections. In the medical context, biological safety cabinets are frequently exposed to alcohol, chlorine-based disinfectants, and other cleaning agents. If there are gaps at the welded joints, disinfectants can remain, causing corrosion, or bacteria could grow, which contradicts the principles of biological safety. The seamless welding process not only enhances the structural strength of the cabinet but also prevents contamination risks, ensuring the reliability of the protective performance over time.
The sheet metal surface undergoes pickling and phosphating pretreatment before electrostatic powder coating. Pickling and phosphating can thoroughly remove the oxidation layer and impurities from the sheet metal surface, significantly enhancing the adhesion of the coating. The medical-grade, eco-friendly powder used in electrostatic spraying has excellent corrosion and scratch resistance and is easy to clean. This process is necessary because medical equipment must undergo daily disinfection and cleaning. Ordinary coatings are prone to peeling and corrosion from disinfectants, while medical-grade coatings can withstand frequent disinfection operations while maintaining a smooth and clean surface, fully complying with GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) standards.
After sheet metal processing, the cabinet undergoes specialized air-tightness testing equipment to verify its sealing performance. This "post-processing test" is the last safeguard of the biological safety cabinet's protective performance. By simulating pressure changes in the actual use environment, the test accurately checks whether the cabinet has any leakage points, ensuring that the internal negative pressure environment remains stable and reliable. This process aims to prevent "cumulative processing errors" that may lead to failure in protection, strictly adhering to the mandatory standards of GB 19489 (General Requirements for Laboratory Biological Safety).
Medical carts, often referred to as "mobile workstations" in hospitals and operating rooms, are required to bear the weight of medical instruments, medicines, specimens, and other heavy items while also adapting to frequent movement and multi-scenario usage. Therefore, the sheet metal processes for medical carts emphasize load-bearing performance, durability, and user-friendly design. Key processes include:
Components such as drawer guide installation positions, guardrail fixing holes, and bottom roller brackets of the medical cart are processed using CNC punching. This process ensures the high-precision punching of holes, guaranteeing the consistency of accessory installation. For example, precise matching of drawer guide rails and sheet metal hole positions prevents jamming when the drawer is pulled, ensuring that medical staff can quickly access equipment. Additionally, the precision of the roller bracket holes directly affects the cart's stability in movement, preventing tipping caused by installation deviations. The high efficiency of CNC punching also meets the mass production needs of medical equipment while reducing overall processing costs.
The cart frame and tabletop edge frames, which bear the main load, are reinforced using CNC bending to form multiple strengthening ribs. In a medical environment, the cart may need to carry weights ranging from 10 to 50 kilograms. A flat sheet metal structure alone is prone to deformation, but the strengthened rib design significantly enhances the rigidity of the structure and prevents bending due to long-term weight-bearing. Precision in the bending process is also crucial. If the bending angle deviates, it could cause the tabletop to tilt or make the drawers difficult to close, affecting the actual user experience. Therefore, bending tolerance must be strictly controlled to within ±0.5°.
The sheet metal surface of the medical cart is treated using a combination of electrophoresis and powder coating. The electrophoresis process ensures an even coating over the entire surface of the sheet metal, including hidden areas like edges and seams, significantly improving its corrosion resistance. The outer powder coating, made of medical-grade powder, resists common disinfectants like alcohol and iodine, as well as scratching. The key logic behind this choice is that medical carts must be used in various environments such as patient rooms and operating rooms, where they are exposed to water, disinfectants, and physical impact. Ordinary surface treatments may result in peeling or rusting, which would affect the cart's service life and pose a hygiene risk.
All sheet metal edges of the medical cart undergo fine grinding and rounding. This removes sharp edges that could potentially cause injury. In medical settings, healthcare workers frequently push carts and handle equipment, and sharp edges may lead to accidental cuts, increasing the risk of cross-contamination. Additionally, rounded edges are easier to clean, preventing the accumulation of dirt. While this process does not directly affect the core function of the equipment, it is a detail that aligns with the user-friendly needs of the medical environment. It is also one of the key distinctions between medical sheet metal customization and general sheet metal processing.
Whether it's the precise protective processes of biological safety cabinets or the reinforced practical processes of medical carts, the core logic of medical sheet metal customization always revolves around precisely matching the processes with the specific needs of the medical scenario. Medical equipment directly relates to patient safety and the health of healthcare workers, and its sheet metal structure must meet three core requirements: compliance (strict adherence to medical industry standards), functionality (precise adaptation to the core purpose of the device), and safety (comprehensively mitigating various risks during use).
Unlike general sheet metal processing, medical sheet metal customization must be strictly controlled from multiple aspects: in material selection, the use of medical-grade materials such as 304 stainless steel and high-quality cold-rolled steel; in process design, optimizing the processing flow based on the specific usage scenario of the equipment; and in quality testing, adding specialized medical tests to ensure that every sheet metal part can withstand the demanding conditions of the medical environment and provide reliable support for safe medical operations.
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