Fort Wayne Metals expands capacity as nitinol demand surges

A photo of a Fort Wayne Metals employee heating nitinol, a nickel-titanium alloy used for medical devices and components.

A Fort Wayne Metals employee heats nitinol, a nickel-titanium alloy used for medical devices and components. [Photo courtesy of Fort Wayne Metals]

Fort Wayne Metals says it is expanding nitinol melting capacity as demand continues to surge for the nickel-titanium alloy enabling a wide range of medical devices and minimally invasive procedures.

The Fort Wayne, Indiana-based medtech supplier told Medical Design & Outsourcing that it will be able to melt as much as 1 million pounds of nitinol per year after its second vacuum arc remelting (VAR) furnace comes online in early 2025.

Free webinar: Nitinol knowledge with former Edwards Lifesciences Engineering SVP Ming Wu

The company also recently upgraded its plasma arc melting furnace, which doubled its melt capacity compared to 2022-2023. A spokesperson said the company shipped approximately 124,000 pounds of its melted nitinol in 2023.

This latest VAR furnace will double capacity again and shorten lead times, the company said.

A photo of nitinol melter Fort Wayne Metals Chair and CEO Scott Glaze.

Scott Glaze [Photo courtesy of Fort Wayne Metals]

“The expansion of our melting capabilities demonstrates our long-term commitment to meeting the needs of our customers and becoming the largest, most reliable source of nitinol for medical device manufacturers,” Fort Wayne Metals Chair and CEO Scott Glaze said in an email. “We are always looking to the future, continuously innovating to better serve our customers and empower their own groundbreaking developments.”

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The company opened its nitinol melt facility in 2012 and has since then supplied more than 650,000 pounds of nitinol wire. Over the past 12 months, the company has expanded its nitinol supply to include bars, strips and sheets.

Nitinol products made by Fort Wayne Metals for medical devices and components.

Nitinol products made by Fort Wayne Metals [Image courtesy of Fort Wayne Metals]

“Fort Wayne Metals-melted nitinol is available in custom-shaped wire, bar, and shape-set assemblies,” the company said. “Wire and bar size capabilities range from 0.0127 mm to 51 mm in diameter, including extremely small diameters that are used in tiny, complex medical devices and cutting-edge medical technologies. With these latest advancements, the company is well-positioned to continue solidifying its role as a global leader in nitinol production.”

The nitinol melter has more than 1,700 employees at 12 U.S. locations and two in Europe, including a manufacturing facility in Castlebar, Ireland.

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