Overview

A custom nickel medical mesh is a fine, burr-free screening or support component used in medical devices and laboratory diagnostics, produced by photochemical machining from thin pure-nickel foil. Because the apertures are dissolved rather than punched or woven, the mesh stays flat, has no loose wire ends and keeps a uniform open area across the whole panel — all important when the part filters fluid, supports tissue or defines a flow path. Typical material is nickel 200/201 from 0.03 mm to 0.25 mm, with hole sizes down to 0.10 mm and profile tolerance of ±0.015 mm.

Device makers specify a custom nickel medical mesh for three reasons: edge quality that will not shed particles into a fluid path, repeatable open area from lot to lot, and clean geometry that survives cleaning, sterilization and handling. Nickel offers good corrosion resistance and can be passivated or electropolished to a smooth finish. Since every new aperture pattern is a new phototool instead of a die, a custom nickel medical mesh also moves quickly from prototype to validated production without tooling charges.

Parameter Window

• Available Materials: nickel 200/201, nickel-iron alloy, 316L stainless, copper
• Material Thickness Range: 0.03–0.25 mm (common 0.05, 0.08, 0.10, 0.15 mm)
• Tolerance: ±0.015 mm on hole size, ±0.02 mm on profile, ±10% on open-area ratio
• Minimum Feature: 0.10 mm hole, 0.08 mm web, 0.20 mm pitch
• Surface Options: electropolished, passivated, ultrasonic-cleaned, Ni/Au plated, framed or unframed
• Compliance: ISO 9001 process control, RoHS/REACH material traceability

Manufacturing Process / Workflow (8 Steps)

1. Artwork Review — Confirm hole geometry, open-area ratio, web width and panel layout against the device drawing.
2. Material Selection — Choose nickel 200 or 201 foil by thickness and temper, and inspect the coil for pinholes.
3. Cleaning & Lamination — Degrease and laminate dry film on both faces, keeping the resist thin for small apertures.
4. UV Exposure — Expose through high-resolution film registered to the sheet edge for panel-level accuracy.
5. Development — Wash out unexposed resist and microscope-check that every aperture is fully opened.
6. Etching — Spray-etch both faces with nickel-matched chemistry, controlling time and speed for straight sidewalls.
7. Stripping & Finishing — Strip resist, electropolish for a smooth edge, passivate, then clean and dry in controlled conditions.
8. Inspection & Packaging — Measure hole size and open area, check burr and flatness, then pack in clean trays with a report.

Core Advantages

1. No loose fibres: Etched mesh is one continuous foil, so it cannot shed wire ends into a fluid or tissue path.
2. Burr-free smooth edges: Electropolished apertures reduce particle generation and make the part easier to clean.
3. Uniform open area: All holes etch at the same rate, so flow rate and retention stay consistent across a batch.
4. Thin yet flat: Foil down to 0.03 mm stays planar, which helps when the mesh is laminated into a compact cartridge.
5. Tool-free revisions: New hole patterns are a new film, so pilot lots and design changes avoid die costs.
6. Material flexibility: Nickel, 316L and copper share one line, and a custom nickel medical mesh can be framed, plated or cleaned to the assembly's spec.

Typical Applications

• Blood and fluid filtration: Fine screens in infusion sets and extracorporeal circuits that trap aggregates without shedding.
• Surgical suction screens: Flat mesh discs that protect suction tips while keeping flow steady.
• Diagnostic cartridges: Aperture arrays that define a flow channel or retain reagent beads in point-of-care devices.
• Cell strainers: Precise hole sizes for laboratory cell separation and sample preparation.
• Implant support meshes: Thin, open structures used as scaffolds where uniform porosity is required.
• Drug-delivery orifices: Controlled apertures that meter a dose or diffuse a fluid at a repeatable rate.

Design Notes & Process Considerations

1. Hole-to-thickness ratio: Keep hole diameter at least 1.2 × thickness so apertures etch through evenly without taper.
2. Web and open area: State minimum web (typically 0.08 mm) and target open-area ratio, since they set mechanical strength.
3. Edge finish: Call out electropolishing and burr-free edges explicitly for any part in a fluid or tissue path.
4. Flatness: Specify flatness per 100 mm when the mesh is bonded or laminated into a cartridge stack.
5. Cleanliness: Define cleaning, drying and packaging requirements so no residue reaches the assembly area.
6. Inspection criteria: Agree hole size, open area and sampling plan; documenting these on the drawing cuts review cycles.