The technology used in modern medicine has progressed at an exponential rate over the past decade. With AI being produced to help diagnose certain types of cancer, and robots to assist surgeons with different types of procedures, we’re in a world that is combining new artificial technologies to better our quality of life in ways that haven’t been seen before.
However, even with all of these impressive new developments, we still rely heavily on traditional methods and technologies that seem primitive in comparison. The simple spring, for example, may appear to be basic, but their reliability and precision is what means they continue to be critical to the healthcare sector.
Being used to administer medicine, surgical instruments, and diagnostic devices; springs are critical to our health and well-being. In fact, if enough attention isn’t paid to sourcing the correct spring for these devices, the results could be catastrophic. It could lead to a pen injector administering the wrong dose, or a surgical tool losing responsiveness at a crucial moment. Therefore, ensuring that you choose a spring manufacturer that can deliver fully traceable, compliant, and biocompatible springs is paramount to the safety of your patients and the avoidance of costly recalls.
What’s the Difference Between Standard Springs and Springs in Medical Devices?
There are, rightly, stringent regulations on the use of springs in the medical sector. Rules around cleanliness, documentation, and precision are all essential to ensure trusted performance and, as a result, patient safety.
Biocompatible Springs
As springs may be used in drug delivery systems (such as injection devices) or surgical tools, it’s intended that these devices will come into contact with the human body. Therefore, it’s imperative that they are biocompatible springs so that they don’t cause irritation or toxicity.
Spring manufacturers who specialise in medical device springs, such as Airedale Springs, will ensure their manufacturing process adheres to strict cleanliness in a controlled environment. They will also be able to advise on biocompatible materials that will perform in the way that you require. These considerations are all crucial to ensure the springs integrity and subsequent patient safety.
Material Performance and Design Precision
Although there are various types of springs that may be required for different medical devices, it is often low-force and high-precision that is required to deliver consistent, repeatable performance. In fact, the accuracy of these medical devices often relies heavily (if not solely) on the spring’s behaviour and performance.
As such, the engineering team at Airedale Springs work with our clients to assist them with choosing the right materials for the intended purpose. We harness Computer Aided Design (CAD) as part of our spring design process, to validate the spring design and determine its suitability for purpose. This means that we can accurately predict the reliability of a spring without using traditional trial-and-error methods.
How Airedale Springs Supports Medical Device OEMs
As a UK spring manufacturer with decades of experience, Airedale Springs offers more than just supply. We pride ourselves on our ability to collaborate with the medical sector and offer engineering support to ensure medical device reliability and success.
Sustainable Sourcing
Our facility operates under environmentally conscious practices that align with ISO 14001 principles, ensuring we meet high environmental management standards alongside our quality commitments.
By sourcing responsibly and designing for durability and longevity, we help medical device manufacturers reduce their environmental impact without compromising safety or performance.
Collaborative Design & Prototyping Support
Our engineers work closely with OEM teams from early design stages. This proactive approach helps avoid late-stage failures, reduces regulatory risk, and accelerates time to market.
Reliable UK Manufacturing Partner
As a UK-based manufacturer, we help our partners shorten supply chains and lower their carbon footprint, supporting both reliability and environmental responsibility. From bespoke compression springs and torsion springs to precision wire forms, Airedale Springs delivers engineering excellence and responsive customer support. We understand that medical device development depends on strong partnerships, transparent communication, and unwavering quality.
By partnering with Airedale Springs, medical device manufacturers will benefit from technical expertise and proactive engineering support to ensure your device is fully-compliant and offers high precision and reliability. If you’re developing or validating a new medical device, contact Airedale Springs to discuss how our certified spring solutions can help you bring your innovation to market.