The uses of Aluminium in Healthcare, Medical and Allied Industries

The last couple of years saw us closely interacting with the field of medicine, health care and everything associated with it because of the woes arising from the pandemic. Confined to our homes out of necessity, we kept a close watch on everything happening in medical science like our lives depended on it; And yes! Our lives depend on knowing everything that we need to know in healthcare. The interest was not limited to just medicines and treatment of COVID related issues. We started having a much keener interest in everything that affected our health and focus shifted a lot to how we can improve our health and what was affecting it.

Aluminium has had a role in healthcare, pharmaceutical and allied industries for many decades now. This is an industry where precision technology has an important part and where there is no margin for error. It is in its use in diagnostic and surgical devices that aluminium scores big points. From being used in stethoscopes to dental tools, IV poles, gurneys, hospital furniture, bedpans and trays, rolling carts, grips in surgical equipment and as packaging of drugs, aluminium is omnipresent in the healthcare industry. The most ubiquitous presence of aluminium in the post covid era is the use of aluminium strips as part of the wire in N95 masks to help them sit snugly over our noses.

Let’s explore some of the areas where aluminium has an edge above other metals like steel and why it is so:

Aluminium has high corrosion resistance – Medical and surgical equipment gets exposed to moisture a lot and the risk of corrosion is high due to this. They are exposed to body fluids, strong disinfectants and chemical cleaners. The importance of cleanliness and sanitation is vital here. So, aluminium with its high corrosion resistance becomes a natural choice for medical equipment and surgical tools. The strong thermal conductivity property of aluminium also helps in the quick drying of tools and makes it proof from spread of bacteria. The biocompatibility aluminium has with the human body is quite high.

Aluminium is very strong while remaining light weight – Aluminium is a metal with a high strength to weight ratio. The surgical instruments like saws and scalpels have to be extremely strong. Usage of aluminium makes the instruments lighter than using steel as it is much lighter than any material available with corresponding strength. So, the equipment that uses aluminium widely can be thin, flexible and light while being extremely durable and strong.

Aluminium is highly malleable and ductile making it a very formable metal – Aluminium is one of the most malleable and ductile metals known to man. Medical aids and devices like prosthetic equipment and therapeutic devices require a lot of fine moulding and chiselling which is possible with aluminium. The design flexibility and ease of fabrication provided by aluminium makes it appropriate for these uses.

Aluminium is recyclable making it a cheaper source – Keeping costs low is imperative for the medical industry; but not at the cost of life or health. 75% of the aluminium ever produced is still in circulation and recycling is much more cost effective than fresh production. This property of aluminium has its part to play in keeping medical treatment affordable to poorer sections of the society without compromising on quality.

KMC Aluminium is one of the top aluminium extrusion profiles manufactures and can be considered the best aluminium company in Chennai. It is the best aluminium company in Chennai which has a very sophisticated aluminium extrusion process and are aluminium profile suppliers to some of the most prestigious projects across the country. It has also built the reputation of being in the top list of aluminium extrusion companies in India and as well as of the top aluminium extrusion manufacturers in India.

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