Composites, the shape of things to come for medical equipment

The development of polymer matrix composites has achieved remarkable progress over the past 30 years. Fiber-reinforced polymer composites now have excellent strength and hardness.

The advanced composite is also known as the “high-performance” composite, and has continuous fibers (accounting for 60% of its total volume) of excellent tolerance. These fibers usually consist of carbon, glass or aramid fiber.

The high-performance composites can bring down the weight of aerospace machinery and thus raise its fuel efficiency. It is also corrosion- and fatigue-resistant. Therefore, massive resources have been put into the development of the composite in various fields, particularly the medical technology sector.

Reduce manufacturing costs

Despite all the appealing advantages mentioned above, the high cost of these composites’ production is a major hindrance for them. They are, in most cases, more expensive than metals. So it is crucial to take cost cuts into account during the early phase of development.

Source: China Chemical Information Net