AISI: American iron and steel institute has the job of identifying and classifying various types of metals and steel.
ASTM: American Society of Testing and Materials sets the bar for metal material.
Austenitic: A stainless steel that cannot be heat-hardened. Stainless steel that’s in this category is 300 series stainless steel, which is highly corrosion resistant.
Martensitic: Martensitic stainless steel can be hardened by the heat. Stainless steel that falls into this class is 400 series, which is subject to corrosion due to lack of nickel.
Rockwell Scale: A method and scale used to measure the hardness of metals.
Stainless Steel: Is also the most popularly used in the metal manufacturing of medical instruments. It rusts and stains.
304 Stainless: Used to make basins and bowls.
316 LVM Stainless: This type of metal was used to make implantable devices such as pins, plates and screws.
420 Stainless: This sort of stainless steel usually comes from Pakistani-made surgical instruments and disposable fine instruments.
Sterling Silver: Usually made to make tracheotomy tubes and probes.
Titanium: Very strong and non-magnetic, Its common to see this type of metal in microsurgical instruments. This metal is identified by its blue color and is stronger and lighter than SS.
Tungsten Carbide: This type of metal is used in blades of surgical scissors and jaws in needle holders. When tungsten carbide A.K.A. TC is used, the handle of the instrument will be gold in color.
Pakistani-Made Surgical Instruments: Most surgical instruments are made in Pakistan. This nation creates 75% of surgical instruments. These instruments are made in Karachi, Islamabad, Lahore. Global companies will look to Pakistan to create descent made low priced surgical instruments.
German-Made Surgical Instruments: Besides Pakistan, Germany makes the second most instruments for surgery in the world. These are typically more expensive but a better grade quality. Most suppliers will buy from Germany if there looking for a better grade surgical instrument.