Raw Material Sourcing
Before committing to any manufacturer, it’s crucial to know how they will source Nitinol for a given project.
An Original Equipment Manufacturer’s (OEM’s) ability to supply the market with product is directly dependent on the contract manufacturer’s ability to source the raw material required to maintain continuity of supply. A sustained disruption in supply is often catastrophic for OEM’s. At a minimum, ensure the contract manufacturer will qualify and validate two sources of Nitinol for production. Any disruption in the material quality from the primary source can be quickly resolved by increasing supply from the second.
Equally important, the quality, type (sheet or tube) and characteristics of the Nitinol supplied by any given raw material producer is variable. The manufacturer who regularly sources material from many suppliers is able to best match the raw material to your design requirements and product application.