Alleima celebrates one year as an independent medical component manufacturer

Alleima separated from Sandvik at this time last year to operate as an independent entity, and execute its strategy of driving growth, materials innovation, operational and commercial excellence, and sustainability.

“Our heritage is something we will always be proud of. It has truly been an exciting and eventful year. Today, we can conclude that Alleima is strong as a stand-alone company,” says Göran Björkman, president and chief executive of Alleima.

“In this first year, we delivered on our strategy of driving profitable growth, worked strategically on our positioning in sustainability and intensified our focus on safety,” Björkman adds.

Alleima includes the company’s Exera brand, which specialises in ultra-fine medical-wire components that can be customised for anything from vascular therapy to biosensing and neurostimulation. So far, they have been used in devices such as cochlear implants, pacemaker leads, continuous glucose monitors, tremor controls for people with Parkinson’s or epilepsy, catheters and guidewires.

The company has been able to strengthen its position as a world-leading manufacturer of advanced stainless steels, special alloys and heating systems for the most demanding industries. Here are some of the key highlights from the past year.

The newly established Alleima Innovation Prize 2023 was awarded to the ‘New Ni grade capabilities’ project for outstanding development work. It involved innovative concepts such as a new measuring technique and mould dimensions for electrode ingots, which were developed to expand vacuum arc remelting capabilities, enable more cost-efficient production, and meet stringent requirements for chemistry control and high purity.

“This year’s winners are excellent ambassadors for the Alleima core value, ‘We Evolve’, in their commitment to challenge old truths, and continuously explore new opportunities to drive and advance innovation,” says Björkman.

Alleima has launched several new products, including Freeflex, Damax and nickel alloys with Sanicro 625^®. Looking forward, with the aim of increasing the rollout of new products, the company is making further investments in its R&D expertise, equipment and facilities.

Advances in technologies such as AI and cloud computing are making way for innovation in surgical robotics, which will see better clinical outcomes and reduce the workload for healthcare providers. Furthermore, manufacturers continue to improve robot design so that they are more efficient through innovations in engineering and metallurgy.

According to Tina Deng, medical device principal analyst at GlobalData: “Surgical robots are designed to solve the limitations currently present in minimally invasive surgeries, as well as to improve outcomes in open surgical procedures. These systems are utilised in a variety of surgical procedures, including cardiovascular, general surgery, orthopaedic, neurosurgery, obstetrics, gynaecology, and more. According to GlobalData forecasts, the total surgical robotics market was worth $4.6B in 2020 globally. By 2030, it will have grown at a strong compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.5% to $10.3B, bolstered with the coming marriage of artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics within medical devices.”

“Economic downturns can also create a demand for more cost-effective solutions in healthcare. This could lead to increased interest in surgical robotics systems, as they offer greater efficiency and cost savings compared to traditional surgical methods. Robotic surgery systems allow surgeons to operate with greater precision, reduce complications, and result in faster recovery periods. Because robotic surgery is less invasive, patients typically require shorter hospital stays than they would with traditional open surgery.”

Alleima acquired Endosmart, a Germany-based manufacturer of medical devices and components made of nitinol, an alloy renowned for its unique properties, including shape memory, biocompatibility and superelasticity.

Alleima has invested in and inaugurated a new production line in Mehsana, India, which will enable the company to operate closer to customers in Asia, where it intends to grow its business. The company has received a number of strategic orders, including a major one for ultra-fine wire for a customer in the medical sector.

Alleima remains committed to international sustainability ambitions, including the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Responsible Minerals Initiative.

Over the course of the last year, the company has strengthened its sustainability positioning by committing to set science-based net-zero targets, consistent with the Paris Agreement.

The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) is a partnership between the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), the United Nations Global Compact, the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).