Sustainable aluminum solutions for prostheses: Innovation meets responsibility

The demands placed on modern medical technology today are higher than ever: products should not only be efficient and durable, but also impress in terms of sustainability. Particularly in the sensitive field of prosthetic fittings - where technology interacts directly with the human body - the material plays a central role.

Aluminum is considered a promising solution for load-bearing, moving or fixing components in external prostheses - such as joint elements, brackets or connecting parts.

KAISER Aluminium-Umformtechnik manufactures such components exclusively on the basis of customer specifications - as forged parts with high dimensional accuracy, designed for permanent mechanical stress and resource-saving production.

Why aluminum? - A material with responsibility

Aluminum combines many properties that predestine it for use in prostheses:

• Low weight with high strength - ideal for everyday comfort

• Corrosion-resistant & durable - even when exposed to sweat, cleaning agents or mechanical stress

• Easy to recycle - aluminum is fully recyclable without any loss of quality

• Excellent machinability - ideal for precise fits and individual geometries

The forging process in particular produces especially stable and resilient components, as the material can develop its full strength thanks to the aligned fiber structure - without pores, cracks or material weakening as with cast solutions.

KAISER's approach: Tailor-made solutions - not off the shelf

At KAISER, there are no catalog parts or standard series. All components for prostheses are created on the basis of drawings, 3D data and technical specifications from our customers. Depending on the project, we provide support right from the development phase - for example with:

• the optimization of component geometries for greater stability or weight savings

• the selection of sustainable aluminum alloys

• the design for the most resource-efficient series production possible

Factors such as material utilization, recycling properties and surface finishing are incorporated into the planning from the outset.

Sustainability along the entire process chain

For KAISER, sustainability is not a label, but an integral part of every project. For example, we take a number of factors into account when implementing prosthetic components:

• Material efficiency through drop forging (low waste, targeted forming)

• Durability thanks to precise CNC machining and defined surface finishes

• Use of recyclable aluminum alloys

• Avoidance of oversizing through component simulations

• Options for traceable material cycles in the OEM context

In combination, these measures enable a significantly reduced ecological footprint - with the same or improved technical performance.

Areas of application for external prosthetic components

Typical aluminum forged parts for prostheses manufactured by KAISER include:

• Connecting elements between prosthesis stem and joint unit

• External housing for mechanical or electromechanical systems

• Brackets and interface components

• Reinforcement structures for modular prosthesis systems

Important: KAISER does not manufacture implanted parts, only externally fitted prosthetic components.

Conclusion: sustainability and technology are not mutually exclusive - on the contrary

Manufacturers of medical aids are faced with the challenge of combining technical excellence with ecological responsibility. Aluminum offers the ideal basis for this - if it is used correctly.

KAISER Aluminium-Umformtechnik supports medical technology OEMs with know-how, forging technology and engineering support - tailor-made, resilient and sustainable.

No standard. No compromise. Only precision - forged part for forged part.