The laparoscopic clip applier jaw body is the miniature paired jaw that grips, forms and releases a ligating clip around a vessel or duct inside the abdominal cavity, working through a 5 mm or 10 mm trocar. It is among the smallest structural investment castings we produce, with clip pockets, pivot lugs and a drive slot packed into a part that often weighs less than two grams. Machining this geometry from solid stock is slow, wasteful and produces inconsistent edge radii at the forming pocket. We cast pairs in a single tree, heat treat to H900 or harden AISI 420, then grind or wire cut the critical pocket and pivot features.
Specifications
| Item | Specification |
|---|---|
| Casting process | Silica sol micro investment casting with cluster tree assembly; typical minimum feature 0.4 mm |
| Material options | 17-4PH (UNS S17400) H900 standard, 17-4PH H1025 for higher toughness variants, AISI 420 hardened and tempered, AISI 316L / CF8M for non-forming jaw components |
| Heat treatment | Solution anneal Condition A then H900 ageing for high hardness, or H1025 where the design is impact loaded; AISI 420 quenched and tempered to 48 to 54 HRC |
| Dimensional tolerance (ISO 8062-3) | CT4 to CT5 as cast, CT4 after CNC finishing on clip pocket, pivot lugs and drive slot |
| Machining | CNC micro milling, wire electrical discharge machining of the clip pocket profile, grinding of pivot lug faces, drilling and reaming of pivot pin holes |
| Surface finish (Ra) | Ra 0.4 um in the clip forming pocket after finishing, Ra 0.8 um on pivot bores and lug faces, Ra 1.6 um externally, electropolish optional |
| NDT | Visual inspection at 10x magnification on 100 percent of parts, fluorescent penetrant per ASTM E165 on batches, radiography on sampled trees for internal soundness |
| Cleaning and packing | Precision ultrasonic clean, de-burring under magnification, passivation per ASTM A967, packed in compartmented trays |
| Weight range | 0.8 g to 12 g per jaw body |
| Typical lead time | 6 to 8 weeks including tooling, 3 to 5 weeks for repeat orders |
Scope and options
Key features
- Micro casting puts the clip pocket, pivot lugs and drive slot into one net shape piece, cutting material waste dramatically versus bar stock.
- Cluster tree assembly keeps unit cost down at the fifty thousand piece per year volumes typical of clip applier programmes.
- H900 delivers the hardness needed for repeated clip forming cycles; H1025 is offered where the jaw sees impact at closure.
- Wire EDM or grinding finishes the clip pocket after heat treatment so the formed clip geometry stays uniform part to part.
- 100 percent visual inspection at magnification catches pocket edge defects before any assembly labour is added.
- Heat lot segregation and retained samples kept for every production tree.
Applications
- Single-use and reusable laparoscopic clip appliers for vessel ligation
- Endoscopic ligating clip jaw mechanisms for general surgery
- Thoracoscopic vessel and duct clipping instruments
- Urological and gynaecoscopic clip delivery devices
- Veterinary minimally invasive ligation instruments
Quality & compliance
Each jaw body lot ships with EN 10204 3.1 certification, heat treatment charts, hardness verification, penetrant inspection records for ferromagnetic grades where applicable, 100 percent visual inspection records and a dimensional report covering the clip pocket, pivot bores and drive slot from optical and CMM measurement. We work within IATF 16949 process control, including heat lot traceability and retained samples. Still, Ningbo Ruican holds no ISO 13485 certificate and is not an ISO 13485 contract manufacturer, and we do not present ourselves as one. Also, all medical work is delivered under your Quality Agreement with matching project-level ISO 13485 documentation, and we can provide ISO 10993-5 biocompatibility data along with material data for 17-4PH H900/H1025, AISI 420 and AISI 316L. Device validation, sterilisation validation and market release remain yours.
Images
FAQ
What is the smallest feature you can cast on a jaw body?
With silica sol tooling we hold features down to about 0.4 mm on 17-4PH, subject to review of the local section and draft. Anything finer is usually better produced by a finishing operation, and we say so in the quote rather than quoting a capability we cannot hold in production.
How do you control consistency across a cluster tree?
Tree layout is designed and gating balanced so all cavities fill under the same thermal conditions, then every tree is identified and any suspect cavity can be traced and quarantined. Critical features are measured across tree positions during first article qualification.
Is H1025 ever better than H900 for a clip forming jaw?
Also, yes where the jaw absorbs impact at full closure or where the design uses thin sections that would be brittle at H900 hardness. H1025 gives lower hardness but much better toughness and stress corrosion resistance, which often extends service life in reusable instruments.
Can you finish the clip pocket after heat treatment?
Yes. We commonly harden and age the casting first, then finish the forming pocket by wire EDM or grinding. This removes any distortion introduced by heat treatment and keeps the formed clip geometry uniform from the first part to the last.
What inspection do you perform on every part?
Every jaw body receives 100 percent visual inspection at 10x magnification plus dimensional sampling of the pocket, pivot bore and drive slot per AQL level agreed with you. Penetrant inspection, radiography of sampled trees and additional optical measurement are available to your specification.
Do you supply single-use and reusable variants?
Both. Single-use programmes are usually quoted in high annual volumes on dedicated cluster tooling, while reusable variants follow the same route with tighter documentation and often electropolished surfaces for validated cleaning cycles.
CTA
Send your jaw body drawing, expected annual volume and clip system details for a quotation within 48 hours. Contact window: Wendy She — sales@cnsandcasting.com — WhatsApp +86-13777124360. We return cluster tooling cost, piece price tiers and achievable tolerances with every quote.
