Fort Wayne Metals, Vascotube, EUROFLEX, ADMEDES, and MeKo MedTech form collective to address growing market for pure, consistent, high-performance Nitinol

GLOBAL RELEASE — June 25, 2025 — Five leading companies in the medical device industry have launched the PRIME project – a strategic initiative dedicated to advancing the consistency, scalability, and performance of Nitinol materials. PRIME stands for PRoficient Ingot Material Evaluation and brings together deep technical expertise from every stage of the Nitinol value chain. Founding PRIME members include Fort Wayne Metals, Vascotube, EUROFLEX, ADMEDES, and MeKo MedTech.

Project Goals and Industry Impact

PRIME was created to advance Nitinol materials while strengthening supply chain stability and meeting rising market demands. Through joint testing, real-world validation, and transparent evaluation of new ingot sources, the initiative helps prevent monopolistic dependencies and mitigate future supply risks, essential for the production of critical applications like stents, heart valve frames, and other fatigue-sensitive components. Interest across the industry continues to grow, with plans for expansion underway. “Our ambition with PRIME is to provide the highest-quality Nitinol melt to help build a stronger, more resilient supply chain for the entire industry. This project reflects our long-standing commitment to advancing materials that enable life-saving technologies while ensuring availability and consistency for customers worldwide,” said Jeremy Rohrs, President of Fort Wayne Metals.

Project Scope and Technical Publication

The PRIME project covers the full process chain — from ingot melting to tube drawing to device manufacturing — and is composed of the following founding members:

• Fort Wayne Metals (melting)
• EUROFLEX and Vascotube (tube drawing)
• ADMEDES and MeKo MedTech (component manufacturing)

Their combined efforts will lead to the production and release of a series of joint technical papers, providing the industry with data from the project with the intent of informing and benefiting the market. The papers will be published and available for download on the official PRIME website upon completion.

“Our industry depends on reliable Nitinol for life-saving devices. PRIME was formed to future-proof the supply chain by combining expertise across all production stages,” said Jakob Dohse, CEO of MeKo MedTech. “Using advanced melting, drawing, and manufacturing techniques ensures purity and consistent composition throughout the process and we’re excited about the value and quality this group will be contributing to the Nitinol market.”

Further publications and application-specific results are planned to promote industry-wide transparency and knowledge sharing. Currently, ingots, tubes, and components made from Fort Wayne Metals’ melted Nitinol are available for purchase, empowering companies to conduct their own testing and production measures.

To stay informed, visit www.prime-ingot.com or join the PRIME project LinkedIn group.