Philips and materials specialists from Sandvik Materials Technology have collaborated to develop and manufacture of a new stainless strip steel, Sandvik Nanoflex, for use in key shaver components – the stationary cutter head, the rotating cutting knife and the hair lifter. The initial development of the Cool Skin Electric Shaver, designed to be used with a shaving cream and then cleaned in running water, placed extra demands on corrosion resistance and called for a steel which also would have strength as well as formability. Co-operation between Sandvik and Philips R & D departments led to the sampling and testing of several materials and different processing
techniques over a period but failed to find an existing suitable strip material. A nanotechnology-based stainless wire material, developed for the manufacture of needles, particularly medical needles, displayed encouraging characteristics and was produced specially by Sandvik as a strip material. Process development of strip steel by Sandvik has achieved a balance between formability and hardenability i.e. its capacity to be heat-treated to final strength. Sandvik claims that the resulting Sandvik Nanoflex strip product is unique in achieving high strength, good formability and high corrosion resistance. It is considered ideal for parts with complicated forms and shapes.