Company representatives from Alexandria Industries are quick to point out the advantages that aluminum offers medical device OEMs over other materials that they might be considering for their components. With proper finishing, including anodizing and hardcoating, they say, aluminum products are less porous and cleaner than stainless steel. And the inert chemical compounds in aluminum, combined with proper finishing, are said to help prevent corrosion and chemical absorption – a major key to preventing contamination and easing the cleaning process in medical care applications.