PEEK and titanium solve different problems for the same orthopedic and spinal programs, and the manufacturing route each one takes is not identical. Choosing between them is a specification decision as much as a materials one, and it changes what belongs on the RFQ.

Where each material is actually listed

On Lab Ready's materials page, titanium is listed as Grade 2 and Grade 5 (Ti-6Al-4V), while PEEK sits in the high-performance polymer group alongside PPSU, PEI and POM. Both appear together on the spinal device and implant material scope, where interbody components, fixation hardware and their instruments can call for either material depending on the interface and program stage. Titanium carries the broader footprint on its own, since it is also the primary listed alloy for orthopedic implant and trauma fixation components elsewhere on the site.

The manufacturing route is not the same

The difference that matters most for planning is process, not just material family. Titanium is available through CNC machining and through DMLS or SLM metal 3D printing, so a complex or low-quantity titanium geometry has an additive option when machining alone would be inefficient. PEEK, on Lab Ready's listed scope, is a machining-only route: it does not appear on the metal 3D printing material list, so a PEEK component's geometry has to be reachable by CNC machining from the start, with workholding, heat and edge condition planned around a polymer rather than a metal cutting problem.

What still has to be specified either way

Neither material is a complete callout on its own. A drawing that says only "titanium" or "PEEK" leaves out the grade, condition, certification and finish that actually determine manufacturability — CNC turning for orthopedic implant components covers how far that goes on a titanium part, down to the tolerance callout on a single turned feature. Commercial polymer names carry the same gap: PEEK, PPSU and PEI trade names do not establish medical grade or regulatory status by themselves, so the exact grade, color, certification and application requirement belong on the RFQ regardless of which material is chosen.

If the choice is still open, describe the application and interface instead of picking a material first — geometry, mating requirements and program stage will usually point to one route over the other. Send the drawing along with the material question through contact, and note quantity and finish requirements so the manufacturing route can be reviewed alongside the material.