Originally Published MPMN April 2007

SPOTLIGHT

Extrusion

Extruders

A company offers complete extrusion systems for the medical device industry including extruders, feed screws, integrated control systems, and associated downstream components such as dies, melt pumps, vacuum tanks, cooling tanks, pullers and cutters, and auxiliary equipment. The equipment can be built with component upgrades for processing of corrosive polymers and high-temperature materials. Extruder sizes range from 3¼4 to 13¼4 in., and are available as adjustable height, tilt, and swing, or fixed-height stand-alone machines. Feed-screw process development and screw mixing devices are also available. Processes that the company supports include bump tubing, multilumen tubing, wire coating, or single-lumen tubing.
Davis-Standard, Pawcatuck, CT
www.davis-standard.com

Thermoplastic extrusion services

A contract manufacturer located in Shenzhen, China, offers precise thermoplastics extrusion services. The company extrudes
custom-made tubes, hoses, and profiles and can process most thermoplastics, including PVC, TPE, TPU, and PP, with tolerances down to 0.05 mm. Available capabilities are custom coloring and single- and multilumen geometries in multiple shapes and with a variety and quantity of holes. Secondary operations include hole drilling and customized shape punching. The firm is ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 14001:2000 certified.
i-Profile, Shenzhen, China
www.i-profile.com/hk

High-temperature protective tubing

Due to the demand for high-performance tubing and heatshrinks, a company offers a high-temperature alternative to traditional protective materials such as PTFE. It chose Victrex PEEK polymer because it can withstand extreme temperatures, high pressures, and caustic fluids. Its inherent purity and lubricity make it suitable for PEEKshrink, a heat-shrinkable tubing, and PEEK Lay-Flat tubing. Providing thermal, chemical, and electrical insulation, the tubing is used to protect critical wire and electrical components in oil exploration equipment, electronics, medical devices, and telecom hardware. When shrunk onto components such as wire or round mandrels, the material forms an impenetrable second skin that is impervious to contaminants, thus preserving the integrity and performance of what is inside. With a continuous operating temperature of 400°C the heat-shrinkable tubing provides a shrink-to-fit layer of insulating protection against environments where extreme heat or cold, intense pressure, chemicals, water, or dielectric interference pose a threat to wires and electrical components.
Zeus Industrial Products Inc., Orangeburg, SC
www.zeusinc.com

Small extrusion tooling

A compact version of extrusion tooling is available to produce even smaller products than its predecessor. Because of its size, it is also easier to handle, according to the company. The Micro-Mini II is available in crossheads and inline dies to extrude products with an OD of 0.005–0.100 of an inch, as well as creating highly accurate walls of up to 0.0002 in. The tooling has overall dimensions of 1.772 in. in diameter by 1.772 in. in length. The Micro-Mini II die/crosshead series is fully adaptable to extruders that are 1 in. in diameter and smaller, and is manufactured in stainless steel or Inconel to meet the requirements of medical and other FDA-approved applications. The Taperlock design facilitates assembly and disassembly of the crossheads. The tooling is available with a fixed center or adjustable center. Mica-band heaters are instrumental in safeguarding and enhancing the material temperature for the optimum flow of the extrusion end product.
Guill Tool & Engineering, West Warwick, RI
www.guill.com

Copyright ©2007 Medical Product Manufacturing News