High-Throughput Tipping, Molding Equipment Unveiled

Visitors to the Medical Device & Manufacturing West show in Anaheim, CA, were able to preview a new line of precision catheter tipping and molding equipment that ramps up to 450°F in less than one second. In addition to a faster run-up time, the Cath-Pro machines developed by Rubicon Medical Inc. (Salt Lake City) provide users with a "wider window of processing opportunity," according to Marlin Struhs, director of sales and marketing. "Cath-Pro holds the temperature for a longer period of time than competing systems" which may experience temperature drift, says Struhs.

Cath-Pro can weld, form, or tip any thermoplastic material. An integrated stepping motor drive ensures consistent and precise results even with tight-tolerance products. Making the machine easy to use was also a priority in system design, according to Struhs. Programmable controls allow the user to run multiple projects on the same machine, and tooling changeover is a routine one-step process.

Catheter processing equipment developed by Rubicon Medical features rapid ramp-up times.

Rubicon's new tipping system can process round or irregular tips; perform multilumen shape transitions and soft tip fusions; and form neck downs. Balloon-to-catheter, butt, and annular welding are also among the capabilities.