Molding Component Provider Keeps Up with the New While Rebuilding the Old

Originally Published MPMN October 2008

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Molding Component Provider Keeps Up with the New While Rebuilding the Old

Stephanie Steward

The baby boomer generation has been a boon to suppliers and manufacturers in the medical device industry. However, the demand for new types of devices for this aging population and the development of new resins in recent years have, in turn, resulted in the need for novel molding equipment. Using this opportunity to its advantage, molding component and tooling provider Concor Tool and Machine (Hayward, WI) has put its experience to good use by designing and rebuilding mold tooling for these emerging applications.

Founded in 1980 as a provider of tooling and component parts for plastic molding equipment, Concor has been serving the medical industry since the early 1990s. But the sheer volume of OEM products geared toward baby boomers that has emerged—such as implants, grafting material, and devices for cardiac and orthopedic applications—has kept Concor increasingly busy in recent years developing original steel components to mold these products, according to Bill Talbot, Concor vice president.

Though it offers other materials, Concor specializes in producing steel components such as screws, barrels, end caps, and nozzle and tip assemblies. It also works with OEMs to incorporate their specific application requirements when designing mold tooling and accessories to enhance the efficiency of the manufacturer’s process. “We take the product being made and, using medical-grade materials, design components to produce efficient processing capabilities, [such as] minimizing scrap and downtime and providing higher product yield and reduced cycle times,” explains Talbot.

In addition to creating new components, Concor offers rebuilding and repair services as well as machine part conversions. Its tool-steel-screw-rebuilding process is an example of the company’s design capabilities. Rebuilding through-hardened tool-steel screws is more cost-effective than buying new screws, according to Concor, which also claims it is the only company with the capability to rebuild such screws. Most customers choose to keep a spare tool-steel screw available so that when the screw that is being used in press processing becomes worn, they can immediately send the screw to Concor for rebuilding. By then putting the spare screw into use, they experience no downtime, according to the company.

This rebuilding process is exclusive to Concor’s tool-steel screws because of the chemical make-up of the screw and the heat-treating process used to ensure that it will not crack under stress. Furthermore, a typical rebuild process requires that the screw be weldable. A welding rod specially designed for the chemistry of the steel is applied to the screw. The screw is straightened, heat-treated, and then ground to exact specifications.

Concor can also rebuild other types of screws as small as 14 mm. In addition, the company’s rebuild and repair services extend to a range of other molding equipment components, from barrels and drive bushings to pistons and tie bars. Upsize, downsize, and thermoset component conversions are also available from the company.

www.concortool.com

Booth #433

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