Originally Published MPMN July/August 2007

SPOTLIGHT

Tubing and Tube Processing

Catheter lamination machine

An all-electric hot-air lamination machine shrinks tubing simultaneously over four catheters. No compressed air is required because air is recirculated as it maintains precise temperatures up to 650°F. The machine has two separately driven and heated chambers, with two lamination areas in each. Two catheters can be laminated while two more are being mounted or demounted to maximize operator efficiency. The material is attached to SST rods that extend through the raised heating chambers. A touch screen interface includes programmable recipes to vary the time and speed that the chambers descend over the catheters.
Engineering By Design, San Jose, CA
www.ebdesign.com

Respiratory hose

A line of respiratory hose can be sterilized with either EtO, radiation, or pasteurization methods. Model 888 has injection-molded cuffs made without adhesives to eliminate potential leakage and odors. Providing a smooth interior for unrestricted flow and silent operation, the Hytrel-style hose has a crush- and kink-resistant corrugated exterior. The hose is available in sizes from 0.394 to 2 in., with lengths from 4 to 120 in. Standard colors are clear wall with cream or gray helix.
Hi-Tech Medical, Georgetown, MA
www.hitechmedical.com

Miniature thin-wall Teflon tubing

Two series of miniature thin-wall tubing are made from virgin PTFE and have properties such as low coefficient of friction, light weight, and high temperature resistance. The DUT series offers extruded Teflon tubing with walls as thin as 0.0015 in., and inside diameters ranging from 0.002 to 0.325 in. The SH620 series offers fully recovered walls to 0.0015 in., and recovered inside diameters as small as 0.008 in.
Daburn Electronics & Cable Corp., Northvale, NJ
www.daburn.com

Tubing set coiler

A coiling machine is used in the assembly of medical tubing sets. The Mini-Winder works by means of placing a length of tubing on the mandrel, which rotates the exact number of turns necessary to complete the coil. The speed, size of coil, number of rotations, direction of rotation, and height of mandrel are adjustable. After a tubing coil is completed, the mandrel retracts, enabling the operator to slide the finished product into a package without having to lift it. The unit is positioned on a work or assembly surface and is equipped with foot and hand controls. All product contact surfaces are stainless steel or high-density plastic.
S-Y-M Products Co., Litchfield, CT
www.symproducts.com

Custom electroforms

Custom electroforms are very precise, thin-walled lightweight precision components that can be made as small as 0.020 in. in diameter with walls as thin as 0.0005 in. Materials include nickel, copper, silver, implantable gold, or a combination thereof. The electroforms can be used as molds, precision tubing, precision nozzles, and other lightweight, structurally rigid components in various applications, including both invasive and noninvasive. The units are suitable for medical applications that involve unusual shapes, close tolerances, light weight, high strength, and ultrathin walls.
Servometer/PMG LLC, Cedar Grove, NJ
www.servometer.com

Small-bore stainless-steel tubing

With small stainless-steel tubing in both Types AISI 304 and 316L, typical lead times of several months and fabricators requiring large minimum-order quantities, there is an increasing need for a quick supply of small quantities in a variety of dimensions. A contract manufacturer sells small-bore stainless-steel tubing from stock ranging in size from 0.004 to 4 in. OD in precise cuts.
Unimed S.A., Lausanne, Switzerland
www.unimed.ch

Copyright ©2007 Medical Product Manufacturing News