July 1, 1999

6 Min Read
Tubing-Processing Equipment

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Tubing-Processing Equipment

Bump/taper tube system

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Designed to precisely control the manufacture of bump/taper tubing, a bump/taper tube system offers precise speed regulation for exact output control. The system's extruder uses an integrally mounted single-bolt clamp ring assembly to permit quick changes of the die and screens. Its 12:1 double-reduction helical gearbox provides a large degree of flexibility in speed ranges. The operator interface uses a color touch screen Pentium computer running Windows NT 4.0 workstation. Davis-Standard Corp., 1 Extrusion Dr., Pawcatuck, CT 06379.

Servo rotary cutters

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Two families of rotary-knife cutters are suitable for applications ranging from small-diameter medical tubing to rigid window and door profiles. The SCE-series cutters, which feature a velocity-controlled servomotor, and the new SCX series, featuring a position-controlled servomotor, provide high precision and speed. Both series are available with 2.25-, 3.25-, 4.25-, or as 5.25-in. bushing OD. They are available as stand-alone units or as combination puller/cutter models. Conair, 1 Conair Dr., Pittsburgh, PA 15202.

Tubing set coiler

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An automatic coiling machine is used in the production and packaging of flexible tubing sets. The Mini-Winder coils medical tubing and other items that must be coiled before they are packaged. The unit allows significantly faster coiling than with conventional methods,and it reduces the chance of repetitive-motion injuries to hands and wrists. Electronic programming is used for precision operation.After a coil is complete, the mandrel (on which the product is wrapped) retracts, enabling the operator to slide the finished coil into a package without having to lift it. The unit allows many shapes of coils to be made, and coil sizes can be changed without tools. S-Y-M Products Company, LLC, P.O. Box 112160, Stamford, CT 06911.

Tubing cutter

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A programmable cutting machine for medical-grade tubing features a system for solvent dispensing on the tube end and an uncoiling system with a tubing reel holder. ReadyCut is particularly suited to manufacturing medical tubing sets where cut-length precision, cut accuracy, and quality of solvent dispensing are of great importance. The system can be programmed in 1-mm increments to produce segments between 10 and 9999 mm, and it can process tubing ODs ranging from 3.0 to 9.9 mm. TechnoMed Inc., 59 Stiles Rd., Salem, NH 03079.

Tube expander

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A pneumatic tube expander speeds the assembly of tubes and fittings while the tubing is open and on the expander. This feature is useful with tubing that has very fast memory-contraction rates, such as silicone. The Model 875B expander pneumatically expands 90° jaws with tubing assembled. The fitting is then inserted into the tubing and removed from the unit completely assembled. Teflon-coated jaws allow the tube with the inserted fitting to easily slide off the unit as a single assembly. The Teflon coating, as well as the jaw configuration, allows assemblies to be made without the use of Freon. Lakeview Equipment Inc., 2010 Lehigh Ave., Glenview, IL 60025.

Extrusion system

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An alternate polymer tubing extrusion system can produce tubing that varies seamlessly from 100% polymer A to 100% polymer B along the length of the tube. This eliminates the secondary operation traditionally required to join tubes of different durometers or of entirely different polymers. It results in a much stronger transition and one which is completely seamless. Harrel Inc., 16 Fitch St., East Norwalk, CT 06855.

Heating ovens

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Heat-shrink results can be duplicated more often using convection heating ovens than by using handheld heat guns. With the ovens, parts processed through the heat tunnel obtain a 360° even shrink fit as opposed to concentrated heat on only one side of the tubing. The Accu-Heat II heating ovens are portable, benchtop units and are electronically controlled for temperature and speed. Strategic Products Inc., 18 Marina Isles Blvd., Ste. 202, Indian Harbour Beach, FL 32937.

Tubing coiler

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A tubing coiler automatically measures, cuts, and bands various diameters of flexible tubing. The machine pulls the tubing from a spool, wraps the tubing around two 1-in.-diam posts, retains the coil by heat sealing two ¾-in. tape strips around coils, and cuts the coiled assembly from the machine. The coils are then ready for the installation of connector fittings. The machineis capable of producing coils up to 172 in. long with a maximum of 12 wraps. Castle Engineering Company, Inc., 400 Corporate Cir., Unit N, Golden, CO 80401.

Catheter manufacturing equipment

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Catheter manufacturing equipment allows operators to tip, neck down, and weld thermoplastics into finished catheters. Now CE marked, the PIRF systems meet the latest international standards for safetyand emissions. The briefcase-sized systems provide fast, precise, and repeatable control of heat time, cool time, and insertion pressure. A proprietary process precisely controls mold temperature during heating. Thermoplastics such as polyethylene, fluoropolymers, PVC, polypropylene, and polyurethane weld and form easily using the equipment. SEBRA, 100 N. Tuscon Blvd., Tucson, AZ 85716.

Taper tube system

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Control software for taper tube production comes standard on the Model TT.5 puller/cutter. The system uses streamlined functions and a faster servo update time to maximize productivity. It also features the Taper Wizard function, which eliminates the time-consuming task of manually entering all process values. The operator simply enters a few key values, and the Taper Wizard calculates and inputs all the necessary product dimensions to produce a symmetrical bubble tube. RDN Manufacturing Company, Inc., 160 Covington Dr., Bloomingdale, IL 60108.

Catheter manufacturing

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A remote heat station is designed for tipping, welding, upsetting, bonding, and other related catheter manufacturing applications. The remote heat station allows the user to place the power supply separate from the tip-forming actuator. The unit features a low-friction pneumatic actuator with adjustable speed, stroke length, and tube-gripping pressure. Single- or double-tube configurations are available as a turnkey system. It includes thepower supply, remote heat station, induction coil, cooling system tooling, and documented process parameters, and it requires only a 110/120-V 50/60-Hz power source. PlasticWeld Systems, 3690 Coomer Rd., Newfane, NY 14108.

Tubing cutting system

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A tubing cutting system cuts a variety of sizes and shapes of plastic, elastomeric, and rubber tubing. Tubing sizes can be up to ½ in. diam, and four lengths ofmaterial can be cut at a time. The system is portable and includes a built-in counter, interchangeable tooling, and a fast material length adjustment device. AC&T Company, Inc., 7110-F W. Touhy Ave., Niles, IL 60714.

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