PROCESSING | MEDICAL TUBING


0.0001in resolution), while a Zumbach Electronics three-axis OD laser gauge provides closed-loop dimensional control and displays the tube for concentricity adjustments. Also at MD&M West, Colorite – part of Tekni-


Plex that specialises in medical-grade compounds – showcased its Cellene line of thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) compounds. While PVC com- pounds still take the majority of market share, TPE alternatives are ideal for those that want phthalate- free materials, says Colorite. “We have seen the development pipeline


Colorite


showcased its Cellene line of thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) compounds at MD&M West earlier this year


TPU tube with APIs At the MD&M West 2018 trade show in the USA earlier this year, Conair, Davis Standard and Zumbach teamed up to co-extrude a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) catheter tube, which incorpo- rated active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) on the outer layer. Typical applications might include adding an


antimicrobial layer, to prevent biofilm formation, or an anticoagulant to avoid catheter thrombosis. “The same technology that can add colour to the surface layer of medical tubing can apply an API like silver sulfadiazine,” said Bob Bessemer, sales manager for medical extrusion at Conair. The demonstration used colour instead of an API but the process is the same, he said. The main body of the catheter tube – a single- lumen adult PICC line with an outside diameter of 0.067i – is made of clear TPU delivered by the primary 0.75in Davis Standard extruder. A second 0.75in extruder delivers the blue resin representing the active layer. The inner/outer layer ratio is approximately 80/20. Each extruder feeds a positive displacement melt pump, which controls polymer flow to a cross-head co-extrusion die supplied by Guill Tool. “When the line includes single-screw extruders,


the API would need to be pre-compounded into the resin or delivered as a masterbatch,” said Bessemer. “If you use a twin-screw extruder for the pharmaceu- tical-layer material, you can combine the neat API into the polymer in-line with the rest of the


process.” American Leistritz, which makes twin-screw


extruders, also participated in the demonstration. As the two-layer tube exits the die, it enters a


Conair MedVac vacuum-sizing/cooling tank. An ultrasonic gauge inside the tank monitors wall thickness and the thickness of each layer (to


14 PIPE & PROFILE EXTRUSION | September 2018


increase three-fold since our North American launch a year ago,” said Heath Schmid, director of business development for advanced materials. “The material is gaining traction in a number of applications – such as drip chambers, IV and peristaltic pump tubing – that are looking for alternatives to PVC and silicone.” Cellene TPEs have a wide variety of uses in medical devices, packaging and other regulated markets. They are formulated to be silicone, latex, phthalate, halogen and PVC-free using FDA-com- pliant raw materials to meet USP Class VI and ISO 10993 standards, said the company. Tekni-Plex itself has changed hands within the


last year – with previous owner American Securities selling it to another private equity firm, Genstar Capital. Based in Wayne, Pennsylvania, Tekni-Plex has 2,500 employees across the world, and manufacturing sites in many countries including the USA, China, Costa Rica and Germany. “We have invested heavily in our organisation so


that our brands hold leadership positions in their key market segments,” said Paul Young, CEO of Tekni-Plex. “Our strong emphasis on innovation and R&D will continue to drive new products.” David Golde, director at Genstar, added: “We


have great conviction in Tekni-Plex’s business model and the opportunity to grow the company through investments in assets, technology and strategic M&A.”


Material advances Many speakers at the recent Medical Tubing conference – organised by AMI, and held in Cologne, Germany in June – revealed ongoing material development to boost the performance of medical tubes. Nathan Doyle, sales and marketing manager at


Compounding Solutions in the USA, said that his company has developed a new family of tie-layer resins for use in multi-layer medical tubing. “Tie-layer resins are used as extrudable adhe- sives to bond two dissimilar materials that would


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