INNOVATION | MEDICAL
Medical moulding does more
New materials and machinery for medical moulding are helping to raise performance and precision. Mikell Knights reports on recent developments
Main image: SABIC has introduced LNP CRX PC
copolymer resins for demanding medical applications
Below: Arburg Allrounder 630 H in cleanroom set-up
Incumbent materials used in a range of medical products face challenges from updates in grades that enhance processability or performance, includ- ing bio-compatible formulations based on renew- able feedstocks that reduce carbon footprint while meeting ever-stringent regulations. For their part, equipment suppliers are partner- ing with companies along the value chain to offer advanced injection moulding technologies, and smart and connected moulding cells with higher levels of process monitoring, analysis and control. Increasing demand for sterile devices and custom- ised medical devices are becoming more achiev- able due to flexible moulding techniques and updated cleanroom technologies. Medical product manufacturers are innovating based on these advances in materials and machin-
ery, with devices that are miniaturised with complex geometries, more resistant, lighter and more precisely designed components and devices. The rise of remote healthcare and telemedicine has led to the development of self-administered drug delivery systems and remote monitoring equip- ment that can be used by patients at home. Arburg integrated its injection moulding machinery and processing functions with innovative equipment from third-party companies in a multi- material medical application that realises time and cost savings while increasing production efficiency. An Arburg Allrounder More series electric- toggle clamp machine, designed specifically for multi-component injection moulding, was the central control device in a moulding cell assembled and demonstrated at the K2022 show to produce two-component covered luer connectors in a special 4+4 cavity mould from German mould specialist Braunform. The 10 mm diameter, 11 mm long luer connector is produced using PP and TPE in a cycle time of around 10 s, where the PP component has a part weight of 0.2g and the TPE component has a part weight of 0.05g. The mould incorporates Braunform’s patented
IMAGE: ARBURG 44 INJECTION WORLD | September 2023
RotaricE2 concept, introduced last year at the K show, that integrates mould actions like capping, unscrewing and assembly functions into the mould, eliminating the need for a second mould and additional assembly line. Six mould functions are
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IMAGE: SABIC
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