Plastic technologies that meet the stringent requirement of medical markets - CHINAPLAS 2010 Show Daily

Breaking the past records with more than 2,100 exhibitors, CHINAPLAS has its fairground filled with countless advanced technologies and products. Following the yesterday's feature that highlights solutions for cars and electronic products, today we will focus on the latest machineries and materials that applied to packaging, medical and building.

The application of plastic and rubber on medical products is expanding significantly in the last few years, from diagnosis machines, disposable hygiene products to delicate artificial organs. The fairground has provided numerous choices of products that have high technical contents and meet the stringent requirement of pharmaceuticals and medical markets.


Netstal realizes medical moulding on ELION

Andreas Nydegger, General Manager, Nestal China Ltd, in front of the ELION injection molding machine

The Swiss machine manufacturer Netstal presents the model 1200-530 within the ELION injection moulding machine range which applies to the medical field. Using a 64-cavity mould made by Schöttli of Switzerland, needle protection caps for disposable syringes are produced under clean-room conditions at a cycle of less than 6.5 seconds.

Moulding machine and handling unit make up a production cell. The moulded parts of a polypropylene of Messrs Borealis are removed from the mould by a handling unit of the German manufacturer Hekuma.

While raw material feeding is taken care of by appliances of Messrs Motan, temperature control is supplied by HB-Therm of Switzerland and the chiller unit, a product of Messrs ef cooling Ernst H. Furrer AG, also a Swiss company.

The all-electric ELION features encapsulated and water-cooled electric motors, ensuring emission problems do not occur and saving the processor clean-room operating costs. In addition, adopting the recovery principle, braking energies are fed back to the power circuit for supply to other users within the equipment, saving up to 70% energy compared with conventional drive systems. The closed loop control of the moulding processes also guarantees product quality and reduces rejects to minimum.


KRAIBURG TPE develops new material for medical markets

KRAIBURG TPE manufactures thermoplastic elastomers based on HSBC (hydrogenated styrene block copolymers) and offers a broad spectrum of standardized compounds under the THERMOLAST brand to cover various applications.

The newly developed THERMOLAST M group of products offers customers in the pharmaceuticals and medical markets safe and economical handling of materials that will come into direct contact with media that ultimately pass into the human bloodstream.

According to the company's CEO Franz Hinterecker, THERMOLAST M has attained the usual medical technology approval standards, such as DIN ISO 10933/5/10/11 and USP Class VI, proving the suitability of these compounds for direct contact with medicaments. And extraction studies conducted by agencies confirm the quality of the THERMOLAST M compounds.

To serve the demand in Asia, KRAIBURG TPE has operated its own production facility at Selangor, near the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur, since August of 2008, which complies with the "DIN EN ISO 9001:2008" just as the production facilities in Germany and the US.

Meanwhile, in order for enhancing services to its China customers, KRAIBURG has launched a Chinese version for its corporate website since March this year.


Momentive introduces antimicrobial HCR and LSR products

Holger Albrecht, Global Marketing Manager, Momentive Material Performance Gmbh

Among many elastomer choices offered by Momentive Performance Materials Inc, StatSil is a new platform of antimicrobial HCR and LSR products. The family of addition curable, high consistency rubber (HCR) and liquid silicone rubber (LSR) products can be used in a variety of healthcare and consumer goods applications, offering built-in antimicrobial protection.

According to Momentive, the development of StatSil is the response of the needs from medical device manufacturers, to combat the issue of hospital acquired infections (HAIs). It can reduce the critical risks of HAIs and help save costs for healthcare systems around the world. It may be considered for numerous applications across the medical, pharmaceutical, cosmetics and food industries.

Meanwhile, a new plant in Nantong has been built to provide the local manufacturing capability and services to Pacific customers. The local application development centers in Shanghai of China, Japan and Thailand also provide strong technical service to local customers in the region.


Ewikon's nozzles for syringes or pipettes

Ewikon HPS III-MH nozzle

Ewikon offers HPS III-MH nozzle, which features an unique layout that allows easy installation and exchange of tip inserts from the parting line of the mould and requires only standard mould inserts. Several tip versions can be selected. Especially advantageous for the production of syringes or pipettes with highest requirements regarding dimensional accuracy is a version with 60～ degree tip angle because it helps to eliminate core deflection caused by the melt pressure.

Another product that is especially suitable for medical applications is the electric drive valve gate system with step-motor technology which is available in three sizes and can be combined with all standard nozzles. Because there is no potential contamination from lubricated compressed air, the system offers suitability for cleanroom applications.