Researchers in New Zealand found that artificial hip liners made of highly-cross-linked polyethylene showed less wear 10 years after implantation than liners made of conventional ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene. Patients whose hip liners were made of highly cross-linked polyethylene also had a significantly lower prevalence of osteolysis and revision surgery, according to a report in Orthopedics Today.
Spectralytics invites customers to ‘camp out’ at new development center
August 6, 2018 By Leave a Comment
Spectralytics has completed a dedicated product development center in Maple Plain, Minn. to speed delivery of prototypes to customers and free up the production lines in its other facilities. Spectralytics’ two existing plants in Dassel, Minn., 55 miles west of the Twin Cities, offer laser cutting, welding, drilling, ablation, marking, electropolishing, assembly, and engineering services
How’d they do that? 7 innovations from medical device contract manufacturers
June 29, 2018 By Leave a Comment
Charles Darwin wrote, “In the long history of humankind (and animal kind, too) those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed.” Medical device companies get the credit for many innovations, but many need the ingenuity and commitment of contract manufacturers who design and produce the components that make those big splashes possible.
Igus unveils new material for clip and flanged bearings
May 30, 2018 By Leave a Comment
Igus (Cologne, Germany) today announced a new tribo-plastic material for clip and flanged bearings. The wear-resistant material, dubbed iglidur K230, is highly elastic, chemical resistant and withstands moisture, according to Igus. Clip and flanged bearings are commonly used in the sheet metal industry because of their ease of installation and design, especially in sheet metal feedthroughs. The bearing
How SABIC helped develop a non-drug migraine treatment
May 22, 2018 By Leave a Comment
SABIC recently helped eNeura develop a clinically proven, non-drug option for preventing and treating migraine headaches. The sTMS mini from eNeura is a portable delivery system for single-pulse, transcranial magnetic stimulation. It’s prescribed by a physician. FDA cleared the sTMS mini for migraine prevention in 2017. SABIC’s polycarbonate copolymer Lexan was chosen as the housing of
Diversified Plastics expands sales engineer and technical support team
May 17, 2018 By Leave a Comment
Diversified Plastics (Minneapolis) recently announced that it has added three new sales engineer and technical support members to its team. Raymond Schenk has joined Diversified Plastics as senior sales engineer. He has over 24 years of experience in the plastic industries and will be responsible for the western territories of the company. Prior to joining the
Thermoformers Tru-Form Plastics and InterTrade ink merger deal
May 3, 2018 By Leave a Comment
Thermoforming groups Tru-Form Plastics and InterTrade Industries plan to merge, looking to operate under the new moniker of Tru-Form Plastics, an InterTrade Industries Co. Gardena, Calif.–based Tru-Form Plastics said late last month that the combination will help support both businesses by adding additional customer service, sales team and engineering members, as well as 14 additional
MedAccred adds plastic extrusion to audit criteria
April 24, 2018 By Leave a Comment
MedAccred recently announced that it has added plastics extrusion to its list of audit opportunities. Companies that want accreditation from MedAccred can now audit plastics extrusion in addition to cable and harness, heat treating, plastics injection molding, printed circuit board assembly, sterilization and welding. The audit criteria is developed from leaders in the medical device
4 ways medical device industry suppliers can save their clients money
March 26, 2018 By Leave a Comment
Count Spectrum Plastics Group (Alpharetta, Ga.) among the medical device industry suppliers adding capabilities and expertise in order to add value to what they provide their customers. Long gone are the days when medtech contract manufacturers simply made orders to spec. As four recent case studies out of Spectrum highlight, it’s all about branching out
Polyplastics rolling Topas Advanced Polymers into Polyplastics USA
March 26, 2018 By Leave a Comment
Engineering thermoplastics supplier Polyplastics said today that it will merge its affiliate Topas Advanced Polymers (Florence, Ky.) into Polyplastics USA, effective April 1. The merger will add Topas‘s cyclic olefin copolymer (COC) resins to Polyplastics USA’s existing portfolio of POM (acetal), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), and polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) engineering polymers. The combined business have its headquerters
Why PEEK is so hard to extrude
February 26, 2018 By Leave a Comment
PEEK — a popular material for catheters and minimally invasive tubing — can trip up novices when it comes to extrusion. Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) is known throughout the medical device industry for its toughness, strength and high heat thermal characteristics. It’s often used to replace metal components in medical devices; because it’s a thermoplastic it can be injection-molded
MD&M West: 10 technologies you should know
February 13, 2018 By Leave a Comment
MD&M West is one of the largest medical device manufacturing events in the world, so it’s easy to get lost on the show floor. Even if you were in Anaheim, Calif., for the event last week, you may have missed a lot. From a new robotics insights display from Rethink Robotics to a disinfectant-resistant plastic
Spectrum Plastics Group buys Apex Resource Technologies
February 13, 2018 By Leave a Comment
Spectrum Plastics Group (Alpharetta, Ga.) is expanding its specialty products and design engineering offerings through its acquisition of Apex Resource Technologies. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed in today’s announcement. Apex has more than 60 people at its 45,000-square-foot facility in Pittsfield, Mass., and is a full-service design engineering, tooling and injection molding operation.
Could this Eastman polymer improve medical device housing durability?
February 12, 2018 By Leave a Comment
Specialty plastics provider Eastman used the recent MD&M West to tout the ability of its MXF221 copolyester to hold up to repeated application of hospital disinfectants. Eastman officials think MXF221 could be a new option for medical device manufacturers – especially because a cracked housing could endanger the electronics inside expensive equipment including ultrasound and
Spectralytics launches DFM product development facility for laser services
February 7, 2018 By Leave a Comment
In the new medtech manufacturing environment, design engineers need parts faster, with fewer iterations and quicker turnaround. Spectralytics aims to meet those needs with its revamped development center in Maple Plain, Minn. The laser cutting and processing contract manufacturer has a newly expanded facility dedicated to design and prototyping. The 15,000 sq. ft. facility is located
