Longevity in any business can be challenging. In the manufacturing world, the ability to survive—and thrive—over the long term is especially noteworthy. Manufacturing jobs have been declining since 1979 when the U.S. reached an all-time high of 19.6 million jobs. By 2019, this number was down to 12.8 million, a 35% decrease.[i] Environmental factors, automation, […]
Pebax heat shrink tubing: Eliminating FEP reflow process saves time, streamlines supply chain, and benefits the environment
Robert Foley, PresidentAmna Rana, Technical Sales Manager Designing a flexible catheter shaft used to involve a PTFE liner plus braiding plus multiple Pebax® layers. Now, a laser-cut hypotube and a single jacket of readily available Pebax heat shrink tubing can streamline the process. Cobalt Polymers’ Pebax heat shrink tubing is a key component in the […]
Pete Doolittle reflects on a fruitful career in manufacturing: The half-century evolution of the industry and Hobson & Motzer
It was the fall of 1976 and Pete Doolittle, a skinny, long-haired kid—not long out of the machining and tooling program at H.C. Wilcox Technical High School in Meriden, CT—made his way to Hobson & Motzer looking for a job. As Pete tells it, his interest in Hobson & Motzer was piqued by his tool […]
The ultimate perfusion balloons
By Nemanja Spasojevic – Senior Polymer Development Engineer Ridgeback Technologies not only provide normal catheter balloons, we also provide Perfusion Balloons, Cutting Balloons and Sensor Balloons with highly competitive lead times due to our in-house resources covering all aspects of Balloon Design and Manufacture. For many years it has been a desire of medical device […]
Overlooked details and unexpected surprises can derail your next product launch
Your company may have done a decent job of making sure your products are compliant with the new European MDR (Medical Device Regulation). But have you addressed all the potential pitfalls: unanticipated reclassification of existing products; surprise audits, sample requests and product testing; and updated labeling requirements, etc.? And are you absolutely certain that all […]
Saving time with solvent compatibility testing
By Thaddeus Williams, D.V.M., Study Director of In-Vivo Biocompatibility, Toxikon Corporation Introduction When developing a preclinical testing plan for medical devices, selecting the correct extraction solvents can be confusing. Incompatibility between solvent and device may result in an extract that is unusable or harmful to the test system. A Solvent Compatibility Test can make the […]
The top three reasons manufacturers choose medical-grade silicone for medical devices
Silicone is a highly versatile material widely used across many industries. Over the past 60 years, medical-grade silicone has been a material of choice for medical device OEMs, and the number of complex and safety-critical applications in this field continues to grow – from surgical devices and implants to orthotics, prosthetics, and more. Silicone’s unique properties are […]
Micro medical manufacturing tolerances: Achieving high-resolution, ultra-precise features
Manufacturing precise miniature plastic parts is the result of exact tooling execution. By understanding the tolerances of both micro tooling and micro injection molding, it’s possible to achieve a high level of repeatability and part accuracy for even the most advanced micro medical devices. MICRO TOOLING Equipment Capabilities The mold is the enabler for manufacturing […]
Australia Medical Device Reimbursement: Incentives From the Land Down Under
By Deborah Bell, executive director of business development in Australia, Avania Whether to control costs or to recruit a larger population, medical device manufacturers are looking beyond the U.S., the EU, and Asia to conduct clinical trials. When planning global studies and early commercialization, Australia is a strongly considered market. The access to innovative medical […]
Precision Molding: Getting it right the first time
Precision injection molding ensures a molded component is repeatable every time, from lot to lot, regardless of the annual production volumes. However, not every molder provides the same level of experience/awareness or fully embraces the use of scientific molding principles in their pursuit of high-quality parts. There are several critical factors that need to be considered […]
Critical components, technologies, and designs to consider for catheter delivery systems
By Mike Schultz, Spectrum Plastics Group, Vice President of Innovation and Development Minimally invasive surgeries (MIS) that utilize steerable catheter systems represent an expanding market in the healthcare space. As the variety of catheter-based procedures continues to grow, with physicians and therapies demanding tools and technologies that increase access and performance, the steerable catheter market […]
