A Closer Look At Electrical Tests
In one of our previous posts, we discussed the importance of product testing in manufacturing. In this article, we’ll focus on the most common types of electrical tests. Hipot Testing Although many of the tests required by safety certifications like UL or CSA are performed

The Basics of Stepper Motor Control
The Basics of Stepper Motor ControlDue to their durability, reliability, efficiency and availability in standardized sizes and mounting options, stepper motors are widely used in industrial automation, robotics, and new niche consumer products like desktop 3D printers. In this article, we’ll talk about the ba

Moving Down the Line: Electromagnetic Linear Actuators
In a recent post, we discussed the main categories of electric motors and how they operate. While those electric motors fulfill an important need any time you have to convert electricity into rotational motion, sometimes rotation is not the type of movement needed for an application. In this article, we’ll di

Sealing the Deal: A Primer on Rubber Injection Molding
Injection molding isn’t just for thermoplastics. The same process, with a few minor tweaks, can also be applied to synthetic rubbers. Having largely displaced natural rubber for almost all uses except automobile tires, modern elastomers (short for “elastic polymers”) are as specialized as thermoplastic resins

A Rundown of Runners
Before molten resin can fill the part cavity, it must first wind its way from the sprue (the inlet of the mold) to the gate(s). In between those two end points, the molten resin is distributed through channels, called the runner system. Think of the sprue as the highway, the runners are streets and the g

How to Successfully Contract Out Cable Harness Assembly
A lot of OEMs (particularly smaller ones) use cable assemblies in their products built in-house and usually do the assembly by hand with the help of tools like crimpers, strippers, and heat guns. Building these harnesses by hand is very labor intensive, so eventually OEMs hire a contract manufacturer with the

Choosing the Right Motor Can Really Move Your Application Forward
By converting electrical energy into motion, electrical motors literally keep our modern world turning. From compressors to ceiling fans, vacuum pumps to vacuum cleaners and dialysis machines to drones, motors are everywhere. They are so significant that entire books have been written about the different type

Are You as Pumped about Pumps as We Are?
Out of the three normal states of matter—solid, liquid, and gas—pumps can move the last two and pressurize the last one. Pumps not only force fluids to flow, but can also create a vacuum by compressing gas to a high pressure, evacuating air from a container. Pumps move fuel from your car’s tank to

Overlooked Thermal Considerations for PCBAs
Although we immediately think of electronics when printed circuit board assemblies (PCBAs) are mentioned, good PCBA design is in fact a multidisciplinary endeavor spanning electrical, mechanical, and even chemical engineering. However, one area where technology companies can run into trouble with PCBA designs

The Importance of Tool Material Choice
In injection molding, there are two critical “material” choices that need to be made: which plastic material to make the product out of, and which tool material to use when building the part’s mold. Each choice has many options, but to add to the complexity, the resin selected can impose significant constrain

The Importance of Gates
Gates can be a standard part of the injection molding process. They are normally formed as molten plastic flows from the machine’s nozzle tip into a sprue and runner system, then into the part’s cavity. Gates are the last section of the runner system and attach it to the part. Therefore, everything from the g

Using Core-outs to Reduce the Weight of Plastic Parts
Core-outs are sections of a plastic part where a thick section of solid material has been replaced by a square, rectangle, or hexagonal section. This effectively replaces that solid material with empty voids surrounded by walls and ribs of uniform thickness. The core-outs themselves are usually placed on non-

Importance of DFM Analysis For Injection Molding
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure; or prevents hundreds of scrapped parts at least. Of all the design requirements, meetings, specifications and documentation involved when it comes to injection molded plastic parts, one of the most critical elements of the design process is often overlooked: a

Choosing the Correct Tool Cavitation
Injection molding is a great way to produce a large number of plastic components at high speed and a reasonable cost. What OEMs often overlook however, is one key question which could make this great method even better: How many cavities should my tool have to make the most parts, at the best quali

The Importance of Uniform Wall Thickness in Plastics
Keeping the walls of your injection molded plastic part the same thickness is important for maintaining good cosmetics and structural integrity. In this article, we’ll explain in-depth why uniform wall thickness is so important. Preventing Sink Marks The number one reason

Medical Device Contract Manufacturing — When Less is More
In the highly competitive industry of medical devices, outsourcing is almost required to stay ahead. Its benefits are evident — multidisciplinary expertise, cost savings, flexibility, expansion, reduced risk, increased innovation, and quality assurance to name just a few. As a highly competitive industry, the

Predictable Adhesion in Manufacturing Through Process Verification
From start to finish, manufacturers rely on process controls that are predictable, dependable and consistent. This is the only way to deliver reliable, high-quality products. Controlling adhesion and cleaning processes found throughout manufacturing operations is crucial to achieving the predictable high perf

How to optimize coatings and substrates for compatible devices
Through careful analysis of surface properties of coatings, substrates, and surface preparation we gain an abundance of information about their compatibility within the body and with each other, such as: ·        how completely a coating

Zebra OEM Siemens case
Siemens Healthineers and Zebra Technologies: Optimizing patient care with fast, accurate and secure blood gas analysis

Case Study: Custom Formulated Material Delivers High Performance for a Surgical Seal Solution
A large medical technology company aimed to upgrade its medical device solution used primarily to cut and cauterize tissue in minimally invasive surgeries. The goal was to improve the design to allow surgeons to reuse the device by creating a disposable biocompatible flexible sleeve cover for the surgical i

Tubing for Hemodialysis Pumps
Hemodialysis is the dominant form of treatment for patients with chronic kidney disease, particularly in countries that offer accessibility to dialysis clinics. This more common form of treatment, as compared to daily peritoneal dialysis, will continue to expand with the advent of home treatment hemodialysis

The Advantages of Ultra High Barrier PVDC Coated PVC Films
With pharmaceutical companies constantly looking for ways to improve their product packaging with performance-driven, cost-effective solutions, there is an alternative to traditional structures that is making its way into the main stream. Super barrier coated (SBC) films should be taken into consideration for

Medical device manufacturers: What capabilities should the ideal medical polymer compounder have?
If you are a medical device OEM or a supplier subcontractor who has been entrusted with developing components for your client’s new product, you may be uncertain as to how to evaluate a compounder with whom to partner. This white paper has been structured to provide you with a multi-discipline consideration t

Styrenic TPE Compounds: Growth Drivers & Challenges in Medical Applications
Over the past three decades, regulatory and market drivers, as well as cost pressures, have continued to generate a material choice discussion between polyvinyl chloride (PVC), thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) and rubber materials.

Case Study: Tekni-Plex Solves Material Supply Problem for Contract Packager; Helps Expand Applications
Sourcing blister packaging materials from Asia was resulting in long lead times, high air freight costs and inability to solve a broad range of packaging challenges

Case Study: Tekni-Plex Medical IV Tubing Solution Helps Protect Healthcare Professionals, While Providing Needed Therapy to COVID-19 Patients
Tekni-Plex harnesses global manufacturing footprint to provide tubing ASAP

Elcam Medical’s New & Innovative Minimal Residual Volume Luer Activated Stopcock
Catheter Related Blood Stream Infections (CRBSI) are a well-known and increasingly disturbing problem in hospitals, especially in Intensive Care Units (ICUs) and other units utilizing catheters and their accessories for patient care. Reducing the risk of microbial colonization and proliferation on stopcock

Clinical Study using Marvelous Stopcock
Elcam creates products to minimize infection as noted in the paper by Randy Loftus, MD, et. al, published in the November 2012 issue of Anesthesia and Analgesia using the Ultraport

SafeT™ Stopcocks Lipid Compatibility
The need for a more reliable stopcock increases in an ever-advancing industry objective towards a safer and efficient care-giving environment. Addressing lipid-induced cracking is one way to reach this objective. Lipid induced cracks and leakages are considered under-reported adverse events or mistakenly attr

Corona vs. Plasma Technical Bulletin
What is the difference between corona and plasma? The context of this question is important as some industries have adopted unique definitions of each term. In this article, Enercon explains the similarities and differences of corona & plasma and types of in-line plasma technologies offered.