Moving on up: Advancing the medical market with LSR
Trelleborg Sealing Solutions explains how it’s taking 2C LSR technology to the next level.
Trelleborg Sealing Solutions says it is revolutionising the healthcare and medical market with its liquid silicone rubber (LSR) and two-component injection (2C) technology, which are said to produce innovative solutions for medical device manufacturers and end-users.
The benefit to the device manufacturer is a hygienic, robust and cost-effective product design, often combining multiple components and functions into a single one, eliminating the risk and cost associated with a secondary assembly.
Helping healthcare
Ursula Nollenberger, LSR components product director for Trelleborg Sealing Solutions, said: “LSR lends itself perfectly to medical applications because it is inert, very pure by nature and very versatile in its use, suiting it to a broad range of application conditions. It is also ideal for a large variety of medical grades which facilitates specification choices, making it a preferred choice within the healthcare sector.”
2C LSR technology
Nollenberger continued: “One of our most outstanding capabilities is the simultaneous injection of LSR in combination with technical plastics, 2C LSR technology. One of the key advantages of this is the ability to mould several components into a highly complex single part.
The simultaneous 2C LSR process is available in many hard-soft and soft-soft combinations, including multi-colour and multi-hardness options and is extremely efficient for high production volumes.
“We use highly advanced, sophisticated tools and process engineering to develop the most innovative solutions, combining two, three or more individual materials into one fully bonded, robust component.
“Trelleborg’s 2C LSR technology allows medical device manufacturers much more latitude in their design solutions, for example utilising space more effectively, saving or cutting out weight, or integrating extra functions. This ground-breaking technique offers a wealth of options for integration and miniaturisation, resulting in better and more effective solutions in the long run.”
In life sciences applications it is particularly important to counter the prominent challenge of unwanted bacterial growth and inherent impurities either by way of inferior material properties or unsuitable production methods. 2C LSR technology enables more hygienic design solutions by eliminating, for example, dead space through the use of a customised 2C solution versus a classic O-Ring sealed package.
LSR as a material, in combination with a hygienic product design including 2 component solutions, produced in a fully automated closed-loop production process and in a controlled cleanroom environment, offers the purest available product in manufacturing.
Working in collaboration with its customers, Trelleborg’s basic mode of operation provides the first concept stage all the way through to the end of the product life. To start with, Trelleborg’s design team currently work with the customer’s designers to either propose a black box solution or to value-engineer a customer’s concept or existing product.
Future plans
Nollenberger revealed that Trelleborg plans to continue to push the boundaries and lead the way with continued investments in infrastructure and skill set at its global locations.
“We continue to push forward with tool, process and automation technologies to let us produce ever smaller parts, down to micro and now even nano-gram weights, enabling the many ground-breaking and exciting technologies our customers are developing. Finding solutions to the so far thought impossible with LSR is what we thrive on.
“We are proud to be one of the world’s leading developers, manufacturers and suppliers of high precision LSR and 2C parts and we intend to stay at the top.”