Two parts are better than one, says Trelleborg
Trelleborg Sealing Solutions says it will use stand 56A at Med-Tech Innovation Expo to demonstrate that it is “revolutionising” the healthcare and medical markets with its liquid silicone rubber (LSR) and two-component injection technology.
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.
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.
“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.
“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” continued Nollenberger.
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. Trelleborg claims that 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.
Future plans
On future plans, Nollenberger added: “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.”