Medical injection molding (“MIM”) is a popular manufacturing process which has become the model used throughout the medical industry. The medical injection molding industry has grown exponentially in the last few years because of advancements in the technology processes. MIM requires specialized tooling and an injection molding machine or press which runs on quality control, operational controls, and above all is cleanliness. East Providence Rhode Island has medical injection molding companies which are the forerunners in medical molding and that operate under a strict quality system compliance code.
Types of Medical Injection Molding
Top quality MIMs operate under an ISO-13485 certification standard for medical devices, which means that the MIM company has work environment controls needed to ensure product safety. Risk management activities are required during product development and specific inspection requirements for implantable products. Medical injection molding companies are in hygienic manufacturing space, with thermoplastic injection molding machines ranging from 7 ton to 300 ton capacity with robotics for loading inserts, spruce removal, part separation, ultrasonic welding capabilities and device assembly. Medical injection molding is also meeting the demands of changing manufacturing needs, such as micro or miniaturization of components, involving micro molding, micro insert molding, microfluidic molding to micro optics molding.
MIM Demands
The MIMs field includes the fast growing products used in the drug delivery systems for respiratory care and diabetes, such as inhalers, syringes, and blood-glucose test strips. Hospitals are the largest demand industry for medical injection molding products, but following on their heels are over the counter products by consumers that reduces medical costs. Medical molding companies are a global necessity due to the constant stable demand in medical disposable and durable products which are used by the aging population and their needs. Rhode Island molding companies use commodity grade theroplastic resins, which include polyethylene, high impact polystyrene, polypropylene, and polystyrene. There are a wide variety of different resin grades to use, which is why choosing the right company with experience is very important.
Medical Injection Molding Basic Variables
All in all, the basic elements of an injection molding process, involves the following:
1. A mold which is capable of producing a part that meets the required ISO standard specifications.
2. Equipment which is in excellent condition and is correctly sized for the mold and the part.
3. Material which is consistently made and of high grade materials to produce the precise product design.
Variables in machine designs involve four critical details:
* Plastic variables – Pressure used to pack out and form the part.
* Temperature – The temperature for the melted plastic as it enters the mold cavities.
* Flow rate – The length of time it takes to fill the mold cavities.
* Cooling rate – Mold temperature post cooling for each part, which determines the final dimensions and many other properties.
A Global Giant in MIMs
The best in medical injection molding is micro PEP, a part of Precision Engineered Products LLC, which has global reach as the leader in the precision injection molding of plastic components and micro molding for the medical, electronic, fiber optic/optoelectronic and transportation industries. microPEP is a part of a synergistic contract manufacturing companies that can meet the immediate demands for integrated solutions that includes stampings, plating, clad metals and injection molding.