Medical Device Link.

Originally Published EMDM September 2004

Industry News

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In the world of on-line communities, Omnexus has been where plastics suppliers interact with customers. SpecialChem (Paris), an on-line innovation and solutions hub, expanded its coverage by acquiring the existing Omnexus platform from major plastics suppliers in December 2003. On June 11, a revamped version of the site, www.omnexus.com, was launched. 

The revised Omnexus is geared to industries where plastics are commonly used. These include the packaging, medical product, and electronics sectors. 

The former version mainly hosted on-line buying and selling; only a small part was devoted to product information and development. SpecialChem has closed the on-line buying module, but users can now read about the latest technologies, polymer profiles, and industry trends. They can also access technical support from suppliers. More than 75,000 industry professionals are registered, with 3,000 new users each month, according to Christophe Cabarry, founder of SpecialChem.

“OEMs are downsizing and have cut new product development resources,” says Cabarry. “At the same time, suppliers of plastics and elastomers are reducing technical support, which they used to offer customers for free.”

The site’s innovation section organizes topics by applications, grades and materials, environment, and other categories. R&D data provide patent details and papers relevant to specific industries. These items are classified by common themes such as transparency, barrier and thermal properties, and adhesion. A global news service tracks market trends and industry events. “A team of experts spot the latest innovations from publications, conference reports, patents, and press releases, and [keep tabs on] relationships among large producers and suppliers,” says Cabarry.

The site’s polymer selector allows users to choose materials based on desired properties. A list of suitable polymers is created, showing a profile and cost index. Users can select from a list of properties to further narrow the choices, which are compared on a graphical chart. Strengths, limitations, applications, chemical resistance, and processibility are shown for each polymer.

For design advice, an on-line support feature connects the user with an expert. This area of the site focuses on metal replacement and transparency; a number of solutions are already available on-line. Data sheets identify needs and problems that medical engineers commonly face. 

“OEMs can use the new Omnexus to find inspiration for [product] innovations and to keep up with trends,” says Cabarry. “Most users are not experts in plastics. We can help them to accelerate development and innovation.” 

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