PRODUCT UPDATE
Anopol Ltd.
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A mounting jig for use in electropolishing stents is designed to prevent interruptions during the polishing cycle and thus shorten production cycles. Anapol Ltd. (Birmingham, UK; www.anapol.co.uk) developed the jig, which eliminates the need to turn the endovascular devices during the process, for a large electropolishing facility that has been operating exclusively with the patented jigs for three years. All mechanical and electrical functions are computer controlled, and the current or amperage to every individual stent can be monitored and recorded.
A requirement in stent production is that laser-cut edges be free from microburrs. When electropolishing is used to achieve this, the stents are immersed in a specially formulated chemical and positively charged using direct current. The ensuing removal of a fine surface layer, along with burrs, leaves a clean, bright microsmooth finish. The effectiveness of the electrochemical action depends on the existence of an electrical contact to the stents, normally facilitated by mounting the device on a jig. Traditionally, the stents would be manually removed from the jig halfway through the process and turned to establish a new point of contact, but the new jig design removes that necessity. In addition, its use lowers the rate of rejections due to manual handling of the stents.
Nordson Corp.
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The latest generation of compact electric hot-melt adhesive guns from a maker of precision dispensing equipment offers accurate dot or bead placement along with easy installation and quiet operation, while requiring minimal space for installation or servicing. The e.dot+ guns from Nordson Corp. (Westlake, OH, USA; www.nordson.com) are well suited for high-speed dotting applications, precisely dispensing adhesive for sealing the flaps of small cartons and performing similar functions. Operating in combination with a specially designed small-diameter hose and an external gun driver, the guns allow for direct plug-and-play connections between the adhesive melter, gun, driver, and hose. They feature on-times as short as 0.4 ms, cycle rates as fast as 1.8 ms, and an estimated service life in excess of 200 million cycles.
The guns’ ball-and-seat design provides good repeatability, pattern control, and consistency, delivering high-quality dot patterns and minimizing adhesive stringing or tailing. Each gun has a removable armature and seat, and a number of interchangeable nozzles, which makes maintenance quick and easy. In addition, manual stroke adjustment allows for rezeroing of the module after servicing. A coil connector speeds module exchange.
Enercon Industries Corp.
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An atmospheric plasma–based surface treatment system provides an option for treating surfaces that present challenges. The Plasma3 VCP from Enercon Industries Ltd. (Aylesbury, Bucks, UK; www.enerconind.com) generates a uniform and dense variable-chemistry plasma that applies an aggressive and consistent treatment to difficult surfaces. This method can be substituted for chemical priming. Its use eliminates the need for expensive priming, for batching, and for surface preparation processes involving hazardous chemicals. The system is specifically designed for treating sheets, boards, and objects with minimal contour, such as tubing and wire. Both conductive and nonconductive surfaces can be treated.
Powerful yet gentle in-line atmospheric treatment as offered by this system is engineered to clean and etch a range of materials that would be unresponsive to other technologies. The system treats complex material surfaces such as that of PTFE using a patented plasma delivery technology. It can be configured with unique chemical blends to optimize treatment effects for various materials. Treatment is said to produce long-lasting results.
Guyson International Ltd.
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A stainless-steel blast-finishing cabinet is engineered for medical product manufacturers, laboratories, and other users who need to prevent the introduction of ferrous contamination. Previously, Guyson International Ltd. (Leeds, UK; www.guyson.co.uk) had adapted its cabinets for such users, adding rubber linings and polyurethane coatings to critical wear parts to keep ferrous material from the cabinet substrate. Now the company offers the standard Mediblast 1400, a dedicated cabinet capable of handling most manual medical blast-finishing requirements.
Internal dimensions of the continuously welded blast chamber are 815 × 560 × 591 mm—the last figure being a height maximum. Overall machine height is 1527 mm. A full-depth hinged door allows easy access to the illuminated chamber. The blast gun, which can be handheld or retained on an adjustable support within the chamber, is operated by a foot pedal.
Comco Inc.
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Microabrasive blasting equipment designed for providing surface treatment during the manufacture of medical parts is used specifically to treat the surfaces of pacemaker cans and vascular stents. Using glass beads as an abrasive, the AccuFlo blaster available from Comco Inc. (Burbank, CA, USA; www.comcoinc.com) removes scratches and marks from a pacemaker can, leaving a satin finish. Microblasting systems are used also in surface-treating laser-cut stents to remove oxidation and pulse marks.
Microabrasive blasting technology involves propelling air and abrasive media from a small nozzle tip at high velocity. It can be used to clean, cut, deburr, and texture a variety of surfaces. Fast, consistent results can be obtained with manual or semiautomated microabrasive blasting systems. The system supplier offers sample-part testing.
