REGIONAL FOCUS
PLASTICS VALLÉE, FRANCE
Tucked into a valley in the Jura mountains, more than 600 suppliers of polymer services, products, and equipment form a supply chain unique in Europe.
I hadn't been in Oyonnax, in the heart of France's Plastics Vallée, for more than 15 minutes when the conversation turned to la filière. This valley in the Jura mountains, northeast of Lyon and just west of Geneva, reportedly has the largest concentration of plastics-related manufacturers in Europe. But what truly makes the area an OEM magnet, according to Plastics Vallée Développement, a regional development agency supported by local business, is l'effet filière, or the vertical chain of suppliers. "Whether you're looking for extrusion or moulding services, mould or equipment manufacturers, or leading-edge R&D in polymer processing, you'll find it here within a 40-km radius," says Evelyne Borrey of the development agency. Today, approximately 600 companies located in the Oyonnax basin, from giants like Plastic Omnium to an abundance of small to midsize firms, are involved in polymer-related manufacturing. The region, in fact, used to support almost twice as many companies, but a stagnant automobile industry--one of the traditional clients for regional suppliers--has gradually taken its toll.
"The valley currently represents about 15% of the plastics industry in France," says Jean-Claude Grattesac, president of Verchère Plastiques Industrielles/VPI, an injection moulding firm located in the town of Orjalet. "But it used to account for 50%. Only 10 years ago, we still represented about 25% of the national industry." In an effort to arrest the decline, several suppliers have been researching other industries where their know-how could be put to use. It hasn't escaped their notice that, unlike the automobile industry, the health-care sector is characterized by steady, predictable economic growth. Relatively few companies in the area have been involved in the medical device industry; according to Plastics Vallée Développement, that may change.
Taking the Pulse of the Device Industry
Plastics Vallée Développement sent a team to last winter's Intermedica show in Paris to investigate the needs of device manufacturers and determine how vendors from the Oyonnax basin might fulfill them. They were encouraged by the response.
"There was a great deal of interest in what our region could offer," says Borrey, "especially in terms of la filière." The fabrication of medical trays, syringes, and related medical products seems to hold the greatest potential, she adds. This is not the first time, she notes, that Oyonnax and the surrounding communities have marshalled their resources to adapt to a shifting economy. The region's last brush with a market in transition was precipitated by a hairstyle trend.
In the 18th century, farmers in the region kept themselves busy during the winter by crafting combs and hair ornaments from horn and boxwood. News of the artisans' craftsmanship spread throughout France and soon brought prosperity to the region. In the early 1900s, the introduction of celluloid added a new material to the artisans' arsenal. When the coupe garçonne (bob) cut a swathe through women's fashion in the 1920s, it dealt a crippling blow to the hair ornament industry. The local economy would not recover until after World War II, but the seeds of an industrial renaissance had been planted.
"Celluloid introduced plastics to the region," says Grattesac. "So when the demand for plastic products began to grow after the war, Oyonnax was well positioned in terms of know-how. As polymers began to be used in everything from household goods to automobiles, Oyonnax became the French centre for polymer transformation."
Spearheading Polymers Research
To anchor the region's expertise in polymers and to stimulate future growth, the Pôle Européen de Plasturgie (European Plastics Processing Centre) was inaugurated in 1993. This ambitious clearinghouse of polymer research and information incorporates an extensive documentation centre, a graduate school of plastics engineering, testing labs oriented to the needs of manufacturers, and a research and development centre equipped with an array of polymer processing equipment. The Pôle's mission, according to Borrey, is to conduct research into polymer technology that will benefit industry, to help manufacturers develop new products, and to train the plastics engineers of tomorrow. The breadth of resources available is reportedly without parallel in Europe.
A high-priority area of research at the centre currently involves optimizing injection moulding by streamlining the production process. "There are some 70 types of extrusion and injection screws that are used, depending on the material that is being processed and other parameters," says research engineer Guy Courbebaisse. "What we're trying to determine is whether this many tools are necessary to achieve the manufacturing objective."
Research such as this is conducted in the centre's industrial shop, which is equipped with a battery of 352200-tn injection moulders as well as extruders and advanced instrumentation to monitor and measure processes. Temperature, pressure, and displacement sensors have been developed to gather data, and a computer-assisted monitoring system allows researchers to record and analyze processes happening inside a mould in real time.
Manufacturers have benefited from research conducted at the centre in a number of ways. One notable example is the development of a nozzle control box for sequential injection that was jointly developed by centre researchers and a manufacturer of electronic process equipment.
While the centre markets its services primarily to member companies, other firms often call upon its expertise. They are rarely turned away. "We will often tell them we will take a look at their problem and see if we can't suggest some sort of solution," says Courbebaisse. "Then we will ask them if they wouldn't like to join the centre." Currently about 150 companies belong to the Pôle, among them Bayer S.A., Dow Chemical, Plastic Omnium, and VPI.
The Smell of Success
While VPI specializes in injection moulding for the perfume and personal hygiene industry, it is also a supplier to medical device manufacturers. The company was particularly successful in developing and manufacturing a telescoping inhalation chamber for an antiasthma product marketed by Boehringer Ingelheim (Ingelheim, Germany).
"It's a rather simple product made of polycarbonate with an elastomer mask," says Grattesac, "but the company, not to mention the users, seem to appreciate its simplicity." VPI's expertise in the moulding and decoration of perfume-packaging products makes the company well suited for the medical market, he adds. "We are injection moulding specialists and, because we deal with high-end perfume products, we are accustomed to working in a clean environment." For more information on the capabilities and services offered by VPI, see the profile in the accompanying section.
The core business of Lider, located just east of Plastics Vallée in Montrevel-en-Bresse, is the conversion of polymer materials into urine, blood, and enema bags and IV sets by means of high-frequency welding. Fifty percent of the company's business is medical related, says marketing director Eric Larcher, and he projects 10% growth for 1998. One of the primary reasons the company attracts device manufacturers, according to Larcher, is its unflinching commitment to quality.
"There's nothing worse than a defective medical bag, and we have devoted much of our resources to achieving zero fault, for both the products and the processes," says Larcher. The company has developed a welding method that joins the tubing and seals the pouch in a single operation, an innovation that eliminates leakage problems. "And the tubes are welded, not glued," stresses Larcher. Immersion, pressure, leak, impact, and other tests are performed to ensure that the product meets the most rigorous standards. The facility is equipped with a Class 100,000 cleanroom and Class 100 laminar flow, and also offers silk-screening and stamping services.
One thing OEMs won't find at Lider is an ISO 9001 certificate, but that's not because the firm is unable to comply with the standard. "We will have ISO 9002 certification by the end of the year," says Larcher, "but we felt that going for ISO 9001 was simply not in the best interests of our clients. Ultimately, it would have resulted in production delays, and that would have been unacceptable to us and our customers. Let's say one of the companies we work with, which is ISO 9001certified, is preparing a prototype," he explains. "To comply with the standard, the company is required to follow certain procedures that end up adding a couple of weeks to the design cycle. If the company subcontracts work out to me and I have ISO 9001 certification, that's another two-week delay." Larcher does stress that Lider's quality systems are identical to those of companies with ISO 9001 certification except in one respect: "The time it takes us to complete a project."
Other companies in the region that supply services and equipment suited to the manufacture of medical devices are profiled in the accompanying section. The list is admittedly brief right now, but it is likely to swell in the years ahead as Plastics Vallée adapts, once again, to a market in transition.
Products and Services from Plastics Vallée,
Moulding equipment
Injection moulding machines for high-productivity applications are available with clamping forces ranging from 90 to 320 t. They are suited for the production of parts with thin wall sections or applications that require high plasticizing rates. The Hercule Plus range of moulders uses a double toggle for opening and closing movements that is linked to a single short-stroke clamping cylinder. The machine cycle anticipates injection during the locking phase while mould lock release is performed during cooling time. These features result in a significant reduction in dead-time during process cycles. The Dixit control panel includes a 20-MHz microprocessor and optimized programmes to ensure rapid data processing and reduced answer times. The company manufactures a variety of related equipment and provides technical consultation services, ranging from assistance in the production of thin-walled parts to optimization of the machine configuration and settings. For cleanroom applications, the firm works with a partner company that specializes in laminar-flow installations. Billion S.A., Bellignat, France.
Injection moulding
Polyethylene, polyamides, polycarbonates, ABS, and other materials are converted by an injection moulding firm equipped with 32 injection moulding lines, ranging from 25 to 320 tn, at its facilities in Oyonnax and the Paris region. Specialties include multicavity moulding, injection moulding of threaded parts, and automated insert moulding on vertical or horizontal presses. The ISO 9002certified company provides assistance in tooling conception, materials selection, and determination of optimal production processes. Perga S.A., Martignat, France.
Design and injection moulding services
A company offers design and injection moulding services for the fabrication of technical components and parts with complex shapes. The company's development department is equipped with CAD/CAM and rheology analysis equipment and is staffed with multilingual personnel. Production equipment at the Martignat facility includes 28 50200-t presses; the group has more than 80 presses at its disposal in four different manufacturing units. The ISO 9002certified plants routinely convert polyamides, polypropylene, polyethylene, polycarbonates, and ABS among other materials. Tooling is manufactured by a division of the group. The company plans to establish a production unit in the United States. Ercé Plasturgie, Martignat, France.
Cleanroom welding services
High-frequency welding operations are performed in a Class 100,000 cleanroom under Class 100 laminar-flow conditions. Equipment includes a 6-kW rotating welder that simultaneously joins the tube and seals the pouch and two 6-kW Thimonnier machines for continuous welding operations. Medical OEM products routinely manufactured include enteral feeding bags, urine bags, and blood bags. Silk-screening and stamping operations are also offered by the company, which is able to comply with clients' just-in-time requirements. The firm adheres to zero fault principles for both products and processes. Lider S.A., Montrevel-en-Bresse, France.
Custom parts and assemblies
An injection moulding firm's medical division offers product design and manufacturing services. Component design is optimized by means of concurrent engineering and CAD/CAM processes; technical assistance is provided to ensure appropriate polymer selection. Medium- and high-volume injection moulding and assembly is performed in Class 10,000 cleanrooms equipped with Class 100 laminar-flow hoods. Certified to ISO 9001 by TÜV Cert and operating according to good manufacturing practices, the company also supplies testing, packaging, logistics, and other postproduction and secondary services. A leading supplier of plastic custom parts and assemblies, the firm has more than 30 years' experience in the medical device sector. Plastic Omnium Medical, La Verpillière, France.
Polymer research and development
A research and development centre is dedicated to the study and optimization of polymer-related engineering and manufacturing processes. A documentation centre that is open to member firms houses comprehensive reference materials on polymer technologies and is equipped with extensive multimedia resources. The testing platform, which includes an array of injection presses, rotary moulding machines, reaction injection moulding machines, and related equipment, is complemented by computerized systems that conduct all manner of on-mould measurement functions. The nearby testing lab has a battery of equipment designed to carry out material characterization studies, thermal analyses, spectral analyses, accelerated aging tests, impact tests, hardness evaluations, and viscosity analyses, among other procedures. These services are generally available only to member companies. Contact the centre to find out about membership criteria. Le Pôle Européen de Plasturgie, Bellignat, France.
Injection moulding services
A company offers integrated research and production services for injection moulding applications. The firm is equipped with 90 injection moulding machines ranging in capacity from 25 to 200 tn, including 14 vertical moulders for overmoulding and 10 thermosetting machines. Mould research and fabrication is performed by a subsidiary company using CAD/CAE/CAM processes. The company recently installed a cleanroom for its product-decoration services and purchased a Billion 200-tn biinjection press, which allows the introduction of two different colours or materials in one process. Hot stamping, pad printing, silk-screen printing, and automated assembly are among the secondary operations available. The firm developed and manufactures a telescoping inhalation chamber from polycarbonate and elastomer materials that is incorporated into an antiasthma drug-delivery system for a manufacturer of health-care products. Verchère Plastiques Industrielles/VPI, Orjalet, France.
Injection and blow moulding
Injection and blow moulding of plastic parts is offered by a company that designs and builds tooling in-house. The plant is equipped with a high-speed precision machining center and wire-spark and spark erosion capabilities for fashioning metal moulds. Injection moulding presses range in clamping force from 25 to 300 tn. Blow moulding machines offer capacities of 10 ml to 30 L. Quality is controlled via sophisticated optical techniques. Perma Serap, Oyonnax, France.
