In Brief
Clean Modules Installs Cleanroom for RPC Containers
Clean Modules Ltd. (Melbourne, Derbyshire, UK) has recently installed a 185-m2 Class 100,000 cleanroom at RPC Containers' facility in Market Rasen, Lincolnshire, UK. 
The cleanroom, which has been specifically designed to meet the rigorous demands of healthcare and pharmaceutical packaging production, accommodates as many as seven moulding machines fitted with laminar hoods (pictured), and incorporates clean air conveyor feeds. A customized automatic air lock transfer to the final packing area is also featured. Clean Modules has also supported RPC Containers by supplying operating protocols and basic training for the cleanroom staff.
For more information, contact Clean Modules Ltd., 52 Blanchcroft, Melbourne, Derbyshire DE73 1GG, UK; phone: +44 1332 865646; fax: +44 1332 865646.
Arthrodax Healthcare and Norton Performance Plastics Join Forces
Arthrodax Healthcare International Ltd. (Herefordshire, UK) has been appointed distributor of reusable silicone breathing hose manufactured by Norton Performance Plastics (Corby, Northants, UK). The Versilic breathing hose reportedly can be autoclaved repeatedly at 134°C without suffering a loss in product quality. External spirals ensure a kink-free, uninterrupted flow of gases, and a smooth inner wall and flush nozzle connection prevent air turbulence at low temperatures. The hose is certified to EN 46002 standards and carries the CE mark.
For more information, contact Arthrodax Healthcare International Ltd., Great Western Ct., Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire HR9 7XP, UK; phone: +44 1989 566669; fax: +44 1989 768140.
Consultants Combine Efforts to Expand Services
Q-Med (Bilthoven, Netherlands) and International Regulatory Consultants (IRC) (Salt Lake City, UT, USA) have signed a letter of intent to form a joint operation that will expand and enhance service to clients in Europe and North America. The agreement is reportedly a first step toward offering a one-stop service organization capable of bridging the requirements imposed on medical device manufacturers by EU directives and US FDA. With offices in Europe and the United States, the affiliated services for US designated agent and regulatory and clinical trials will be enhanced greatly, according to the firms.
IRC provides regulatory and quality systems consulting services to manufacturers of medical devices and in vitro diagnostic and biotechnology products. Q-Med offers regulatory, preclinical, clinical, and quality systems consulting services, as well as laboratory facilities; the firm has affiliations in six European countries.
For more information, contact Q-Med/Factory, Prof. Bronkhortslaan 10, NL-3723 MB Bilthoven, Netherlands; phone: +31 30 2292727; fax: +31 30 2288430.
Rapid Curing Process Receives Award
Dymax Corp. (Torrington, CT, USA) recently garnered a gold award from the Connecticut Quality Improvement Award Partnership for a system that uses broad-based light spectra to catalyze and increase the speed of the adhesive curing process. 
Dymax also received a silver award for a small lightweight system that cures a solvent-free UV adhesive in seconds. The company, which has a branch located in Frankfurt, Germany, is an ISO 9001–certified manufacturer of UV-curable industrial, electronic, and medical adhesives and curing systems.
For more information, contact Dymax Europe GmbH, Trakehnerstr. 3, D-60487 Frankfurt, Germany; phone: +49 69 716753586; fax: +49 69 71653830; e-mail: info@dymaxcorp.com.
NFIA Provides Euro Checklist
Are you ready for the euro? If not, perhaps the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency (NFIA) can help. Its Euro Checklist reportedly provides a four-step approach that companies can use to determine how prepared they are for the euro and what they still need to include in their euro business strategy.
For more information, contact the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency, Head Office, Bezuidenhoutseweg 2, P.O. Box 20101, N-2500 EC The Hague, Netherlands; phone: +31 70 3798818; fax: +31 70 3796322.
Andersen Caledonia Opens EtO Facility
Andersen Caledonia (London) has announced that its new EtO facility is open and is accepting contract sterilization work as of December 1998. Located near Glasgow and Edinburgh in Scotland, the plant is designed for maximum versatility and customer responsiveness. A state-of-the-art custom control system is designed for cycle flexibility, and mid-size chambers are suited to the capacity needs of most manufacturers, according to the company. A small sterilizer for R&D and short production runs is also available.
The company's laboratory, which has been in operation in Scotland since 1991, provides a wide range of services to the medical device, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and electronics industries. Among the services offered are sterilization, validation, and cycle development; cleanroom validation; microbiological testing; and environmental monitoring. The laboratory is certified to ISO 9002.
For more information, contact Andersen Caledonia Ltd., 120 Wilton Rd., London SW1V 1JZ, UK; phone: +44 171 8087240; fax: +44 171 8087241.
Nova Tran Changes Name to SCS europe
Conformal coatings specialist Nova Tran Ltd. (Northampton, UK) is changing its company name to Specialty Coating Systems europe. A supplier of polymer vacuum-deposited parylene coatings for critical biomedical applications, SCS europe provides consultation, service, and equipment. Additional service centres are located in Dublin, Duisburg (Germany), and Paris. The company, which is a division of Cookson plc, has operations worldwide.
For more information, contact SCS europe, Monarch Rd., Northampton NN2 6EH, UK; phone: +44 1604 715600; fax: +44 1604 715483.
C-Mold and SolidWorks Establish Partnership
C-Mold (Enschede, Netherlands), a global supplier of advanced and desktop plastics CAE applications, 
has announced a partnership with SolidWorks Corp. (Concord, MA, USA), a developer of mechanical design software products for Windows; their agreement makes C-Mold's 3D QuickFill solids-based injection simulation-modelling software available to SolidWorks customers worldwide. All 3-D QuickFill pre- and postprocessing operations are performed completely within the SolidWorks environment and are fully associative with SolidWorks models.
For more information, contact C-Mold Europe, P.O. Box 545, N-7500 AM Enschede, Netherlands; phone: +31 53 4836331; fax: +31 53 4836332; e-mail: ramaekers@cmold.com.
Richardson Electronics and NEC Technologies Sign Distribution Agreement
Richardson Electronics Ltd. (LaFox, IL, USA), a worldwide distributor of display monitors and components, has signed an agreement with NEC Technologies Inc. (Itasca, IL, USA) to distribute the company's high-resolution, flat-panel MultiSync LCD monitors and CRT display products into specialty markets. NEC Technology's line of colour, high-resolution displays includes the recently released LCD2010—a 20.1-in. active-matrix LCD monitor with a native resolution of 1280 x 1024.
For more information, contact Richardson Electronics Ltd., 40W267 Keslinger Rd., P.O. Box 393, LaFox, IL 60147, USA; phone: +1 630 2082200; fax: +1 630 2082550.
Emerson Electric Absorbs Italian Supplier of Medical Valves
Sirai Elettromeccanica S.r.l. (Bussero, MI, Italy), a manufacturer of industrial solenoid valves for medical and analytical applications, has been acquired by Emerson Electric (St. Louis, MO, USA). The Italian company, which will continue to operate under its own name, will report to the fluid control group of Emerson Electric formed by the companies Asco and Joucomatic.
For more information, contact Asco Joucomatic S.A., 32, avenue Albert 1er, F-92500, Rueil-Malmaison, France; phone: +33 1 47143200; fax: +33 1 47143062.
