Originally Published October 2000
INDUSTRY NEWS
- Standard MEMS Inc. Partners with German Silicon Technology Institute
- New Polycarbonate Blend Available
- Polyurethane Gloves Developed as Alternative to Latex
- Prent Corp. Garners Packaging Awards
- New Technology Improves Glucose Strip Packaging
- "DotComs"
- In Brief
Standard MEMS Inc. Partners with German Silicon Technology Institute
Hoping to capitalize on the predicted growth of MEMS (microelectromechanical systems) technology, Standard MEMS Inc. (Burlington, MA) has formed a partnership with the Fraunhofer Institute for Silicon Technology (ISiT; Itzehoe, Germany). Under the agreement, Standard MEMS acquires the exclusive right to commercialize ISiT's silicon and MEMS intellectual property and know-how, and it will have full access to its development facilities and personnel.
Widely considered to be a pioneer in silicon-based R&D, ISiT has developed microsystems for medical applications as well as airbag triggering mechanisms. Standard MEMS is an integrated high-volume MEMS supplier to companies in various market segments including the medical and biomedical sectors.
Prior to announcing the partnership with ISiT, Standard MEMS established a business unit focused on serving the needs of the biomedical and biotechnology communities. The BioMEMS group, according to the firm, will work to further the application of MEMS technology to pathogen detection, highly precise surgery, biosensors, gene sequencing and analysis, and microfluidic applications.
Some market sectors for microelectromechanical systems have a projected annual growth rate exceeding 20%.
Applications for MEMS technology have explosive growth potential in the telecommunications and medical and biomedical markets, surpassing 20% in some business sectors, according to Nick Ortyl, president and CEO of Standard MEMS. "ISiT has been at the forefront of this technological development in both personnel and equipment," says Ortyl. He adds that Standard MEMS is very excited about the opportunity that the partnership provides to "expand on existing capabilities in developing a European center for MEMS technology."
—Norbert Sparrow
New Polycarbonate Blend Available
A new line of polycarbonate and ABS blends may be capable of replacing PC resins in certain applications at a lower cost. Bayer Corp. (Pittsburgh), plans to have the line of blends available before the end of this year and calls them a "new generation of flame-retardant blends that meet many of the needs for thin-wall molded parts for the medical market." According to Bayer, the Bayblend FR 3000 blends were developed in response to the shortage of PC resins and the abundance of ABS.
The new grades, FR 3000, FR 3010, and FR 3020, are free of antimony, bromine, and chlorine, and meet the requirements of the UL 94 standard for flammability. Bayer says the new blends are easy to process and have improved hydrolytic stability and reduced volatiles during processing. According to a Bayer spokesman, Kit Newton, the new resins' primary use in the device sector would be for molding medical equipment housings.
Polyurethane Gloves Developed as Alternative to Latex
A nonallergenic alternative to latex gloves will soon be available. Jurrius Manufacturing Co. (Akron, OH) has applied for a patent on a latex-free polyurethane glove that will be marketed under the name Spectrum. According to Peter Jurrius, executive vice president, the gloves will be stronger and more blunt-puncture resistant than those made with latex. "The 1-mil breathable and 2-mil models feel like you're not wearing a glove at all," says Jurrius, who will soon begin production at his Akron plant.
Gloves made of polyurethane are nonallergenic and reportedly stronger than latex.
Duraflex, the polyurethane monolithic film used in the gloves, was developed by Deerfield Urethane (South Deerfield, MA), a unit of Bayer Corp. (Pittsburgh). According to Larry Johnson, marketing manager at Deerfield, people who have used gloves made with the polyurethane film say those feel more comfortable than latex gloves and have a "nice tactile feel." The film has also been approved for use in wound dressings.
Available in thicknesses of 1 to 5 mil, the gloves can be custom ordered: for example, if thicker polyurethane is needed on the palms of the hands than on the backs. According to Jurrius, the gloves are alkali and acid resistant and have very low ion content. Because they are static free, the gloves can be used in cleanroom environments.
In addition to causing violent allergic reactions among a small number of users, there has been growing concern about whether plastic latex gloves are a safe barrier against virus-containing fluids. A paper presented at a meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology in New Orleans described research that found one-third of tested latex gloves failed to prevent microbes from passing through the material. Addressing this issue, Jurrius states that the polyurethane gloves "will definitely be safer" than latex. Spectrum gloves will meet the most stringent requirements established by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health and FDA, he adds. The polyurethane gloves will be available within the next few months.
—Rosemarie A. Santora
Prent Corp. Garners Packaging Awards
The Institute of Packaging Professionals (IoPP) has announced that Prent Corp. (Janesville, WI), a manufacturer of custom thin-wall thermoform packaging, will receive two medical packaging awards at its annual ceremony.
Named best of category within the medical device category, a 100% recyclable double-barrier sterile hip stem package was designed by Prent for Smith & Nephew. The package can contain stems of varying lengths and profiles with minimal product contact. It was designed to allow numerous hip stem units to fit into one universal package, resulting in a 60% material cost reduction.
Thermoformed packaging designed by Prent Corp. to hold a hip stem has earned accolades from the Institute of Packaging Professionals.
Packaging created for Becton Dickinson's Clear Cornea scalpel will also be honored by the IoPP at its awards ceremony on November 5. The Prent design suspends and immobilizes the sharp and delicate device within a sterilizable container. The package serves as a protective sterile shipper as well as a point-of-use product dispenser.
Prent will display its winning products at Pack Expo International in Chicago, which runs November 5–8.
New Technology Improves Glucose Strip Packaging
Kinematic Automation (Twain Harte, CA) and CSP Technologies Inc. (Auburn, AL) have joined forces to provide glucose strip manufacturers with a new packaging technology. Kinematic's SPC 3500 strip processing center is designed specifically for use with CSP's Activ-Vial.
The SPC 3500 slits the strips, then opens, fills, and closes the patented vial, which is a one-piece, injection-molded container and lid connected by a hinge. The lid is cooled on the container after molding, which reduces the chance of tolerance mismatch and creates an airtight seal. The vial also includes an active liner of desiccant that is molded into the container to eliminate moisture damage to the glucose strips.
The SPC 3500, developed by Kinematic, slits and packages 60,000 glucose strips per hour.
Jack Dorazio, vice president of CSP Technologies, explains that the product was developed in response to end-user complaints that the last 20 to 30% of strips in traditional packaging were routinely damaged by moisture. "There's absolutely no comparison between the maintained relative humidity in the Activ-Vial and other designs," he says.
The ease with which the flip-top lid can be opened also makes the vial attractive to end-users, especially physically impaired diabetes patients, Dorazio adds.
CSP's Activ-Vial has a patented flip-top design and a layer of molded-in desiccant.
Manufacturers will also benefit from the packaging technology, says Kinematic president Dave Carlberg. The processing center packages more than 60,000 glucose strips per hour, and reduces production costs by eliminating the capping automation equipment needed for closing containers with separate lids.
"We feel this process will revolutionize glucose strip packaging," Carlberg says.—Jamie Graham
- Internet Update On-line plastic procurement site launched
- Used capital equipment negotiation site introduced
An on-line negotiation engine patterns real-world purchase and sale transactions in the $400 billion used capital equipment market. Located at http://www.esprocket.com, eSprocket provides users with access to services such as warranties, appraisals, and financing solutions through its partnerships with the Machinery Dealers National Association, Locator listing catalog, Fleet Capital Corp., and the Association of Machinery and Equipment Appraisers. With eSprocket's Negotiation Table, users can conduct presales negotiations and due diligence, arrange and complete end-to-end fulfillment services, schedule inspections and engineering services, review financing options, submit on-line applications, and set up door-to-door delivery.
A business-to-business purchasing hub enables on-line procurement of manufacturing plastics. Located at http://www.fobplastics.com, the site provides plastic processors, fabricators, and end-users with a means to streamline the purchasing process and to lower materials acquisition costs by reducing research time and expenses. The company's database of more than 32,000 plastic products allows suppliers to efficiently coordinate purchasing functions for customers.
Fobplastics.com has built networks of buyers, suppliers, and distribution partners, delivering a range of information and technology-based services.
- Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics Corp. (Wayne, NJ) has acquired Norwood Coating Products (Malvern, PA), a manufacturer of specialty foams and adhesive products for medical and electronics applications. Norwood is a subsidiary of Seton Company....
- Bio-Chem Valve Inc. (Boonton, NJ), a leading manufacturer of miniature solenoid valves and pumps, has received ISO registration from the Quality Management Institute. Bio-Chem has also expanded its facility to accommodate growth within design engineering, testing, manufacturing and customer service....
- Precise Technology Inc. (North Versailles, PA), a contract injection molder of thermoplastic components, has been purchased by its management and Code Hennessy & Simmons LLC, a private equity investment firm based in Chicago. Precise has received industry recognition for innovations in thin-wall and in-mold labeling of consumer packaging products that offer environmentally friendly solutions to OEM product needs....
- B. Braun Medical Inc. (Bethlehem, PA) has relocated its catheter production line to a 49,000-sq-ft facility in Cherry Hill, NJ. The facility, which manufactures balloons and multilumen tubing, comprises manufacturing, molding, packaging, warehousing, and laboratory and office space.... Geon Engineered Films Group (Winchester, VA), formerly O'Sullivan Corp., presented Aristech Chemical Corp. with its 1999 Supplier of the Year Award. Aristech (Pittsburgh) supplies plasticizers that increase flexibility of vinyl products and allow them to withstand low temperatures, humidity, and ultraviolet light....
- THK Manufacturing of America Inc. (Schaumburg, IL) has added a 280,000-sq-ft facility to its plant in Hebron, OH. The Hebron plant, THK's first production facility in the United States, manufactures linear motion guides and link balls, which are used by the medical device and other industries. The expansion was prompted, in part, by increased demand from the American market and a drop in imports from Japan.—Rosemarie A. Santora
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