TekniPlex invests in tubing extrusion lines at Costa Rica facility

TekniPlex Healthcare, which uses advanced materials science expertise to help deliver better patient outcomes, has invested in new medical tubing extrusion lines along with downstream equipment as part of an expansion to its production facility in Cartago, Costa Rica. 

The multi-stage project will bolster manufacturing capacity and capabilities while adding approximately 40,000 square feet of combined assembly and warehousing space.

For the effort’s initial phase, the new medical tubing extrusion equipment will be installed in a cleanroom environment at the existing facility. Targeted to commence operation by the end of Q2, the continuous closed-loop feedback extrusion system will help drive tighter tolerances at high manufacturing speeds, allowing TekniPlex Healthcare to increase its medical tubing and profile capacity amid a growing medical device components market. The expansion also will help further improve TekniPlex Healthcare’s business continuity capabilities – often a key factor in strategic partner selection where dual validation is critical – by building upon existing medical tubing manufacturing operations in the United States, Mexico, Europe and China.

For TekniPlex Healthcare, the investment and expansion at its Cartago plant will build upon its ability to produce and deliver complex medical device assemblies that meet and exceed stringent requirements. Notably, the project will more than double TekniPlex Healthcare’s capacity for micro-extrusions, quad tubes, thermally bonded paratubing, and advanced multilayer coextrusions for complex drug delivery applications.

In recent years, Costa Rica has emerged as a notable medical device manufacturing hub.

Chris Qualters, CEO for TekniPlex Healthcare, said: “For years, our Costa Rica facility has exemplified the advanced materials science and processing capabilities for which TekniPlex Healthcare has become known worldwide. The current investment and expansion project shows our commitment to continuing to advance our products and provide exemplary customer service supporting our mission of improving patient outcomes.”

The project also will provide some welcome additional elbow room, allowing TekniPlex Healthcare to move warehoused inventory from an off-site location to a newly constructed building adjacent to its current facility. This centralisation aims to improve workflow and pave the way for an additional planned expansion in the coming years. Part of this new space will be apportioned for expanded assembly capacity and capabilities, a nod to growing market demands for premium medical device components.