Medical plastics player Tekni-Plex has installed an additional silicone tubing extrusion line to its Suzhou manufacturing facility in China.
The aim is for the facility to have an increased capacity and enable the addition of smaller sizes.
The new tubing capability range features an inside diameter of 0.2-25 mm (0.0079-0.984 inches), with wall thicknesses ranging from 0.10-3.0 mm (0.0039-0.118 inches), and tolerances as low as +/- 0.03 mm (0.001 inch). This newly expanded range of Natvar single-lumen silicone tubing is intended to better serve a range of medical pump applications, including peristaltic and patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) pumps.
Silicone tubing can withstand a wide range of temperatures and chemicals while maintaining strength and flexibility, and does not support microbiological growth. For peristaltic pumps, tubing size and tolerance is critical. The wall thickness of the tube must precisely match the gap between the pump roller and housing. Slight differences or irregularities in wall thickness can reduce the life of a pump. Tekni-Plex’s silicone tubing offers tolerances as low as +/- 0.03 mm (0.001 inches).
Bob Donohue, general manager of Tekni-Plex business Natvar, said: “The ability to supply tight tolerances in silicone tubing from our China facility will be of interest to pump manufacturers who assemble their medical devices in the region and have had challenges sourcing quality tubing. Further, our manufacturing capability in China is backed by Tekni-Plex’s global technology base.”
