Surgical device manufacturing requires strict hygiene standards, accurate timelines, and effective cost control. Precision medical injection molding with Liquid Silicone Rubber (LSR) serves a range of surgical devices. At SIMTEC Silicone Parts, we have the certifications and expertise to manufacture components for the demanding medical market.
High-Performance LSR Components for Surgical Devices
LSR is biocompatible and provides chemical resistance, ensuring it is durable and long-lasting. Its flexibility and softness make it suitable for specific applications. Some common uses of LSR for surgical devices include:
Surgical instruments
Hand-held surgical devices used in delicate ophthalmic, and microsurgery contain medical grade silicone sleeves, membranes and 2k silicone actuators. These components serve important functions including micro-positioning, controlling tip articulation, and limiting force motions near delicate anatomy. Medical LSR’s offer high-fatigue life under cyclical motions and sterilization compatibility.
Respiratory devices
Oxygen masks, ventilators, and airways used during tracheotomies and surgeries often contain silicone components. LSR face seals and cushions in masks, HME filter housings in airways, and ventilator connectors offer airtight seals, softness and hypoallergenic, and moisture resistance to resist condensation.
Fluid management
LSR is suitable for various medical and drainage tubes, and diaphragms used in peristaltic pumps. In eye surgeries, fluid management is critical to keep the eye formed, maintain stable pressure and safely remove tissue or debris. LSRs characteristic low compression set properties ensure resilience and longevity, and critical biocompatibility for pump diaphragms channel and circulate bodily fluids during surgery.
Sealing and gaskets
Many medical equipment require various seals, stoppers and valves. Products optimally made with LSR help prevent leaks and maintain sterility in surgical environments.
Optimizing Manufacturing with Liquid Silicone Rubber Molded Surgical Components
At SIMTEC, we injection mold millions of silicone medical components daily with precision, repeatability and in hygienic conditions. The highest quality standards are vital for surgical and other medical products. Our services include:
- LSR injection molding: Our silicone molding process achieves consistently uniform surgical components. This process is applicable for parts made entirely of LSR, such as surgical valves, sleeves, and gaskets.
- Multi-shot molding: This process allows us to directly integrate LSR with thermoplastics during molding, eliminating the need for complex secondary assembly. Manufacturers can save time with fewer assembly requirements.
- Overmolding: We can mold LSR around a finished part, metal, or other substrate to create a complete and integrated component. This process is particularly useful for grips and other ergonomic features in surgical tools.
- Cleanroom molding: Our ISO class 8 cleanroom limits particles and other contaminants from coming in contact with your parts during molding, inline post-molding value-added processes, and packing.
SIMTEC’s vertical integration of services offers customers a complete value chain. Before molding begins, we provide early involvement and input for optimizing your part designs for optimal LSR manufacturing processes. Molded prototypes for clinical testing or perfecting designs for complex parts help ensure the surgical components meet exact specifications before mass manufacturing. After molding, we perform additional steps, such as laser-marking parts with serial numbers or slitting various components, like valves, and functional tests confirming part performance.
Certified Precision: SIMTEC’s Manufacturing Capabilities
We meet the high-quality standards required for surgical devices. Our clean manufacturing environment also includes an ISO Class 8 clean room for controlled and hygienic component manufacturing. We are ISO 13485 certified confirming our manufacturing and quality processes are in accordance with the medical industry’s strict high standards. Our fully automated, hands-free LSR manufacturing environment ensures precision accuracy for critical surgical components, consistently and reliably.
Scaling Medical Device Production with LSR Molding
LSR delivers critical biocompatibility and other benefits to meet the requirements of highly demanding medical environments. At SIMTEC, we offer fully automated LSR and multi-shot injection to bring complex surgical components to the medical device market at scale. Consult with us online to discuss your needs.