Plastic injection molding is a valuable process for several reasons, one of which is its versatility across numerous industries. One particular realm where it makes an especially large impact is within the medical world, where plastic injection molding is used for a variety of products and equipment pieces that play a major role in several forms of healthcare.
At EnviroTech Custom Injection Molders, we’re proud to provide a number of injection molding products specifically for the medical industry, including items like filtration plates, bed frame components, equipment housings and more. What are some of the key benefits of this form of product manufacturing for the medical world? Here are several reasons why it’s such a valuable resource in many such areas.
Mechanical Properties
First and foremost, plastic injection molded products come with several mechanical properties that are highly conducive to the medical environment. For one, they’re composed of materials that are able to hold up against repeated sterilization procedures, generally items like ABS and polycarbonate.
Because each piece is reusable and impact-resistant, they’re ideal for products that need to be constantly reused and/or put through a great deal of wear and tear. The bed frame components we provide to hospitals and other medical facilities, for instance, have been designed with a number of features that make them well-suited for the job.
Another common need within some medical settings is heat resistance, particularly when dealing with products that are meant to be sterilized in boiling water or the like. Once again, injection molded materials come out on top here due to their high melting points and overall chemical stability within extreme conditions.
Flexibility and Reduced Risk of Breakage
A second big benefit is the fact that injection molded items are highly resistant to breakage. Because they are formed under intense pressure, the plastic molecules are forced to pack together tightly, which reinforces their durability. The streamlined manufacturing process behind injection molding also enables for a lot of intricate detailing within finished products without compromising their overall strength.
As an example, many pieces that go into complex medical equipment require interior cavities or other hard-to-reach spaces to be molded into their design. In many cases, it would be near impossible to create these features with other forms of product manufacturing.
Regulatory Compliance
The medical industry is one that often requires detailed compliance with a number of regulations and safety standards. With injection molding, this need is easily met by the fact that each finished product can be tracked via its unique serial code and lot number. This makes it possible to pinpoint exactly when and where any issues were introduced into the manufacturing process, allowing for greater quality control in general.
In addition, many of the products we create for the medical industry are approved by agencies like the FDA, earning their trust as items that are safe to go on use in critical applications. This allows hospitals and other healthcare facilities to minimize concerns about safety when working with these materials, which is especially important for some high-risk devices or components within them.
Reduced Material Waste
Another great quality of injection molded products is their limited material waste, one that allows for excess plastic to be recycled and reused. In some cases, this can even involve using waste from previous manufacturing runs, a practice that is also known as closed-loop recycling.
Not only is this approach eco-friendly, it makes a lot of economic sense as well, since it helps to cut down on overall material costs. It also saves time and effort, allowing for a high-quality finished product in much less time than other forms of manufacturing.
High-Volume Repeatability
The reliability of equipment and parts within the medical world is of paramount importance, including many settings where it’s vital that a tool or piece of equipment being used is made to extremely precise specifications without any risk of deformity. Again, plastic injection molding is able to rise to the challenge here because each piece can be molded quickly and reliably.
With this high-volume repeatability, it’s possible to mass produce thousands of identical pieces in very little time. This means that many more low-cost units can be made for all sorts of different applications, especially those where safety is an overriding concern.
The ability to mass produce identical items on a large scale is one that is especially attractive within the medical industry, where it can save hospitals and other facilities money on replacements while also ensuring consistent safety performance among different devices. Hospitals absolutely cannot afford for some of their vital equipment pieces to come in different sizes or work in slightly different ways, which would often require more time-consuming testing before they could be approved for use.
High Strength and Durability
When it’s necessary to manufacture components within medical equipment that must last years on end with minimal wear and tear, injection molding is an extremely effective process. The high pressure used during the plastic injection process tends to produce items that are very strong and durable, making for equipment parts that last much longer than other approaches would allow.
This is especially important in settings where it’s most critical to keep costs low both upfront and over time, so they do not have to be replaced as often. For example, though it may cost more up front to create a plastic collar with injection molding, it will tend to last much longer than other forms of construction and thus save the hospital money in the long run.
For more on the several areas where plastic injection molding benefits the medical industry, or to learn about any of our injection molding services or industries served, speak to the pros at EnviroTech Custom Injection Molders today.
