Running FEP Line to Showcase Best-in-Class Technology
The technologies of Davis-Standard, Conair, Zumbach and other industry-leading companies will be on display with a running FEP line at MD&M West in Anaheim, Calif., February 5-7, 2019 at booth 3839. The coextrusion line will be processing FEP medical tubing with three barium sulfite stripes. The line will be equipped with two of Davis-Standard’s MEDD (Medical Extruder Direct Drive) extruders along with Conair MedLineTM upstream and downstream equipment, Zumbach gauging, Guill die tooling and resins supplied by Daikin and PolyOne Colorant Chromatics. MD&M is the largest medical technology show in North America, making this the ideal venue to demonstrate Davis-Standard’s medical tubing capabilities alongside industry partners.
According to Dr. Jason Baird, senior process engineer at Davis-Standard, this line demonstrates the value of long-term collaboration to meet the functional and versatile tubing demanded by the medical industry. “The tubing at the show will feature three stripes and will represent the latest technology required for processing barium sulfite products,” he said. “One of the greatest advantages of this line is that it gives the processor the option to lay the stripes on the outside of the tubing or embed them within the tubing wall. Every component is engineered for tight tolerances, high–quality and output efficiency.”
Specific to Davis-Standard, the MEDD extruders will demonstrate the value of an extruder designed specifically for medical environments. The MEDD enables processors to easily swap barrels and/or feedsection liners to change extruder diameter and/or length while keeping alignment intact, providing versatility in cleanroom settings where space is limited. The extruder’s direct drive design eliminates the need for gearcase oils and belts that create particulates, and the machine is mounted on linear rails to make seamless adjustments with or without a melt pump. At the MD&M show, both extruders will have ¾-inch (19mm) diameter barrels with L/D’s of 24:1 and 16:1. In order to limit exposure of the radio-opaque barium sulfate filler to the high temperatures of fluoropolymer processing, a shorter 16:1 extruder along with special screw design will be used. All components of the tubing line will be monitored and controlled by Davis-Standard’s eVUE control system.
According to Kevin Dipollino, Davis-Standard’s product manager of pipe, profile and tubing, “This line represents an all-encompassing package in both design and processing technology. It shows the value of complementary components among reputable industry partners in creating an end-to-end solution that addresses a growing segment within the medical tubing marketplace.”
For more information about Conair, visit www.conairgroup.com. For more information about Zumbach, visit www.zumbach.com.