January 29th, 2010
Since the early days of science fiction, people have known that eventually our path of technological evolution would lead us toward machines that could create any physical object based on specified parameters. The birth of 3D printing in 1986 was our first real step toward achieving this vision and as companies realized the tremendous savings when compared to traditional prototyping techniques, many new branches of research quickly opened up. Though the first 3D printers could only use one particular type of plastic, the demand for other materials led to techniques for rapid prototyping with metal, glass, and clay, as well as other types of plastic and hardened resin. The first commercially available 3D bio-printer was recently announced by a company called Invetech as being capable of printing tissue and organs at the cellular level.
One of the most exciting spin-offs of 3D printing is a project called RepRap, which is open-source, meaning that all its blueprints and results are publicized and can be used by anyone freely. RepRap is the first known attempt at building a self-replicating machine, the ultimate goal being to have RepRap print more RepRaps. Having undergone several revisions already, RepRap can now print all of its own plastic components and the research is currently being targetted at the printing of whole circuit boards. Part of the project’s stated goal is to “enable the individual to manufacture many of the artifacts used in everyday life” for “a minimal outlay of capital”, so it’s not that difficult to see where a few more decades of research could lead. With the right supply of power cells and raw materials, a single RepRap could concievably be given the blueprint for an entire building and then print up as many copies of itself as were needed to construct the building blocks and put them in place. Some have even speculated that advanced versions of RepRap will eventually be able to improve their own design, essentially beginning a path of AI evolution.
Tags: 3d printing, rapid prototyping
Posted in rapid prototyping | No Comments »
January 29th, 2010
Since it first came into wide-scale industrial use in the mid 1930s, polyethylene has been chosen as the preferred material for many applications. Most of these applications came about because polyethylene is low-cost, heat resistant, acid resistant, insulant and slow to biodegrade in nature. Among these properties, the last has proven to be more of a double-edged sword as each year we continue to produce 80 metric tons and the environment breaks down far less. Recent progress on biodegradable polyethylene has presented a partial solution, but many of the most common applications simply weren’t intended to rot under natural conditions. Most forms of tubing and cables only function effectively so long as they remain completely intact. The same can be said for most plastic car parts, electronic casings, food and drug containers, and many others.
Until recently, recycling remained our first and only effective strategy for sustainable use of “non-biodegradables”, but in 2008 it was discovered that a variety of bacteria called Sphingomonas can degrade polyethylene molecules. Since polyethylene does biodegrade very slowly in nature, a Canadian science fair student named Daniel Burd was able to isolate and eventually concentrate the specific microorganism(Sphingomonas) responsible for the breakdown. Though the right concentration does not exist in nature, high volume Sphingomonas can break down plastic in a few months instead of the 1000 years it takes now. It should also be noted that this organism is unaltered at present, though many companies are now proficient at bioengineering bacteria for specific purposes. In the future it may be possible to breed varieties of Sphingomonas that are even more effective at breaking down polyethylene and other types of plastic.
Tags: Plastics Engineering, polyethelyne tubing
Posted in Plastics Engineering | No Comments »
December 22nd, 2009
With so many plastic tubing to choose from, when your application requires that the tubing is cost-effective, transparent and lightweight, among other things, then its polyethylene clear tubing that leads the way.
Introduced to the world of manufacturing at the time of FDR, polyethylene clear tubing has made some applications much easier to manage.
In breaking down the mechanical characteristics of polyethylene tubing, one can better understand its appeal which may assist you (the design engineer) in your thermoplastic material selection for your custom plastic tubing product.
Polyethylene clear tubing offers end-users many advantages as a thermoplastic material. Here are several:
- Clear (or Transparent) plastic tubing allows the user to have visibility into the polyethylene clear tube that aids in quickly identifying what may be impeding the flow rate inside of the tube, which essentially keeps operations running smoothly.
- Density options, another beneficial characteristic of polyethylene clear tubing, as it can be manufactured in two densities.
Low-density polyethylene clear tubing, which will retain its flexibility while also being resistant to cracking and is also able to withstand high temperature, is preferred by those in the food and beverage industry. While high-density polyethylene tubing is more rigid than it is flexible and can withstand exposure to corrosive chemicals, which makes it a more attractive choice to those in the scientific (i.e. medical or pharmaceutical) industry.
Cost-effective may be the most attractive benefit of polyethylene clear tubing today. With rising costs in manufacturing expenses and consumer demand decreasing (for some products), what better way to balance the budget, than to choose a tubing product that will offer you cost-savings while still delivering high quality, reliable performance?
Tags: custom plastic tubing, plastic tubes, plastic tubing
Posted in Custom Tubing, medical tubing | No Comments »
December 17th, 2009
What is so unique about urethane tubing that makes it sought after by such diverse industries over other conventional thermoplastics?
Is it because urethane tubing can be safely used for food handling?
Perhaps its urethane tubing’s recovery properties, similar to that of rubber, that make it a top choice?
Or is it due to the fact that urethane tubing can be custom manufactured in a range of hardness?
Since 1950 when urethane was first introduced, it has become a replacement for plastics, and in many cases, metals. Typically because urethane tubing is free of plasticizers, it will be specified over these other materials particularly if the application will cause the urethane tubing to become worn-down due to excessive exposure to friction or abrasion.
When companies select urethane tubing they do so because they have been provided assurance that the urethane tubing will deliver optimal performance—that keeps their business operational.
There is little if no opportunity for urethane tubing to fail—as it can result in lost revenue or increased expenses for a business.
It is for this reason, custom tubing manufacturing companies often recommend urethane tube to their customers because urethane tubing, unlike other materials, won’t break, tear, swell, deteriorate, crack, or abrade. Due to its ability to retain these strong properties will lower the need for urethane tubing to be replaced or repaired.
urethane tubing, while considered expensive, will provide numerous business advantages of not only being able to withstand demanding applications, but urethane tubing will deliver cost-effective solutions for your bottom line.
Tags: custom plastic tubing, medical grade tubing, plastic tubing, urethane tubing
Posted in Custom Tubing | 1 Comment »
December 15th, 2009
Regulating agencies such as the FDA, USDA, or NSF institutes compliance procedures during the production of any product that will have human contact or be ingested—and that includes polyurethane tubing, which is used both in industrial applications, as well as in medical devices to name only a few.
The ability for the polyurethane tubing to perform in compliance with these agencies is critical. And depending upon the application use of polyurethane tubes, it will determine under which regulating agency the manufacturer must comply.
Regulatory compliance encompasses the following agencies in relation to manufacturing polyurethane tubing:
- FDA – requires that the polyurethane tube be manufactured in compliance with GMPs that ensure it’s free of impurities and safe for human or animal use; which essentially means that they want to ensure that potentially volatile chemicals do not migrate from the polyurethane rod to the drug or medicine.
- USDA regulates – requires that polyurethane tubing be manufactured to assure food safety, protect natural resources, etc. Similar to the FDA, it wants to ensure that the polyurethane tube does not contaminate the food or liquids that pass through it, but also that it be perform reliably to protect environmental surroundings and the public against exposure to potentially hazardous chemicals.
- NSF regulates – (similar to the UL) it requires that any application for which clear polyurethane tubing is used is safe for food, water, and consumer goods. In addition to customer protection, it also provides businesses with risk management solutions during the production of polyurethane tubing.
No one likes governmental intrusion, but when it ensures the safety of the public, in particular in the manufacturing of polyurethane tubing, then its regulations are quite justifiable.
Tags: custom plastic tubing, medical tubing, plastic tubing
Posted in Custom Tubing, medical tubing | No Comments »
December 10th, 2009
Curiosity may have killed the cat! But curiosity about the benefits of polypropylene tubing used in solar heaters is a different story altogether. This is particularly true whether you’re a design engineer responsible for making decisions concerning the tubing material for solar heating equipment, or a homeowner deciding to install a solar heating system.
Here’s why.
While polypropylene tubing may be used in a number of applications, its potential use in solar water heaters spawned scientific interest. A recent study reported on its experimentation of testing whether polypropylene tubing would perform better than steel tubes in the heat transfer rates. It was concluded that polypropylene tubes would in fact be the ideal choice, over steel tubes, as the polypropylene rod increased the rate of heat transfer by 10 degrees Celsius.
Based on these results, one could conclude that design engineers may specify polypropylene rod in the design of solar heating systems; passing those benefits on to the end user, in this case, the homeowner. As not only is installing a solar heating system with polypropylene tubing suggested to be environmentally beneficial, it also offers a cost-savings benefit in two distinct ways: First, users will save on energy costs by using solar heating, and second, they can also take advantage of a federal tax credit offered to taxpayers for installing energy efficient systems.
Of course, this is simply a cursory view of the benefits of polypropylene tubing. But it may just be your link to your finding a custom tubing manufacturing source that will serve your polypropylene tube needs — whether for a solar heating system or any other application deemed appropriate.
Tags: custom plastic tubing, plastic tubing, poly tubing, tubing
Posted in Custom Tubing, medical tubing | 1 Comment »
December 8th, 2009
People may not realize how important it is for a custom manufacturer of medical tubing to manufacture the medical grade tubes in a class 10,000 Clean Room, unless you work in the medical industry.
But the fact that medical grade tubing undergoes its production process in a clean room ensures that the patient will only be treated with high quality, sterile equipment.
So what exactly is a “Class 10,000 Clean Room and why is it important in the manufacturing of medical grade tubing?
For starters, by definition, its rating is derived from an evaluation of there being “no more than 10,000 particles larger than 0.5 microns in any given cubic foot of air.”
If that sounds confusing, think of it like this—the manufacturing environment to produce medical grade tubes is an area where the air quality, temperature, and humidity are highly regulated in order to protect sensitive equipment from contamination. This is accomplished by sophisticated air filtering systems that removes dust particles and other impurities that may negatively impact the quality of the medical grade tubing.
And not only is the room’s environment conditions perfectly balanced to ensure the successful production of the medical grade tube, those who work in the clean room are also held to clean room standards.
During the manufacturing process, the environment and the medical grade tubing is protected against human contamination such as lint particles from clothing, and skin and hair particles that could jeopardize the quality of the medical grade tubes. As such, all personnel must wear special protective clothing.
While the process to manufacture medical grade tubes may sound overly-cautious, it’s because of this level of strict adherence to GMPs (good manufacturing practices) that manufacturing medical grade tubing can deliver such safe reliability to the medical industry.
Tags: customg plastic tubing, medical grade tubing, medical tubing, plastic tubing
Posted in Custom Tubing, medical tubing | No Comments »
December 2nd, 2009
If time is of the essence and nothing can be left to chance, medical grade pvc tubing must perform at its optimal level to satisfy those who rely on its resiliency.
Although it is easily manufactured, medical grade PVC tubing must have certain performance characteristics to be used in medical applications, such as for oxygen transfer, surgical drains, and peristaltic pumps to name a few. Those critical properties encompass, but are not limited to the following, for grade PVC tubing:
- Medical grade must be manufactured using non-toxic, lead-free materials that conform to FDA standards
- Medical grade PVC must be manufactured in a Class 100,000 clean room with strict adherence to GMPs.
- Surface properties, physical and mechanical properties, biostability, etc, must be evaluated to ensure medical grade PVC tubing its suitable for critical applications, such as for catheters
- The medical grade PVC tubing should maintain low temperature characteristics that make it suitable for certain applications that require it, such as blood collection.
- Medical grade PVC tubes must be resistant to corrosion and other chemicals.
Of course, depending on the specific application, other characteristics of the medical grade PVC tubes are taken in account, such as whether it will be used on a high-risk patient. In this case, the medical grade PVC tube must be made in a non-DEHP plastic. If the medical grade tubing is used for transfusions, chemotherapy, or for feeding tubes then it is critical that its fluid pathway kink-resistant to reduce air bubbles and clotting.
Providing the medical grade PVC tubing continues to “pass the test”, medical professionals will be able to depend upon it for maintaining patient care.
Tags: custom plastic tubing, Custom Tubing, medical tubing
Posted in Custom Tubing, medical tubing | No Comments »
November 25th, 2009
No pharmaceutical company wants to have to issue a drug recall due to manufacturing processes that failed to comply with industry regulations. No less than a medical device manufacturer wanting to face legal issues due to faulty equipment.
Yet despite all their efforts to ensure that products are safely released to the public, mistakes happen. But companies in taking an extra precaution of ensuring the PVC profile extrusions they utilize in their equipment or manufacturing process are functioning properly will give themselves an extra insurance policy.
PVC profile extrusions are installed in applications other than those used in pharmaceutical and medication devices.
But these industries in particular seem to partner more often with a custom tubing manufacturer to assist them in the design and development of PVC profile extrusions. Ranging from needing PVC extrusion profiles in tight tolerances, a range of wall thicknesses, or shapes, they have the added benefit of getting an end product—the PVC profile—that will deliver excellence. In particular, those manufacturers who employ state-of-art equipment in their extrusion manufacturing processes have the capabilities of producing a pvc profiles and extrusions that adhere to the most stringent design specifications of its customers.
So when considering your options in manufacturing quality PVC profile extrusions for use in your products, remember to seek out a partner who can ensure your success.
After all, to remain competitive in today’s global marketplace no company can afford to risk losing business, discredit their reputation, or stall operations. By working with a custom tubing manufacturer to develop custom PVC profile extrusions, it can provide protection for your business that insurance and lawyers alone can not cover.
Tags: custom plastic extrusions, pvc extrusions, pvc tubing
Posted in Custom Tubing, medical tubing | No Comments »
November 18th, 2009
The medical professions claims on the proper use of double lumen medical tubing, also referred to as DLT, during cardiothoracic or vascular thoracic surgery would involve a high degree of medical competency in order to reiterate their medical position on the critical use of double lumen tubing.
But one does not require a medical degree to explain or understand that double lumen tubing helps surgeons save lives in the operating room. It’s actually that simple—the reason, not the surgery, as to why double lumen tubing has enabled successful results for this application purposes.
To explain in it’s most basic terms: double lumen tubing consists of two lumens: one bronchial and one tracheal. The double lumen tube provides for ventilation of the lungs during an operation. The intubation process of the double lumen tubing occurs while the patient is anesthetized. The doctor first inserts the tracheal lumen tube into the patient’s trachea before the bronchial lumen tube is connected to allow for ventilation.
Now, here’s the important part.
Before starting the insertion process of the double lumen tubing, doctors need to first determine the diameter of a patient’s bronchus. This is done in order to select the appropriate size double lumen tubing that can easily be inserted and withdrawn into the bronchus without causing the patient harm.
But depending on the manufacturer, the availability of the appropriate size double lumen tube may not be available. However, there is a custom tubing manufacturer who can service the diverse needs of the medical industry. A.P. Extrusion can offer services in the design and manufacturing of small diameter medical lumen tubing to accommodate a wide range of bronchus’ diameters.
Tags: custom plastic tubing, double lumen tubing, medical tubing
Posted in Custom Tubing, medical tubing | No Comments »
