Case Studies

Da/Pro Team Solves Critical Molding Parameters for Medical Devices

The Challenge:

Our customer contacted Da/Pro during the R&D phase of this project. Their engineers were designing a part that would be used in a IV system. It was critical that the seal not fail. This was a part that was very difficult to mold.

The Solution:

Da/Pro engineers worked with our customer to resolve both design issues and material issues. The project went through several design changes. The customer was on a strict time line and had to coordinate with several part suppliers for the full assembly.

Da/Pro engineer, production, customer service and quality team worked together to produce a part that passed strict FDA testing, and met the rigorous timeline required.

Da/Pro Plastic Engineers assist in design to eliminate secondary processes in a medical device.

The Challenge:

A leader in the development of innovative products designed to help patients better manage their diabetes, requested a quote for a device that monitors blood glucose levels. This company had worked with 2 different off-shore manufacturers that could not get this part right. The company had requested that the supplier come up with a solution to overmold the plastic with a Thermoplastic Elastomer that would aid in the comfort of the device yet also eliminate the secondary operation of appling a sealing gasket.

Solution:

Da/Pro NE used a 2 gate solution and designed the flow producing both an overmold of the contact point of the device and the seal closure. This produced a high quality part and eliminated the secondary process of assembling the sealing gasket.

Custom rubber molding solutions solve problems that off-the-shelf components can't touch.

The Challenge:

Customer was launching a new printer for printing labels for marking wires and fiber optics cables. The feed mechanism of the printer consisted of a clutch composed of an o-ring, a sintered cylindrical busing and a shaft. The o-ring is placed over the shaft on a grove and the shaft/o-ring assembly is inserted into the sintered cylinder. As the shaft turns the o-ring turns and because of the friction created by the o-ring against the cylinder wall it turns the cylinder which advances the label.

Problem:

If the o-ring is above or below tolerances the friction of the clutch will be too high where it rips the label or if it is too low it will not advance the label at all. Customer was using off the shelves standard o-rings and was having problems with tolerances from lot to lot and from part to part.

Solution:

We were able to help the customer because we were able to hold tighter tolerances than most other molders. In addition we were able to work with them to re-design the o-ring to make it more reliable and consistent. We moved the parting line of the part off the center of the part allowing us to hold the OD of the part at a tighter tolerance and making the de-flashing operation less critical.

Da/Pro kills 6 birds with one stone… solving multiple component versions for our customer and saving money and time!

Challenge:

Our customer came to us with a multiple version medical device.

For the same surgical tool, there were 6 versions and each had to have an identifying mark. Building multiple tools was not a cost effective solution. The original specification called for this part to be pad printed or silk screened.

Solution:

Da/Pro Team suggested a TPE over molded part. The plastic insert would be molded to create letters and numbering and appear above the TPE overmold. This process saved time and money by eliminating a secondary process that would include printing or silk screening.

Changing suppliers for critical components can be a difficult transition

Challenge:

Customer was losing their supplier. Their part was a critical part and they were looking for suppliers that offered the expertise and loyalty they required.

Solution:

Da/Pro was able to offer value added leak testing and the special medical material compounding they required. We also saved our customer time and money by ordering the insert required for the part directly from their supplier.

Da/Pro works with our customers to make their projects a success

Challenge:

This was a plastic over-mold to a flex circuit. The customer was having difficulty finding a supplier for the flex circuit.

Solution:

Da/Pro used it's contacts to locate a supplier for the flex circuit. Our engineers worked with the customer improve the design of the part improving the moldability. We offered design solutions and made it easier for the customer by offering a finished product solution.

Outsourcing solutions give our customers ability to save time and money and focus on core competencies

Challenge:

Many of our customers are changing the way they do business by outsourcing their molding. Often this decision is driven by cost savings plans. One area where cost savings can be realized is in internal molding operations. These customers have realized that it is more expensive for them to do molding in house. They are not a molding house so they will concentrate on what they do and leave the molding to the experts.

Solution:

Da/Pro is assisting our customers through this transition by quoting many of their parts. Da/Pro has saved our customers money by implementing our process to produce higher quality parts and many times without secondary operations. We have offered design strategies that make the parts easier to mold. These have added tremendous value to our customers' cost savings plans.