Simtec adds health care manufacturer as customer

MIRAMAR, Fla.—Simtec Silicone Parts L.L.C. has entered into a long-term pact with a global health care product manufacturer to produce a key component to be used in high precision drug delivery systems.

A custom maker of liquid silicone rubber parts and high precision LSR 2-shot components, Simtec will begin production this year on the product. Annual volumes were estimated by the firm at about 80 million parts annually.

The customer—new to the Simtec fold—and type of part to be produced were not disclosed because of a confidentiality agreement. Financial details were not released.

Multiple production units will be used to manufacture the component, and a custom, medical grade LSR will be produced specifically for the application.

“With our controlled environment and ISO 13485 certification, we are poised to expand further into sophisticated medical device programs for LSR and two-shot components,” according to Simtec President Enrique Camacho.

Miramar-based Simtec, which moved to its current 80,000-sq.-ft. plant in mid-2013 from its facility in Madison, Wis., has been producing parts for the health care industry for almost a decade. “This is definitely a growing market for us,” he said.

All contracts are important to the company, Camacho said, and it is excited about being awarded the long-term pact and the opportunity to produce a part for the system.

“With every new LSR part and LSR two-shot component we produce, we are further expanding our customer base as well as increasing awareness of the benefits of working with liquid silicone rubber. It is this experience that allows us to better serve our customers.”

Medical parts that fit well with its LSR and LSR 2-shot injection molding process include plunger tips/syringe stoppers, dialyzer and catheter components, valves, seals, buttons, connectors, caps, grips and masks.

“LSR has a high thermal resistance and biocompatibility; it is hypoallergenic, ozone and UV safe, and it is flexible with a low compression set, so it's not surprising that the medical industry is embracing this material for an ever increasing number of applications,” Camacho said.

LSR 2-shot technology opens up even more possibilities for the company's customers, he said, because it allows for the integration of multiple components made from LSR and thermoplastics without the need for assembly or the use of adhesives or primers.

Founded in Madison in 2002, Simtec serves a variety of industries. LSR is a versatile material, “and we are always developing new markets that will benefit from working with LSR,” he said. “More than 90 percent of the parts and LSR 2-shot components currently being made at Simtec were non-existent before we started producing them.”

The company moved to its present manufacturing facility because the Miramar plant was three times the size of its old factory, is located in close proximity to three international airports, has an available work force and the community offered tax incentives.

Since moving into the complex, Camacho said the firm has expanded capacity needed to serve new and existing customers.

“We are also in a position to be able to easily adapt to new program requirements and value-added services,” he said. “Our Florida location has also already proven to be a good gateway for global deliveries. Time to market is critical for our customers. With our current infrastructure, we are able to shorten the time period from product conceptualization to part to market.”

He said that Simtec tapped into the benefit of being one of the first companies in the U.S. to focus solely on LSR and LSR 2-shot products and on the experience it has gained during the decade it has worked with the materials.

“We are ahead of the curve in terms of experience, expertise and unparalleled know-how on materials and processes,” Camacho said. “We have a highly repeatable process that allows us to deliver consistently high quality parts and components in extremely high volumes at globally competitive conditions.”