ANAHEIM, Calif.—Companies demonstrated how active pharmaceutical ingredients can be added in extruding polymers at the UBM Advanced Manufacturing Expo.
The example illustrated a cutting-edge process using a simulated material being processed on operating extrusion and related equipment.
Collaborators on the project included Conair Group, Davis-Standard L.L.C. and Zumbach Electronics Corp.
Leistritz Extruder Co., a unit of Nuremberg, Germany-based Leistritz A.G., supported the demonstration.
The technology could help medics prevent infection and other outcomes relating to long-term or repeated catheter use, said Bob Bessemer, Conair sales manager for medical downstream extrusion equipment.
The demonstration involved material drying, extrusion, sizing/cooling, gauging, cutting and quality control processes.
A Davis-Standard extruder with a 0.75-inch barrel delivered clear thermoplastic polyurethane for a single-lumen adult-peripherally-inserted-central catheter line with an outside diamester of less than 0.1 inch. Another extruder of the same size delivered a blue resin representing the active layer.
For processing in a single-screw extruder, the active pharmaceutical ingredients would be pre-compounded into the resin and delivered as a masterbatch.
Other equipment in the demonstration included a Conair MedVac-brand vacuum sizing/cooling tank, a Zumbach three-axis outer dimension laser gauge and a Conair MedLine-brand puller-cutter. In addition, Conair provided a MicroWheel MW1-02 dryer, MedLine ML1 MiniLoaders, thermolator temperature controls and a MedLine EP1A-03 portable air-cooled chiller.
Guill Tool and Engineering Co. Inc. supplied a cross-head co-extrusion die.
Leistritz showed a twin-screw extruder.
The UBM Advanced Manufacturing Expo is taking place Feb. 6-8 in Anaheim. Later this year, at NPE2018 in Orlando, Fla., Conair of Cranberry Township, Pa., will exhibit in booth W1845, and it will also have a PET-focused presence in the Bottle Zone in booth S14045.
Davis-Standard of Pawcatuck, Conn., will exhibit in booth W5947, Zumbach of Mount Kisco, N.Y., in booth W6983, Guill of West Warwick, R.I., in booth W4588 and Leistritz of Somerville, N.J., in booth W5545.