R.D. Abbott, Arburg, ACH Solution set up demo injection molding cell at MD&M West

ANAHEIM, Calif.—Partnerships are key to custom designing parts for manufacturing, especially in the medical technology and biopharmaceutical spaces.

Conversely, medical OEs in many ways are driven by the eye test, demonstrations that prove that a particular custom design process is the right choice for them.

With a complete high-consistency rubber injection molding cell, R.D. Abbott Co. Inc., Arburg GmbH and ACH Solution did just that at the recent MD&M West show.

"At R.D. Abbott and NovationSi, we see collaboration as essential to driving innovation in our industry," Craig Lustek, business development engineer at R.D. Abbott, told Rubber News. "When Arburg approached us for a custom color match for their silicone injection molding cell, we not only delivered one of the closest color matches they'd ever seen, but we also committed to supporting them through every step of the process."

NovationSi, the Barberton, Ohio-based manufacturing subsidiary of California-based R.D. Abbott, supplied the sea-green colorant for the cell, while the Lossburg, Germany-based machinery maker Arburg conducted the full-cell demonstration at the Anaheim Convention Center.

The Feb. 4-6 expo and conference is one of the largest for medical device manufacturers, tool and die makers, and raw material providers in the U.S.

The collaboration for the HCR injection molding cell also featured contributions from ACH Solution U.S.A., a Sarasota, Fla., firm that designs and produces molds (in this case, a four-cavity mold) featuring a mechanical valve gate balancing system.

ACH provided its Turnmix high-temperature vulcanized dosing system for continuous material feed.

"We supplied the dosing system," said Steven Broadbent, general manager for ACH Solution U.S.A. "Our Turnmix has been on the market for four years now ... it mixes and doses the HCR material to the injection unit, as a standalone unit that can go on almost any machine."

Arburg's Multilift Select 6 linear robot system and ACH Solution's 3D-printed, end-of-arm tool conducted handling tasks.

Arburg ultimately molded a "tighty" cable tie made of HCR for medical devices during sterilization in its Allrounder 470 A.

The cycle time was 45 seconds, and the part weight was 3.45 grams.

"With these collaborations, you want to showcase the technology—show the customers things like this," Lustek said. "The ability to run and run automated works really well for these types of trade shows."

NovationSi's NovaSperse color dispersion matched Arburg's teal logo, a "highly visible feature of the German manufacturer's injection molding machines," Lustek said.

"Our role in the Aruberg cell demonstration at MD&M West is a great example of how we go above and beyond being a material distributor or silicone dispersion manufacturer," he said. "Our engineers and technicians work closely with our partners to ensure a seamless integration, coupled with optimal performance, by offering support and guidance from the initial on-site setup and mold trials to providing troubleshooting recommendations during your entire operation."

NovationSi offers a three-day turnaround for most silicone dispersions and its NovaSperse Healthcare dispersions are free of heavy metals, phthalates and bisphenol A, and are tested to meet USP Class VI standards.

"As a materials supplier, we offer off-the-shelf options as well as custom silicone solutions," Keith Thomas, president and CEO of R.D. Abbott, told Rubber News. "To bring value, it is absolutely about relationships. You have to integrate all of these things together to make a part.

"And we try to provide the crossroads for those collaborations to happen."

NovationSi can handle small runs, medium runs and larger scale needs.

"It just depends on the needs of the application," Thomas said. "Part of the site in Ohio is only for development and prototyping. Speaking of partnerships, a lot of them happen at our applications lab. It is all about coming up with a solution for our customers."

Along with application engineers and technicians from Arburg and ACH Solution, Lustek helped set up the HCR cell at the 14,000-person conference.

"True collaboration goes beyond simply providing materials—it's about lending a helping hand, building trust, fostering open dialogue and driving shared success," Lustek said. "By combining our expertise with that of our customers and suppliers, we create innovative solutions that advance rubber technologies and elevate industry standards.

"With every project, our goal is to be there early, throughout and until the very end to ensure its success."