Medical injection molding is a fascinating technique of creating a wide range of equipment using a mold and injection. Industrial manufacturing processes include various types of operations and injection molding is one of them. It offers a high level of accuracy when it comes to stability and reliability. Different industries use injection molding techniques. Especially in the medical sector, this process is instrumental in producing industry-level applications with compatibility and medical-grade certifications. It helps produce components for various medical departments such as dental, X-ray equipment, catheter locks, and microfluidic devices. Other than that, orthopedic instruments and pipettes can also be produced with high accuracy.
This article will discuss the importance of injection molding in detail, explaining how the process helps in the production of medical industry applications. But before diving deep, let’s understand what injection molding is.
What is Injection Molding?
Injection molding is a production process that involves the injection of plastic into a mold to produce a final (finished) product. This is why it is called injection molding. The key steps of the process are given by;
- The initial step is creating a mold design or geometry of the intended part.
- Secondly, the plastic is injected into the mold to give it the desired geometric shape for specific industrial use cases.
- The molded part is injected and left to cool for a certain time. This time usually depends on the environment and the type of plastic being used for injection molding.
- At last, the process of ejection occurs to carve out the finished product from the mold.
Common Injection Molding Applications in the Medical Sector
Injection molding can help engineers create FDA-approved materials with high-level plastic equipment. The products of injection molding can achieve ISO 13485 level of compliance and offer engineers low cost-per-part making it ideal for medical applications. Medical suppliers have derived this process to produce effective components that attain the quality and specifications of the market. A few types of medical devices include;
Wearable Medical Devices
Wearable medical equipment and devices are the result of medical injection molding techniques. In this process, thermoplastic, which is a highly molecular element, is used in the molding operation. It is perfect for wearable devices as it is less resistant to heat. One of the key thermoplastic elements for this operation is “Polyethylene” (PE) which is perfect for producing wearable medical devices such as implantables.
Sterilized Components
Sterilized components are also the product of the injection molding process in which different types of elements are put into the mold. “Polypropylene” (PP) is one of those elements that offer a high level of heat resistance, making it ideal for sterilized components. It can be regularly sterilized by an autoclave and its tough, lightweight, and resistant nature makes it best for organic solvents. PP is also resistant to radiation and it is affordable for industry-level production of parts. This is why it is used in the injection molding process and used for the production of various medical equipment.
Test Tubes Production
The injection molding process can also help in the production of test tubes. In this process, Polystyrene (PS) is used for petri dishes and test tubes. This element offers dimensional stability and is also non-toxic, and inexpensive. The odorless nature of PS makes it FDA-compliant for making various industrial-level medical products via the injection molding process.
Orthopedic Devices
The orthopedic devices are also the result of the injection molding process in which different types of compounds are injected into the mold. One of the key components in this operation is “Polyetheretherketone” (PEEK) which offers a high level of resistance to chemicals, radiation, and wear. It is significantly useful when used in high temperatures which makes it ideal for sterilization and injection molding. This is why various orthopedic, as well as dental implants, consume PEEK for treating patients.
What are the benefits of Injection Molding in the Medical Industry?
The injection molding process offers various advantages in the medical sector apart from a wide range of medical products. The process has numerous benefits, some of which are discussed below.
Cost Efficiency
Cost efficiency is one of the core factors for every manufacturing process. Injection molding takes the lead here as it is very cost-efficient and helps create products that do not require a large investment upfront. It offers a feasible solution, especially for the medical sector as they produce the devices in large volumes Bulk injection molding allows the production of parts that further reduce the cost-per-part and becomes affordable in the long run.
Precision & Accuracy
Accuracy is also a key benefit of injection molding as it is known for repeatability and reliability. This makes it perfect for the medical industry where the slightest mistake can lead to undesirable results that are non-reversible. They use injection molding to produce reliable parts and create hundreds of identical components that can be sterilized and used for a wide range of operations.
High Compatibility
Compatibility is another significant advantage of using injection molding in the healthcare sector. It offers a wide range of material selections which makes it capable of meeting the industry’s increasing demands while also fulfilling the global regulations.
Durability
Injection molding parts are comparably strong and durable as they use elements that offer a high level of resistance. They are also reluctant to vibrations and impacts which makes them reliable for use in different types of medical environments.
Conclusion
Injection molding is a process that is efficient for manufacturing industrial-level applications that offer a high level of resistance, reliability, and uses. This process allows manufacturers to meet strict regulations and medical industry standards. The applications of injection molding operations are countless and all are suited for a wide range of implementations. From cost-efficiency to compatibility, injection molding has great advantages that make it an efficient go-to solution. Ultimately, the medical sector relies on some of the parts that are produced through injection molding as they are used in key industrial processes.
FAQs
Q1. What are the limitations of injection molding?
Injection molding comes with some limitations such as changing the type of products and size of the mold as it can take time and can be ineffective.
Q2. How many times can the mold be used?
In injection molding, the mold is reusable multiple times making it an efficient solution for large-scale production.
Q3. How long does the process of injection molding take?
It depends on the type of mold. While simple mold can be completed in 2-4 weeks, some may take up to 8 weeks to produce a finished product.