Special exhibition: Sustainable and innovative products for medical technology

(Foto: ARBURG) / (Photo: Arburg)

Der Branche Medizin war eine Sonderausstellungsfläche gewidmet. Dort fertigten insgesamt drei Exponate nachhaltige Spritzenkolben aus PLA, IML-Zentrifugenröhrchen mit integrierten Funktionen und materialoptimierte Spritzenkolben in Großserie. (Foto: ARBURG) / A special exhibition area was dedicated to the medical sector. A total of three exhibits there produced sustainable syringe plungers made from PLA, IML centrifuge tubes with integrated functions and material-optimised syringe plungers in large-scale production. (Photo: Arburg)

– Sustainable: syringe plungers made from PLA significantly improve CO2 footprint
– Innovative: product design saves 20 per cent material
– Added value: IML labels for integrated functions, traceability and minimised waste

A special exhibition area at the Technology Days 2025 will be dedicated to the medical sector. There, Arburg will present three exhibits that manufacture innovative injection moulding products. These will include sustainable syringe plungers made of PLA, IML centrifuge tubes with integrated functions and material-optimised syringe plungers in large-scale production. The comprehensive service expertise for customers from the medical technology sector will also be presented in the clean room. A new Freeformer 550-3X, which is designed for the 3D printing of medical components based on original plastic granulates, will also be on display.

Arburg’s expertise in medical technology covers the entire process chain - from the project idea to machine acceptance. At the Technology Days, experts will answer questions about the exhibits, validation and qualification as well as machine design, automation and turnkey, risk analysis, particle measurement and clean room concepts.

Sustainable: use of PLA improves CO2 balance

The exhibit in the clean room, an electric Allrounder 370 A in clean room design, will be the first to demonstrate the processing of a cost-effective bio-based plastic PLA (polylactide) based on corn starch into a medical technology product. This application example was realised by Arburg and its partners AFK Kunststoffverarbeitung and VTW (mould). It demonstrates the potential for manufacturing sustainable mass-produced articles for the medical technology and pharmaceutical industries. The 4-cavity pilot mould is designed to be scalable to 36 and 72 cavities if required. The electric Allrounder 370 A processes the PLA into syringe plungers weighing 0.5 grams each in a cycle time of around eight seconds. Such medical products are biopharmaceutically contaminated after a single use and are usually disposed of thermally. Unlike petroleum-based plastics, however, PLA only releases as much carbon dioxide (CO2) when incinerated as the raw material maize absorbed while it was being cultivated. The outcome is a much better CO2 balance. Compared to recyclates and other bioplastics, the main advantages are the high availability of maize starch and the comparatively low price.

High-speed: 64 syringe plungers in just six seconds

The production of PP syringe plungers for "self-destructing" disposable 0.5 millilitre syringes demonstrates the benefits of combining hybrid machine technology with high-performance moulds and innovative product design.

The hybrid Allrounder 570 H in the Ultimate performance version with a clamping force of 2,000 kN and Arburg servo hydraulics (ASH) is predestined for high-speed applications for mass-produced medical products. This application also demonstrates how production can be transferred from a grey room to a clean room. Using a 64-cavity mould from Ruhla, the exhibit produces syringe plungers each weighing just 0.34 grams in a cycle time of around six seconds. This corresponds to an output of around 38,400 units per hour. Thanks to a predetermined breaking point, the plunger cannot be removed from the syringe reversibly. This is for reasons of patient safety. The innovative product design with three-blade geometry reduces the amount of material used in this lightweight application by around 20 per cent compared to a four-blade version. A medical PP from the partner Borealis is processed. Ewikon’s hot runner technology enables sprue-free direct side injection moulding. To monitor temperatures in the mould, the injection moulding machine communicates with the hot runner controller via the Gestica control system and OPC UA. The "aXw Control PressurePilot” in the Gestica control system ensures bionically optimised pressure control. The “aXw Control ScrewPilot” in turn compensates for anomalies in the filling process and keeps the mould filling stable. This enables injection to achieve the precision of an electric injection.

Function integration: “IML goes medical”

In-mould labelling (IML) with functional labels is new for medical technology and places great demands on the precision of the injection moulding process and automation. At the Technology Days 2025, an IML application is being demonstrated. Its advantages lie in added value through functional integration, precision and minimal rejects. This application is the outcome of the combined expertise of the machine (Arburg), mould (Kebo), label (MCC/Verstraete), automation (Beck) and camera inspection (Intravis) experts.

The centrepiece is an electric Allrounder 520 A with a clamping force of 1,500 kN in cleanroom design. It fulfils the requirements for production in cleanroom class ISO 7. An important aspect is the compact footprint of the production cell, which fits into specified production grids. The ready-to-use PP centrifuge tubes, each with a capacity of 15 millilitres, are produced in a cycle time of around ten seconds using an 8-cavity mould from Kebo. The labels are scratch-resistant and make the monomaterial centrifuge tubes more stable. An innovative labelling adjustment head is used for precise alignment and application. This can achieve production tolerances of just a few hundredths of millimetre. Subsequent work steps such as conventional printing or gluing are no longer necessary. This enables time- and cost-efficient production - without any additional hygiene risk or effort for personnel and logistics. Waste can be reduced by a factor of 10. Visual inspection is carried out by a camera system integrated into the automation system. For example, a scale for precise fill level indication or temperature-sensitive thermochromic printing can be integrated into the labels. Their colour changes as soon as a defined temperature of the filled tube is exceeded. QR codes can be used to provide the IML product with additional information on process, quality and recycling data. The automated system concept can be expanded further, e.. to include additional screwing of the tubes with a lid and packaging in tubular bags.

3D printing: Freeformer 550-3X with production assistant

The new Freeformer 550-3X is particularly interesting for users in medical technology. The exhibit shows how resorbable implants can be produced in clinical practice, e.g. from the original medical plastic Resomer LR 706. The most interesting features of the open system include increased gob discharge for a shorter build time, optimised material changeover and, above all, the new production assistant. This actively supports the operator via the Gestica control system - from loading the build job to starting 3D printing. This makes working on the machine much easier and enables even non-experts to additively manufacture components reliably, error-free and in high quality. With two discharge units and an installation space measuring 230 x 230 x 230 millimetres, the new machine is slightly smaller, but also cheaper than the Freeformer 750-3X.