Raumedic to spotlight silicone processing and wire coating

Steuerungs- und Dichtungsmembranen werden in medizinischen Pumpen eingesetzt. In das spritzgegossene Silikonbauteil wurden sowohl Dichtlippen als auch Steuerungspins integriert. / Control and sealing membranes are used in medical pumps. Both sealing lips and control pins are integrated into the injection-molded silicone component.

Geschäumte Silikonrundschnüre zeichnen sich durch eine hervorragende Dichtfunktion aus. / Foamed silicone round cords are gas permeable and feature outstanding sealing properties.

Als medizinischer Führungsdraht, als Elektrode für die Schmerztherapie oder auch als Lichtleiter – ummantelte Drähte, Litzen und Fasern werden in der Medizin vielseitig eingesetzt. / Working as medical guidewires, electrodes for pain therapy or light guides – coated wires, braids and fibers are used in many different ways in medicine.

With the slogan "All from one source", the medical technology manufacturer Raumedic will present its wide range of polymer solutions for the medical and pharmaceutical industry from November 12 to 15 at Booth F28 in Hall 8a at Compamed. The company’s booth will feature products made of medical-grade silicone and plastic-coated wires, braids and fibers. 

Consistent, reproducible solutions made of medical-grade silicone

Silicone is an irreplaceable material in medicine today. Raumedic has been working with the material since the 1950s. Its early products mainly included silicone tubing for extracorporeal circulation (ECC). Today, the company produces the broadest range of silicone components in extrusion and injection-molding processes.

Raumedic specializes in the processing of high-temperature cross-linked silicones. The polymer specialist manufactures a wide variety of products out of high-consistency silicone rubber (HCR) and liquid silicone rubber (LSR) as well as from customized formulations. The products include control and sealing membranes for medical pumps, micro-injection molded parts with an extremely low part weight and foamed silicone round cords with exceptional sealing properties.

Raumedic meets the requirements for precise, reproducible silicone solutions by using state-of-the-art extrusion and injection-molding facilities. The tool technology that the company has developed on its own and patented in part ensures that Raumedic can maintain the tightest tolerances during manufacturing. In doing so, the product properties remain consistent even if batch-to-batch variations in raw materials and formulations occur.

VariCoat: The single-step process to coat wires, braids and fibers

Plastic-coated wires, braids and fibers fulfill a wide range of medical purposes. They can be used as guides in minimally-invasive surgery or as signal-transmitting electrodes for neuro-stimulation, for example.

With VariCoat, Raumedic has developed a single-step process that makes it possible to uniformly coat wires, braids and fibers with a large number of high-temperature polymers, technical polymers and standard polymers. Instead of being applied layer by layer, polyamides (PA) and materials like PTFE, FEP, amorphous PEEK and PUR are directly extruded onto the substrate in one single processing step. The possible layer thicknesses range from 0.0004" to 0.039" (0.01 mm to 1.0 mm).

The selection of substrates is virtually unlimited. With the help of the VariCoat process, wires and braids from conducting materials like stainless steel, copper and platinum alloys as well as glass fibers and synthetic Kevlar can be wrapped in a layer of polymer. The internal core can have a diameter of 0.001" to 0.059" (0.025 mm to 1.5 mm).

Best production conditions for the best results

At Raumedic, silicone processing and wire coating are done under controlled clean room conditions of ISO Class 7. As a result, contamination by germs and particles is kept extremely low from the very beginning. In addition, the products can be further processed immediately afterward because no subsequent cleaning procedure is required. All incoming raw materials at Raumedic are subjected to a strict incoming-goods inspection. If a customer desires, the company will also conduct chemical and mechanical pre-shipping inspection.

Raumedic at Medica

Raumedic will also be represented at the Düsseldorf medical trade fair Medica, which will be held at the same time as Compamed. At Booth G42 in Hall 11, the company division "Clinic" will present a range of products including the Neurovent measuring catheter, a medical device that can simultaneously measure intracranial pressure, the temperature and oxygen partial pressure inside the brain.