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Tube Processing
At Minnesota MedTec we are known for our tube processing:
After years of designing medical products, our engineers left their jobs to focus on the medical device tube processing as the extrusion industry just wasn’t able to provide tubes that were adequate.
All materials need to be properly handled and controlled based on it’s physical and chemical requirements.
Some of the materials we manufacture must be extruded on two separate days because of the way each specific lot of resin was formulated. Each lot manufactured can have a significant affect on the material shrinkage and we sometimes have to extrude a sample and allow a day to verify what shrinkage we will have with this particular lot.
Its fascinating how the properties can be adjusted with the extrusion process. A few of the property changes are below:
- Tensile increase/decrease
- Elongation increase/decrease
- Chemical resistance
- Shrinkage of the material
- Tensile modulus
- Burst strengths
Tip forming of a catheter or medical device is used to shape the insert-able tip of a device to prevent any damage from the sharp end of the catheter scraping, perforating, or slitting a vessel or tissue.
We create tips in a variety of ways depending on your quantities and assembly process of the catheter.
- Heat forming
- Radio frequency die forming
- Shrink tubing
- Reflowing
- Glass forming
Let us know the quantity of parts you need and a drawing/sketch and we will help you find your solution.
Flaring your product or tubing can be completed using heat processes using RF energy or heated shaped tools that makes the material soft and able to be formed.
Most materials can be flared as long as they are thermoplastic. Some thermoset materials such as PTFE can also be formed for tips and flares but it is more difficult.
Tapers can also be made using similar processes when needed.
If you need ports made in you parts but you are not able to get enough flow or dispersion of fluid coming from your parts, a punched hole may be needed.
Punched holes are produced using semi automated process using punches and fixtures made based on your needs. The punches are made from a variety of materials based on the amount of parts needed. One of the most common material is stainless steel 17-4 PH but can be made using tool steel also.
Contact us with your specification and we will evaluate your project.
The holes placed in catheters can be made using hole drills or punches depending on the product and needs for volume.
Hole drilling can be completed using a CNC or manual drilling operation. The tools used in the process is designed based on the need for accuracy, the quality of the holes, and the life of the tools.
Using our in house tooling capability, Minnesota MedTec can make virtually any style hole needed.
At Minnesota MedTec, fusing has moved beyond art. We use a variety of methods to attach parts together and can we even fuse dis-similar materials together with the properly design joint.
Fusing can be completed using the following methods.
- RF dies
- Reflow
- Clear dies
- Clam shell jaws
- Hot air
If you need tubes to split or need to have split sections on the end of tubes this scoring process creates the best performance for many materials.
Minnesota MedTec makes 10’s of thousands of these parts per month and can make them to your specifications.
Shape forming catheter shafts can guide your device to locations without any need for deflecting catheters or complicated wires.
To put shapes into catheters you have to define what your needs are as the shaping process can put permanent shapes into catheters or shape that allow the user to have some ability to curve based on their needs.
Please contact us for more technical details and help selecting the correct process for your needs.
Marker band swaging has to be very accurate. At Minnesota MedTec we have been swaging marker bands and electrodes onto catheters for over 25 years.
There are four main of cases using swaging :
- Bands for radiopaque visualization
- Electrodes
- Physical attachment of an item
- Shaping plastics or metals
The most difficult cases we are swaging are:
- Swaging bands onto multi lumen tubes
- Electrodes where the wires are welded under the bands and must provide a strong connections.
- Attaching bands with tolerances of +/- .0003″ on the OD.
Please contact us with your application and we’d be happy to discuss it with you.
Braided tubes used in catheters can be made in a variety of ways. At Minnesota MedTec we have perfected the methods to braided shafts in piece components, PTFE lined or on a continuous roll.
Typical application’s for our braided shafts are for Delivery catheters, angiography catheters, Sheaths, Micro Catheters and high pressure lines.
Pad printing is completed a Minnesota MedTec using specialized machines and is specifically designed for medical catheters and hubs using a special vacuum holding system for printing completely around the outside of catheters when needed for location bands.
There are a variety of inks and colors used. In some cases the inks must be placed on a conveyor for heat treatment after printing depending on the material used.
Give us a sample of what you are trying to print and we will provide you with a sample to verify that the printing will work for you. We have low volume print plates made from a UV method or high volume plated made in house for your application.
At Minnesota MedTec, reflow is a completely separate department in its own with very specially trained people specific to the reflowing technologies.
We have experience with braids, coil, stopped braids, and willing to help you with your designs.
If you need braided shafts or coils in the shafts, contact us for your needs.