The latest update to the company’s MED-EX Modern Medical Extruder line are ideal for contract manufacturers that are operating in a high-mix, low-volume business as well as scaled, high-volume production. 

One major key feature is the direct drive technology for precise speed control and quiet operation. There is no gearbox or belt drive, which eliminates gear oil and airborne dust particles from belts, which is especially important when extruding in a controlled manufacturing environment.

To meet the increasingly stringent quality requirements within the medtech extrusion, US Extruders has developed virtual pressure measurement. Virtual pressure measurement eliminates transducer and rupture disc ports in the barrel and reduces stagnation points where material can degrade. Degraded material that ends up in medical tubing causes a weak point in the final device. This is especially important for applications that demand superior quality beyond dimensional requirements where maintaining mechanical properties is paramount. Examples include balloon tubing, heat shrink tubing, and polymer stent tubing.

US Extruders has developed a custom universal barrier/mixing screw specifically designed for Nylon 12, PEBA, and TPU reflow compounds that are commonly used for multi-durometer catheter jacketing applications. This screw design, combined with either pressure control or a melt pump, allows for optimal melt temperature uniformity and pressure stability better than 1%.