Materials: Medical TPEs Boast Excellent Adhesion to Engineering Plastics
Teknor Apex’s next-generation Medalist MD-3000 Series said to offer productivity advantages over silicones.
A new series of TPEs for over-molding that reportedly exhibit excellent adhesion to a broad range of engineering plastic substrates while meeting the stringent requirements for use in medical devices has been launched by Teknor Apex Co., Pawtucket, R.I.
Advanced chemistry developed by Teknor has yielded this next-generation Medalist MD-30000 Series medical TPEs that bond effectively to PC, ABS, PC/ABS, COP (copolyester thermoplastic elastomer), PET, PBT, ASA, SAN, PMMA, POM, PA, and PS. Each compound in the series is chemically modified for adhesion to specific substrates. Processable in either multi-shot or insert molding, the compounds are for use in wearable devices, ‘soft-touch’ or cosmetic grips for device housings, handheld devices, instruments, and seals and gaskets.
The new series includes grades with enhanced softness, translucence, low compression set for effective sealing properties, and resistance to lotions and other chemicals encountered by wearable devices. Whereas liquid silicone rubbers (LSRs) require a primer, over-molded TPEs have a shorter cycle time due to avoidance of a curing process, and can be processed on conventional injection molding equipment.
Three of the Medalist MD-30000 Series compounds were introduced earlier this year after successful completion of a joint project with Covestro LLC, in which the materials were over-molded onto medical grades of PC and PC alloys and tested for adhesion, processability, and chemical resistance.
Said Teknor Apex senior market manager Ross van Royen,“Over-molding Medalist TPEs onto rigid substrates enhances the ergonomic and aesthetic properties of medical devices, adds new functionalities such as molded-in seals and cushions, and provides the design freedom and cost savings associated with parts consolidation. The Medalist MD-30000 Series is the latest addition to a large portfolio of TPEs developed by Teknor Apex for over-molding applications in medical devices as well as in the consumer product and automotive industries.”
Apex has developed an online resource for over-molding TPEs, which can be accessed at www.teknorapex.com/overmolding-academy. It contains basic information about over-molding and adhesion, guides to process and material selection, and case studies.
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