SINGAPORE, July 22, 2014: In an innovative approach to the Asian market for medical compounds, Teknor Apex has restructured its extensive product portfolio with the goal of offering device designers and manufacturers a multiplicity of raw material options spanning the broadest range of polymer chemistries employed by any custom compounder. The company will introduce this “polymer neutral” medical-market strategy at Medtec China 2014 (Booth P 105).
“In light of recent regulatory pressures, medical device manufacturers are seeking the path of least resistance in selecting plastic raw materials without sacrificing performance and without straying far from historical economics,” said Peter M. Galland, medical industry manager for the Vinyl Division of Teknor Apex. “Teknor Apex has addressed these market needs by developing a complete and broad-based array of solutions that includes a very diverse portfolio of PVC options and a fast-growing family of TPE alternatives to PVC.”
The company’s medical product offerings include thousands of compounds that meet a wide range of global and regional regulatory, industry, and customer specifications, can be produced in plants around the world, and provide identical performance and code compliance no matter where in the world they are used. Drawing on more than 40 years of experience as a supplier to medical manufacturers, Teknor Apex has assembled the largest selection of medical compounds available in Asia:
--- PVC compounds. The Apex® range of flexible vinyl molding and extrusion compounds is comprised of numerous gamma-stable, non-DEHP, and non-phthalate options. Clear, gamma-stable Apex rigid compounds are available for tubing connectors, luer locks, valves, and other medical components. Apex® rigid molding compounds also include gamma-stable formulations. Vital-Line® medical-grade PVC compounds, originally developed by the Asia Pacific technical team, are available throughout the Asia-Pacific region. Flexalloy® ultra high molecular weight PVC elastomers provide superior toughness and stability at temperature extremes.
---Thermoplastic Elastomers (TPEs). The Medalist® product line includes a wide range of compounds, including styrenics (TPE-S), thermoplastic vulcanizates (TPE-V), olefinics (TPE-O) and other specialty alloys, available from 25 Shore OO to 85 Shore D. Medalist medical elastomers can be processed on conventional injection molding and extrusion equipment, while certain grades are formulated to bond to engineering resins via two-shot overmolding or coextrusion. Standard Medalist grades are in compliance with ISO 10993-5 cytotoxicity standards and are free of animal-derived materials, BPA, phthalates, and latex. Medalist offers customers more design flexibility with customized surface aesthetics, haptics and color.
“Unlike traditional suppliers of medical compounds that focus on a single chemistry and push that product into the marketplace, Teknor Apex uses a novel ‘polymer-neutral’ approach, providing the specific compound that is precisely the best one for the target application in the respective global region,” said Elliott Pritikin, senior marketing manager for the Asia Pacific region. “The breadth of our technology portfolio also enables customers to purchase multiple compounds from Teknor Apex, obtaining the logistical advantages of single-sourcing as well as access to our company’s decades of experience working with customers in medical applications.”
Teknor Apex’s medical-grade PVC portfolio is uniquely supported by the company’s plasticizer capabilities. “In the U.S., we are the only vinyl custom compounder that also produces plasticizers,” noted Peter Galland. “This enables us to build product consistency and economy into our compounds and provides a distinct advantage in developing innovative formulations that meet the challenge of new applications.”
Most recently this plasticizer expertise has enabled Teknor Apex to provide valuable information on the alternatives available to compounds plasticized with DEHP.
Teknor Apex Company operates manufacturing and development centers around the world including Singapore and Suzhou, China with commercial and technical offices throughout the Asia Pacific region.
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