One of the major changes in the production of medical devices and in the manufacturing of semiconductors is the move from the use of metals and alloys to the use of various types of plastics and resins. Plastic and resins provide durability and non-reactive materials for implantable devices and critical application types of components where corrosion, exposure to heat, stress, or shock may make a metal or an alloy less effective.
The Challenges
In these specific types of applications, including for medical devices and components and semiconductors, the material and the process has to be carefully managed and controlled. This includes eliminating foreign airborne or surface particles, including dust, that may contaminate the surface of the part and pose a risk in the performance of the system.
For these types of specialized processes, clean room injection molding is the ideal solution. Just as it sounds, this is custom plastic injection molding that is completed in a clean room, meeting all clean room standards and fully complying with ISO 14644 standards.
Companies offering clean room injection molding have specially trained staff and specialized, self-contained production rooms. All of the tools, processes, injection equipment, and even the ventilation and climate control aspects of these rooms are maintained to meet clean room standards.
In addition to clean room injection molding, many companies provide end-to-end services for these types of components. This may include customized extrusion processes for parts, testing of all manufactured parts, as well as assembly and packaging of the components produced in the clean room setting.