Page 52 - Plastics News April 2018

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Teknor to introduce news Medical TPE’s

eknor Apex is to introduced New medical-grade performance requirements while providing substantial
Tthermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) for injection economic advantages because of their ease of processing.
molded plunger stoppers that provide improved syringe
performance, are less costly and easier to mold than natural
and isoprene rubber, and provide processing advantages
over thermoplastic vulcanizate (TPV) elastomers. Teknor Jomar expands IntelliDrive series
Apex Company will introduce the compounds at NPE2018.
Stoppers molded from the new Medalist® TPEs perform omar Corp. has incorporated a custom-designed,
well in both glass and plastic syringe barrels, achieving Jservo-driven hydraulic system that it developed
a consistent piston release and travel force due to a low with Bosch Rexroth Corp. into its three largest injection
coefficient of friction. The compounds can be over-molded blow molding machines. Egg Harbor Township, N.J.-
onto plungers, eliminating an assembly step. In addition based Jomar will launch the IntelliDrive 175 with a
to grades for over-molding onto polypropylene, specialty clamp force of 175 tons at NPE 2018 and also show off
grades are available that, unlike TPVs, can be over-molded its year-old IntelliDrive 135 with a clamp force of 135
onto engineering resins like polycarbonate, ABS, PC / ABS, tons. "These servo-hydraulic machines only consume
acrylic, acetal, PBT, and COPE. Also unlike most TPVs, the amount of energy required for the process," Sales
the Medalist TPEs do not require pre-drying.The Medalist Manager Ron Gabriele
Jomar will discontinue its standard hydraulic Model
175, Gabriele added, but still make the standard
version of the smaller Model 135 for a couple more
years because it is popular in the United States, where
electricity costs less compared to other countries. "The
bigger the machine, the bigger the motor, so when we
convert the really big machines to servo-hydraulics
and make an IntelliDrive version, the energy saving are
tremendous," Gabriele said. Jomar's customers serve
TPEs exhibit improved compression set in comparison the pharmaceutical, health care, personal care, food,
with competing TPEs, making possible a more secure beverage and household products markets and include
seal. The compounds can be molded in high-cavitation Gerber, Crayola, Merck, P&G, Unilver and Avon. The
tooling. All grades are sterilizable and are available in average running-power consumption is 35.7 kilowatts
natural or black colors. The Medalist compounds provide
substantial advantages over rubber, which has been the per hour for the
predominant material for use in syringe stoppers. TPEs IntelliDrive 135
avoid the curing step required in rubber processing, and 48.1 kw/h for
eliminating concerns about extractables and leachables, the IntelliDrive
and, unlike rubber, their scrap can be recycled. As 175, Jomar says,
thermoplastics, TPEs process in considerably shorter but the energy
molding cycles and lend themselves to more intricate use rate could be
designs and tighter dimensional tolerances. “Stoppers higher or lower depending on the resin, bottle size
must move smoothly against the wall of the syringe barrel, and cycle time. In addition to reducing utility costs,
provide an exceptional seal to preserve the integrity of the series has a reinforced main platen to reduce the
the drug, and be chemically inert to prevent interaction possibility of deflection and a closed-loop system to
with the syringe contents,” said Ross van Royen, senior control clamp speed and position. The IntelliDrive
market manager of regulated products. “Teknor Apex has series of machines costs only 10-15 percent more than
developed a portfolio of Medalist TPEs that meet these standard hydraulics.

Plastics News April 2018 52