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Custom tubing and profiles are a TechneMed specialty. TechneMed serves your silicone tubing and profile development needs with complete capabilities in the design of custom extrusions and the manufacture of close tolerance medical silicone tubing. We have workstations uniquely suited to cost-effective manufacturing of small to mid-sized quantities, as well as high speed equipment for large volume production, including multiple extruders.

[ Extrusion Defined | Extrusion Steps | General Capabilities |
| Profiles | Reinforced Tubing | Applications ]


Extrusion
The silicone rubber extrusion process yields a broad range of tubing and profiles. The extrusion process begins with the two-part gumstock (one part containing catalyst and the other part containing crosslinker) being blended on a two-roll mill. The blending yields a homogeneous compound which is formed into strips and fed continuously into the extruder. A variable speed screw feed is used to maintain proper pressure at the mandrel and die. Once extruded, the tubing passes through vulcanization ovens, where heated air and radiant heat cures the product. During the extrusion process, laser micrometer checks always are performed to help ensure proper dimensional control.

The extrusion process is able to produce single-lumen, multi-lumen and coextruded tubing in a variety of properties and diameters. Other extrusions include:

• Profiles or non-round cross sections, for such applications as instrument stands, clips, gaskets, seals, ties, and markers
• Radiopacity in stripe or complete form
• Reinforced tubing to provide added strength, electrical conductivity, kink resistance, or stretch resistance

Examples of extruded silicone products include catheters, drain and infusion tubes, gasketing, ribbon, sheathing, balloon cuffs, and coextruded electrical conductors, with fluid path lumens.

Extrusion Steps

Mill Blending	Extrusion Feed	Mandrel & Die Profile Forming	Vulcanization

General Capabilities
Our QSR controlled extruding operations accommodate:

• small to high volume production
• extruded tubing profiles
• radiopacity and stripes
• coextruded configurations
• virtually unlimited custom profiles
• single to 30+ lumen configurations
• in-process laser micrometer checks

ID/OD	.005" to 1.6"
Length	Cut to Specification
Profiles	Single lumen, multi-lumen or custom
Durometer Shore A	20 to 80
Color	Clear to about any color
Radiopacity	Complete product, marker line or segments
Reinforcing	Metallic and non-metallic available

Extruded Profiles
TechneMed can accommodate a variety of extruded profiles with more than 30 lumens. Other custom extrusion techniques include tubing with square or non-round cross sections, tape, tubing with radiopaque marker stripes, and non-stretch wire or fiber reinforced coextrusions. Instrument stands and heating clips are examples of asymmetric profiles.



Spring Wire Reinforced Tubing
TechneMed's spring wire reinforced tubing resists kinking and occlusion. A stainless steel spring wire encapsulated within the tubing walls is designed to resist crushing, notching and kinking to deliver unimpeded flow. The spring wire reinforced tubes are able to meet most strength requirements and are designed a to withstand a tight radius bend without occluding.

The spring wire reinforced tubing I.D.'s available from TechneMed range in size from .12" to .80", with durometers from 20 to 80, and in single- or multi-lumen configurations.

Specifically designed for medical applications, the wire member is fitted and bonded into the tubing without the use of solvents that could possibly contaminate the product. Uses include a variety of catheter applications.

If you are ready to specify reinforced tubing or have questions, view our helpful field guide.

Extrusion Applications
Our extrusion applications include, but are not limited to:

peristaltic pump tubing specialty two- and three-lumen catheter mainshafts drainage tubes wound drains feeding catheters

Penrose drain tubes vascular loops peritoneal dialysis catheters radiopaque tubing and Foley mainshaft and balloon cuffs spring reinforced catheters your design requirement

Profile Applications
Profile applications include, among others:

cooling clips compression bars gasketing sheathing stand-off inflatable seals your design requirement

For a complete understanding of the fabrication of silicone obtain our white paper "Silicone Rubber Material Features and Fabrication Benefits"  Contact us: assistance@TechneMed.com

Copyright TechneMed Inc 2002