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A revolution in measurement technology for silicone tubing
At the first stop on our expedition, we introduced you to a product innovation that is invisible at first glance but turns out to be essential. At our second stop, we will also guide you through another seemingly invisible but actually indispensable innovation from our Freudenberg Medical Business Group. A groundbreaking technology that revolutionizes measurement technology for silicone tubing.
From ventilators to pacemakers, silicone tubes are used in a wide range of medical applications and are a lifesaver for many. Superlative precision is a must for producing silicone tubes like these: that’s why they are manufactured with maximum purity and accuracy down to a hundredth of a millimeter; the decisive factors here being the inside diameters and wall thicknesses.
Conventionally, cut samples of the cured silicone tubes are taken by hand and measured during ongoing production. This process is repeated until the exact dimension of the product is achieved. Anything that’s not to spec has to be sorted out and disposed of because once silicone is cured, it can no longer be reused. The problem here is that the manufacturing process is time consuming, is material intensive and generates a lot of scrap. Freudenberg Medical has solved the problem.
Superlative precision is essential in silicone tube production
Extrusion is the molding process in which the silicone compound is forced through a molding aperture under high pressure and temperature
Innovative Helix iMC sensor technology enables seamless control in the production process of silicone tubes and thus revolutionizes quality monitoring. Helix iMC uses a tomographic system that captures and documents the shape and dimensions of the tube during extrusion. An algorithm calculates a cross-sectional view from these measured values, which employees check on a screen. Helix iMC detects and signals deviations and errors in real time. Employees can intervene in the process at any time and make adjustments if necessary.
Extrusion is the molding process in which the silicone compound is forced through a molding aperture under high pressure and temperature
The new technology increases product quality significantly through the use of continuous data monitoring. At the same time, Helix iMC reduces processing time by orders of magnitude – and above all, cuts down on material waste. This saves resources and helps preserve the environment.
About Freudenberg Medical
Freudenberg Medical is a global partner for the design, development and production of innovative medical and pharmaceutical products, assemblies, injection-molded and overmolded components, catheters, tubing and single-use systems, as well as silicone tubes. With 11 production facilities and 2,200 employees worldwide, Freudenberg Medical offers a broad spectrum of skills – from precision molding and extrusion to pharmaceutical coatings, finished products, complex catheters and hypotubes.
Our next stop:
The EagleBurgmann Business Group. Join us again @ Freudenberg Magazine Online to find out how an innovation can reduce methane emissions to zero.