Medical products are often produced by the film extrusion process. Everything from tubing to IV bags is produced via a plastic film extrusion process. As medical technology becomes more advanced and products become smaller and more specialized, non contact thickness gauge products become the most critical component of the product and post-product quality control process for medical film manufacturing.
Medical Film Applications
There are several applications for medical film produced via extrusion. While some of these applications are standard products, like an IV bag, other applications are custom designed. Applications include:
- Medical balloon catheters, stents and tubing
- Ophthalmic products such as contact and intra-ocular lenses
- Speciality medical packaging
- Surgical films-scrubs, operating table covers
- Laminated films for holding medications, alcohol wipes and other medical products
Many of these applications have very small dimensions and tight tolerances, making precise gauging both critical and difficult during the extrusion process
Quality Control in Medical Film Extrusion
The production of medical plastic films must be precise and the quality must be superior. Medical interventions are changing rapidly. The custom nature of most medical films make quality control critical. Having control over your manufacturing environment is the essential to ensuring uniformity in your finished product. Using a non contact thickness gauge throughout the process is an essential tool during pre-production, in production and in quality control.
- In pre-production, a non contact thickness gauge can be used to ensure proper calibration of the process.
- In production, during the lay-flat, thickness gauges can be used to check the basis weight and edge width of your film.
- In the quality control lab, a non contact thickness gauge is critical to checking finished product, answering customer inquiries and troubleshooting potential abnormalities without damaging finished product.
Using Valuable Gauge Data
Throughout all these steps, your thickness gauge creates data that can be used to track any variations in thickness of your product. This data can help you analyze potential equipment failures, materials, cost, process timing and more. Using this data can help you create a controlled environment before you invest time and resources into setting up a new product run.
Want to Learn More?
SolveTech is the leader in non contact thickness and basis weight gauges. Our tools help plastic film manufacturers produce uniform, high quality products for a variety of medical applications. Call us today to learn more about our comprehensive suite of gauging solutions and to request a free film gauge profile.
