Clariant Masterbatches puts risk and control issues at top of agenda at Medtec and MD&M East 2010

Muttenz, March 5, 2010 - Clariant Masterbatches turns the spotlight on risk management at Medtec in Stuttgart (March 23 – 25) and MD&M in New York (June 8-10) as it presents its package of dedicated products and support designed to help customers’ control risk in medical device manufacture and pharmaceutical packaging. Clariant’s specific range of medical color and performance masterbatches and compounds add cutting-edge functionality and brand appeal to customers’ applications while taking into account industry requirements for consistency, reliability and regulatory compliance.

Steve Duckworth, Head of Global Market Segment Consumer Goods & Medical, and project leader at Clariant, comments: “Minimizing risk at every stage of design and production is critical for the medical sector, and the onus on manufacturers to monitor the raw materials used in a device’s components has never been greater.

Clariant’s long involvement in this sector put us in a good position to discuss the changing requirements and critical issues regarding plastics use with small and large device producers. Their need for a higher level of support than traditionally provided by compound and masterbatch producers led us to rethink our approach. We have pooled our expertise with dedicated facilities that allow us to develop innovative color and performance masterbatches and compounds that can help customers more easily comply with regulatory requirements. We are looking forwarding to presenting our complete package of support to Medtec Stuttgart and at MD&M East New York visitors.”

Clariant is offering three specialist centers of competence, one in Lewiston Maine, USA one in Malmö, Europe, and one in Singapore, Asia-Pacific, focused on developing and manufacturing masterbatches and compounds for the medical and pharmaceutical sectors.

These sites offer full manufacturing line segregation to reduce risk of cross contamination between products. In addition a globally harmonized quality management system in line with ISO13485 supporting the sector’s need for consistency and reliability of formulations and procedures is being introduced.

Clariant’s capability is further underlined by its extensive expertise in developing coloration and functional formulations that help to control the risks in a product’s development and lifecycle. For example, a range of standard colors are available where ingredients have been biologically evaluated according to USPVI part 87 and 88. In addition similar and globally harmonized products are being introduced where the evaluation and characterization is according to the ISO10993 standard.

Clariant’s product solutions cover a wide range of polymers and thermoplastic elastomers including PE, PP, ABS, SAN, PC/ABS, PC, PA6, 66 and 12, high performance polymers, and elastomers such as EVA. SEBS, TPU, Hytrel® and PEBA.

Steve Duckworth continues: “Clariant’s package of dedicated service and expertise, product reliability and innovative material performance is focused on giving the medical industry the confidence it needs to address risk potential. As a result, medical device manufacturers can trust Clariant to meet their color and performance needs.”

Note to editors:

Clariant is exhibiting at Medtec in Stuttgart (March 23-25, 2010) in Hall 6 stand 1574 and at MD&M East in New York (June 8-10, 2010) at stand 1227.