GE Helps Ensinger Supply High-Performance Semi-Finished Parts to Medical Device Manufacturers

Ensinger is a producer of semi-finished plastic parts – including tubes, rods, and plates – that are supplied to manufacturers of end products such as medical devices. The company uses more than 100 different plastics to extrude, cast, compression-mold, and pultrude these parts.

Ensinger had been using polyphenylsulfone (PPSU) to produce its Tecanyl line of extruded rods and bars that are used by manufacturers of implant trial heads – temporary bone replacements placed in the body during surgery to determine the exact size of the final implant.

However, Ensinger wanted an alternative for PPSU that could reduce material costs and boost production while delivering equal or better performance.

GE Plastics and Ensinger

The Challenge: Finding a Higher-Value Material for Demanding Medical Applications

The Headquarters of Ensinger GmbH are in Nufringen, Germany. For over 30 years, Ensinger has manufactured engineering and high-performance plastics for a very wide range of applications in a most innovative way. Today, Ensinger has almost one thousand employees worldwide working on new concepts and solutions.

Among the many products it manufactures, Ensinger supplies semi-finished plastics to the medical device industry, which uses these rods, bars, and plates to create end products. The company’s Tecanyl MT line is used to produce final medical devices such as multi-use surgical instruments, sterilization trays, and surgical handles.

Among the end products made from Tecanyl MT bars and rods are short-term testing implants, or trial heads. These plastic parts allow the surgeon to determine the exact size of the final knee, hip, or shoulder implant. Ensinger had been using PPSU for the Tecanyl MT line, but sought an alternate material that could deliver a competitive advantage.

“We were looking for ways to reduce overall system costs to increase our competitive position in the market,” said Dr. Wiedler, New Business Development Manager Europe. “While cutting costs, we also wanted to increase productivity. Of course, the new material had to deliver outstanding performance and meet regulatory requirements for medical devices. Frankly, we were doubtful that such a material could be found.”

The Solution: GE’s Noryl* HNA055 Resin

GE Plastics learned of Ensinger’s quest for a new material, and identified Noryl HNA055 modified polyphenylene ether (PPE) resin. An excellent material candidate for medical device applications, this opaque resin is biocompatible1, and can withstand repeated steam autoclaving and other types of sterilization without significant change of properties. In laboratory tests, samples maintained mechanical performance for up to 2,500 autoclave sterilization cycles at 134 °C.

Among its notable properties are impact resistance, dimensional stability, chemical resistance, hydrolytic stability, and high performance under high and low temperature conditions.

The Benefits: Multiple Cost-Reduction Factors Add Up to a Competitive Edge

For Ensinger and its customers, Noryl HNA055 resin provides a number of ways to reduce system production costs and increase output. First, Noryl resin can be molded at a lower temperature than PPSU. This enables the use of water cooling of the mold instead of oil cooling, which is required for high-heat materials like PPSU. This saves energy and tooling costs and brings potential processing productivity due to increased extrusion speed.

Second, Noryl resin reduces wear on cutting tools compared to PPSU, which is more abrasive. Because the GE material is easier to cut, faster cutting speeds can be used – helping to reduce cycle times. Additional cost productivity may be achieved due to extended use of the cutting tools, when using Noryl HNA055 resin. Finally, because Noryl HNA055 resin has a lower specific gravity than PPSU, more parts can be produced from a kilogram of material, reducing costs.

With high-performance Noryl resin, device manufacturers are able to create implant heads that remain stable in terms of size and shape, and show excellent hydrolytic stability. These trial heads are lighter, making them easier for surgeons to handle. And, they are exceptionally durable, resisting the effects of sterilization, disinfectants, and common cleaning agents.

According to Dr. Wiedler, “Not only does Noryl resin allow our firm to achieve greater productivity at lower costs, but it also provides significant added value for our customers.”

Details at: www.ensinger.ltd.uk.