Injection Moulding Asia Medical Devices
Polymers to take up a healthy growth Despite the higher prices, plastics are more versatile and with healthcare equipment becoming more sophisticated, the materials address the need for mobility/portability of the devices especially for a homecare setting. The healthcare industry is exhibiting increased interest in miniaturisation, homecare and aesthetics for medical devices. The new report, “Western European Market for Polymers in Medical Devices,” said that polymers earned revenues of EUR602 million in 2011 and are projected to reach EUR1.075 billion in 2018.
Innovation, performance, quality and price are important factors influencing the use of polymers in medical devices. Although polymer prices are set to increase gradually, they are, nevertheless, expected to replace other materials like glass and metals. Therefore, the ability to engineer and customise polymers according to varied application needs will create lucrative opportunities.
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he medical devices market is among one of the recession-proof industries where technology is second nature. There is an increasing demand for replacement materials to make medical devices safer and more convenient to use. Reportlinker, in its recent market report, said that the medical plastics market is forecast to grow rapidly in developing regions such as Asia Pacific and Latin America. In comparison to other vertically growing markets, such as automotive and construction, the medical sector is a low-volume market. However, it offers opportunities for higher margins and is less tied to GDP growth. Meanwhile, the Western European market for polymers in medical devices is set to reach the EUR1 billion mark in six years. According to Frost & Sullivan Research analyst Tridisha Goswami, the market will be driven by an ageing population and the increasing replacement of glass and metals, which are hallmark materials for medical devices but slowly giving way to polymers.
Low volume but competitive olymers for use in medical applications, which are typically extruded by either paste and melt extrusion, have already been around for decades now, with high performance polymers now becoming standard materials. As such, demand for PVC, silicone, TPE and other engineering plastics is increasing. Polymers with higher chemical and impact resistance and superior mechanical and thermal properties top the bill for most medical applications, including tubing, wound care, adhesives and lubricants.
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Scottish firm PWB Health’s Breastlight, a hand-held cancer detection device, uses Sabic Innovative Plastics’s Lexan and Cycoloy resins for the housing and lens
However, despite being low-volume, the market is defined by high competition and innovation. Efforts to advance polymer functionality and diversify the application base will help companies establish their presence in the market. “It has to be noted though that governmental pressure to lower healthcare costs are likely to limit profit margins of polymer suppliers,” cautioned Goswami, adding, “The market is highly regulated and product development is expensive and time consuming.” Goswami says that due to intense competition, market participants have to diversify their product lines and be a one-stop-solution for all healthcare material needs. “Manufacturers should focus on developing
US firm Styron’s Calibre Megarad 2091 PC resins are developed for medical devices undergoing gamma and electron-beam irradiation. The firm’s Emerge PC/PET 9500CR advanced resins are also developed for equipment housings, balancing chemical and ignition resistance to address the need to combat hospital-acquired infections and guardpowered devices
3 SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2012
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