The prognosis looks good for cast polyurethane in medical device manufacturing. With emerging medical product technology, the material’s versatile properties have a chance to shine.
Surgical drapes, wound dressing, catheter/general tubing and a variety of other injection molded devices are all made of polyurethane materials. Currently, the most common use for polyurethane is in short-term implants, which can remain in the body for 30 days or more.
The multifaceted properties of polyurethane make it a favorite among seasoned engineers and designers. The high stress/strain properties and longevity of polyurethane are particularly beneficial to medical products. Plus, polyurethane can be formulated to be harder than a golf ball and softer than a rubber eraser. Conventional rubbers can’t match this range of hardness. Perhaps best of all, polyurethane is extremely cost-effective to manufacture.
Unfortunately, these benefits are often overlooked in many manufacturers’ material selection process. However, as more medical device designers and manufacturers are discovering PUR, the material is gaining in popularity because it outperforms metals, rubbers and plastics in valuable ways. In today’s economy, value speaks volumes, so look for polyurethane to surface as a leading material in medical product manufacturing.
Polyurethane’s Great Potential in Medical Products
Are you the Expert We’re Looking for?
It’s that time of year again. In partnership with the Canadian Urethane Manufacturer’s Association (CUMA), PMA is happy to put out the call for Technical Papers for our next Annual Meeting. In case you haven’t heard, our 2010 Annual Meeting will be May 9-11 in Las Vegas!
Our technical paper presentations are a great opportunity for you to showcase your technical developments to industry leaders from around North America. Innovation never stops in this industry—not even during tough times, which can inspire the best and most original research.
We all benefited from a big batch of groundbreaking papers last time and we can’t wait to see what you’ll deliver in 2010. Hard to believe, but deadline for submitting abstracts is already just around the corner.
Below is the information you will need to submit your abstract and/or paper.
Deadlines:
Abstract Deadline: FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25
Selected abstracts will be notified by end of 2009
Completed papers due: March 5, 2010
Presentation will be TUESDAY, MAY 11, 2010
Judging Criteria:
Technical Quality
Timeliness of the Subject
Relevance to PMA members and the industry
Award for the Best Technical Paper is selected by meeting attendees.
Interested? You should be—this is your chance to be a leader in this competitive industry!
If you or someone you know would like to present, contact our office at (414) 431-3094 or send the following to info@pmahome.org
-- Company name, address, phone, fax, e-mail, Web site
-- Information on all presenters, including direct phone, extension and e-mail
-- Title of proposed paper
-- A summary of what the paper will discuss
For more information or to submit your technical paper online, visit the PMA Web site: www.pmahome.org.