Ronningen Research & Development
Achieving Sustainability in Plastic Parts Production for the Medical Industry
· Published by Ronningen Research & Development
Medical component projects must balance the specified product requirements with manufacturing and material decisions. This application guide considers ways to discuss material use, production waste and process efficiency while keeping the component's required quality and performance criteria central to the review.
The Challenge
Plastic parts may be used in medical devices and related equipment with different requirements for function, exposure, cleanliness and documentation. Identify the applicable specifications and customer approval process before considering a change to resin, tooling or production methods.
A sustainability objective should be expressed in terms that the project team can evaluate, such as the use of material, scrap handling or production inputs. It does not replace the product's acceptance criteria.
Evaluate Material and Process Options
Review the drawing and production plan to identify questions about material use, repeated processing steps and scrap. Discuss any proposed changes with the product owner and manufacturing team, and determine what validation or approval is required.
Recycled content, reuse of process material and a change of resin must be considered against the component's actual specification. Do not assume that a material suitable for another product is acceptable for this application. Document the agreed material and process before production.
Compare a proposed improvement with a defined baseline and a consistent method of measurement. Project results should be recorded from the actual program; this guide does not promise a percentage saving, production volume or environmental outcome.
Plan the Next Review
Share the component requirements, expected quantities and environmental objectives with Ronningen. Agree the information needed to assess manufacturing options and the approvals required before making changes to an established product.