The successful, longstanding partnership between Sorcole GmbH (Hutthurm, Germany), a custom injection molder that produces lightweight parts for automotive and other industries, and Trexel (Wilmington, MA) is expanding into the production of foamed parts. Starting in 2017, in a collaboration that includes Milacron (Cincinnati, OH), Sorcole will install the first 2K-M mono-sandwich machine with MuCell technology. Sorcole will make this technology available for customer trials and samples.

The medical polymers market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of more than five percent through 2030, reaching a value of more than $30 billion, according to some business analysts. That's one good reason to get in the game. In addition, Harp and Rybicki believe North American customers are more eager than before the pandemic to favor US-based suppliers. While they acknowledge that the playing field is already packed with competition, they see Polymer Medical’s creativity, design know-how, process control, and tooling expertise as critical differentiators.

“When a client comes to us, we’ll provide design for manufacturing analysis to offer ways to improve on what they’re already trusting us to make,” said Rybicki in a prepared statement. “When we take an order from a customer, we assess their tool, or mold, for those big or small things that could disrupt production. That saves money for the customer and ensures quality.”

From left to right: Timo Gunzel (Milacron); Dr. Hartmut Traut and Harald Heitkamp (Trexel); Gunter Brunner (Sorcole); and Stephane Grossnickel (Milacron).

The partnership, which also includes Milacron, has created a competence cell for physically foamed, lightweight mono-sandwich parts. Trials and samples produced with an 800-ton Milacron MuCell mono-sandwich machine will be available next year.

While the company may be a new kid on the medical molding block, it’s run by a pair of plastics industry veterans. Polymer Medical President Benjamin Harp most recently was president of Silikon Technologies for almost seven years following almost 20 years leading Polymer Conversions. Vice President of Operations Tom Rybicki spent 19 years with Harp at Polymer Conversions, where he was director of operations. Their new venture provides healthcare and biosciences clients with contract injection molding, tool building, tool transfer, secondary operations, and finished medical device assembly services.

The 800-ton Milacron MuCell mono-sandwich machine will be available in 2017 for trials and samples. “Our cooperation offers a unique opportunity worldwide to test the mono-sandwich process and MuCell together in practical, real-life projects,” points out Günter Brunner, Sorcole CEO. “Our customers no longer need to depend on theories and simulations; they can now try out their designs in practice with a real product.”

Polymer Medical will be focused on the production of drug-delivery systems, medical disposables, devices for home healthcare to orthopedics, specialty packaging, and pharmaceutical disposables, said the announcement.

For all three partners, this real-life aspect was a central consideration. Sorcole has now installed three MuCell injection molding machines ranging in clamp force from 400 to 1300 tons. The machines are fully operational and ready to run customer trials and projects.

There has been a lot of activity in the medical molding space of late, with Atalys’ acquisition of Schnipke and Moldgenix (née Total Molding Services) coming under the wing of Haartz Family Holdings. Now comes word of the launch of a new company, Polymer Medical Inc. in Orchard Park, NY.

Editor in chief of PlasticsToday since 2015, Norbert Sparrow has more than 30 years of editorial experience in business-to-business media. He studied journalism at the Centre Universitaire d'Etudes du Journalisme in Strasbourg, France, where he earned a master's degree.

Milacron is contributing its know-how from many years' experience with 2K and mono-sandwich technology. Combining this expertise with Sorcole's lightweight design and moldmaking experience and Trexel's processing know-how has created a competence cell for physically foamed, lightweight mono-sandwich parts, explains Trexel. The basic structure of the parts opens up new possibilities: For example, the foamed core can be made of recycled material with filler.

“The successful cooperation between Sorcole and Trexel goes back many years,” commented Dr. Hartmut Traut, Trexel CEO and Business Director Europe. Recently both companies have been increasingly confronted by the challenges of producing aesthetically acceptable lightweight parts, said Traut. The 2K mono-sandwich technology offers a process that is capable of producing high-quality lightweight parts with a skin of 1A material around a core of physically foamed material. Taking this approach means that the two components—the solid skin material and the foamed core—can be adapted independently without making compromises for a specific application. The advantages of MuCell technology, thus, can be brought to bear on thin-walled, lightweight parts with high surface specifications.

Until she retired in September 2021, Clare Goldsberry reported on the plastics industry for more than 30 years. In addition to the 10,000+ articles she has written, by her own estimation, she is the author of several books, including The Business of Injection Molding: How to succeed as a custom molder and Purchasing Injection Molds: A buyers guide. Goldsberry is a member of the Plastics Pioneers Association. She reflected on her long career in "Time to Say Good-Bye."

NY-based Polymer Medical is headed by a pair of plastics industry veterans who see a business opportunity rooted in demographic shifts and the remote healthcare market.

Polymer Medical said it has invested in quality management systems, in part to meet the ISO 13485:2016 standard. Class 7 and 8 cleanrooms are on site in the refurbished plant.

Demographic shifts and new approaches to home-based healthcare have created an opportunity for a new entrant in contract manufacturing for the medical sector, explained Harp. “Our knowledge of the specifications and science of producing polymers for healthcare and bioscience along with what we understand about delivering product quality and innovation give us a competitive edge,” said Harp.