Davis-Standard: Tube Processing Technology for Demanding Medical Applications
Davis-Standard offers a complete line of extrusion and downstream equipment for medical tubing applications, including options that enable processors to maintain a high level of cleanliness and accuracy.
Davis-Standard’s micro-loop water filtration and disinfection system provides additional assurance that tubing has not been contaminated. The system features a stainless steel pump that provides 3 gpm water circulation at 80 psi. Pump suction draws water from the water discharge side of the unit while an ultraviolet disinfection module provides 30K to 400K microwatt seconds per square centimeter of 2537 Angstrom ultraviolet energy across water flowing through the stainless steel housing. Primary filtration occurs through a single micron pre-filter, positioned for easy filter cartridge replacement. Secondary micro filtration for removal of pyrogens, micro-organisms and other contaminants is done via two “pancake” style membranes. This filter can be replaced by unclamping a housing lid and lifting out filter elements. Pressure gauges indicate a pressure drop across filters. The system is available as an option on new lines as well as a retrofit on existing lines.
For precision contact or non-contact sizing, Davis-Standard’s DST high technology vacuum sizing tank provides stable vacuum levels to +/- 0.1 inches (2.5mm) of water throughout the vacuum range. This precision allows for more demanding ID and OD wall dimensions, and enables sizing of sticky materials such as flex PVC and urethane. Other advantages include a high output circulation pump in the lower tank and chamber, a vacuum set point regulated by a closed loop control system, an air/water separation system, a variety of features for noise reduction and an ergonomic design for simplified operator use and accessibility. This tank is ideal for straight tube and small pipes, bump tubing and multi-lumen applications. For straight tube and small pipes, the tank can be used in contact or non-contact mode to improve roundness and OD tolerance. With bump tubing, vacuum sizing keeps the bump portion of the tube round without relying solely on the internal air supply. When producing multi-lumen tubing, vacuum sizing eliminates the need for using internal air supplies to maintain outer wall consistency from lumen to lumen.