Putnam, CT, USA – (April 1, 2010) – Putnam Plastics, a PolyMedex Discovery Group company, increases its breadth of services to minimally invasive devices companies by launching a new Custom Components business. The business primarily focuses on printing and forming of catheter extrusions and extends the company’s range of custom solutions to device manufacturers, which currently includes specialty polymers, compounds, extrusions, and drug delivery solutions.
Complex extruded tubes for minimally invasive devices require post extrusion operations for size, shape and functionality suitable for the ultimate therapeutic or diagnostic device. Putnam’s Custom Components business specializes in the forming and finishing of catheter tubing. The business’ unique expertise includes precision catheter ends, access openings, joining, and printing of extruded tubes for intravascular and natural orifice procedures.
Historically, finished catheter components have been performed in-house by the device manufacturers or by third parties specializing in printing, assembling, or other technologies. Often, multiple third parties were required before a catheter extrusion was ready for final assembly of the device. Putnam offers two unique value propositions to device companies. First, diverse operations specifically designed for catheter components, such as printing, welding and overmolding, are under one roof. Second, these operations are adjacent to the company’s custom extrusion operations and thus reduce logistical delays and costs within the supply chain.
Putnam’s Custom Components specializes in custom printing of catheter tubing and offers expertise in 360 degree printing around the circumference of the catheter shaft and along the length. Using special pre-treating technologies, the company offers printing on PEEK and thermoset polyimide shafts which, due to their unique chemical resistance properties, present challenges for ink adherence. “Printing is essential to catheters and a natural extension of the services we have traditionally offered device manufacturers,” said Dennis Cherok, Director of Operations for Catheter Components. “Our printing capabilities allow device manufacture a one-stop-shop for extrusions finished to their final form with branding and functional markings.”
