What can help make a Healthcare Product Development a success?
posted 25th June 2021
'What makes a product development in Healthcare a success?'
This is a question that has been asked on many occasions and yields many different answers. Unsurprisingly there is not one single right answer and the steps noted below can hold true for most product developments, not just healthcare.
Regular Communication from the start
Ultrapolymers can add most value if we're involved from the start of the project. It is said that 70% of a products final component price is fixed once the design is finalised, if a polymer supplier is only involved after the tooling is fixed then the input and potential savings are greatly reduced.
With diverse industry experience, Ultrapolymers Group can share our insights and, in collaboration with our clients and all key stakeholders to make the process as smooth as possible. With experience in various fields within healthcare, as well as a wealth of knowledge in other segments the Ultrapolymers team can bring to the table a different and valuable perspective.
With our philosophy of local support, we will have a local Ultrapolymers team member close to you to assist however the wider Ultrapolymers Healthcare Teams experience is shared to help give your projects the best chance of success.
Understanding the demands for optimal material selection
With a broad material offering Ultrapolymers can help you find the right solution for you. Representing a range of market leading Healthcare polymer suppliers, we can propose the best solution for your application and not try to shoehorn in a material just because we have nothing else to offer.
The key is to ask the right questions to understand the necessities, to underspecify a material risks a part which is not fit for purpose. To over specify can leave valuable money on the table and hurt the product's competitiveness in the field.
I won't go into all the questions however some of the key questions include:
- What is the medical risk class of the device?
- Is there a sterilisation requirement?
- Is there drug contact and, if yes, what is the shelf life?
- Are there any design functions which are critical (hinges for example)
- What is the product environment, if chemical resistance important and if yes, to what?
The better we understand the demands of an application, the key requirements of the project and appreciate of the priorities, Ultrapolymers can put forward suggestions from our market-leading Healthcare polymer supply partners. Being able to draw upon the materials from LyondellBasell, INEOS, Styrolution, BASF, MARFRAN as well as our own ISO13485 certified site in Steinfurt, allows Ultrapolymers to confidently propose a solution.
Over the past few years there has been an increased focus on the use of plastics in many areas of life and the Healthcare sector has not escaped this. To help allay concerns we're seen greater adoption of sustainable solutions utilising biopolymers, mass balanced or recycled materials within certain spheres of healthcare. These, alongside recyclability of products, and sympathetic design are important factors when thinking holistically about the product's life. With so many options in the market we can help our clients target what is most important to them and which polymer options are most appropriate.
One thing that we at Ultrapolymers pride ourselves on is that, although we have a broad portfolio, sometimes a material is required which we don't have access to. In these cases we'll direct our clients towards another supplier who can help. To Ultrapolymers we believe that finding the right solution for your project is more important than any short-term benefit an incompatible material would offer.
Collaboration in design (simulation tools, iteration etc)
Materials are just one part of what makes Ultrapolymers a full service provider. With a multi-skilled, experienced team with diverse backgrounds, we are able to support our clients in navigating the tricky process taking a design from concept all the way through to production.
A fundamental and increasingly critical element of this is simulation analysis using a combination of tools such as Moldflow and Moldex to support projects. These tools allow us to highlight and work to address any potential issues such as fill, pack, and warpage. We can also offer finite element analysis (FEA) to help compare material performance in a finished part and understand its suitability.
All of these tools are run by our dedicated and experienced Simulation Team who will take you through their findings and share their comments, concerns, and recommendations. You won't just receive a Powerpoint file of images to tick a box, you'll receive a model you can manipulate yourself as well as an in person/video conference, highlighting any potential processing issues identified.
We can then run subsequent simulations on iterative designs as the project evolves to ensure we are on the right track. On several occasions Ultrapolymers have been able to strip significant cost out of a design by rationalising the number of components or designing out complicated features requiring significant tooling investment. Collaboration with all involved parties is a fundamental for success, with Ultrapolymers frequently involved in discussions with designers, converters, and toolmakers to find a solution appropriate for all.
Over the last few years there has been a new focus in design and that is considering the end of the product life in its design. How can you make a medical device or affiliated product reusable, recyclable or easy to disassemble to improve the circularity of the product? This is an area where we can help propose materials and design tweaks to make your product as sustainable as possible without compromising its fundamental mechanical and functional requirements.
The simulation process is not just about uploading a file and clicking go, it's a cooperative process which can take place over the space of multiple calls, visits, and analysis.
Getting started (prototyping, trials, and first off production)
With the support of the simulation tools and close collaboration between Ultrapolymers and the designer, toolmaker, and converter we typically see tools arriving and running with minimal issues. At Ultrapolymers however we still see this as an important stage to not only gain an understanding of the tool and the material, but ultimately how the whole process (including any robotics, post processes etc) will work in production.
With a team of business development managers throughout Europe we can offer local support to our clients to support this process. This can be either virtually (using video conferencing tools) or face to face (Covid-19 restrictions allowing) to support the converter dial in a repeatable and sustainable cycle with a wide enough process window to give comfort.
With specialists in a wide range of materials we can discuss the optimal steps to prepare the material (drying for example), getting the best melt (if additives such as masterbatch are involved), as well as producing a consistent low stress component ready for the field and any post processes required.
Production (JIT delivery, support stock etc)
Some may see this as the end of the journey however Ultrapolymers see moving into the production phase as a new start.
With local warehousing and the ability to support Just in Time deliveries the Ultrapolymers Group are a great partner to take the stress out of your supply chain. Knowing the importance of a robust and reliable supplier, Ultrapolymers work closely with our suppliers and our customers to put forward an appropriate supply package to meet the needs of our customers. With flexible deliveries, support stock and regular communication, we're able to give our clients the confidence that we'll have the material they need when they need it.
2021 has been an incredibly challenging time for material supply and has really stressed our supply package however in the vast majority of cases the steps we have put in place, coupled with the support of our suppliers, has meant that we've been able to supply our customers with minimal impact.
Ultrapolymers are proud of the work we do in Healthcare and see our supply package as a dynamic and adaptable solution to the challenges faced in bringing products to market in the Healthcare Sector. If you would like to know more about Ultrapolymers, the support we can offer, our product range or just to talk about challenges you are facing please contact us below and one of our Healthcare Team will come back to you.
Richard Payne
Segment Leader - Healthcare (Europe)
Ultrapolymers Ltd are at Beech Farm, Lymm Road, Thelwall, WA4 2TG Warrington
+44 (1925) 750 320
ask.healthcare@ultrapolymers.com