Powering Medical Plastic Production
ASSAB Tool Steels
Medical plastic components such as blood assay microplates, centrifuge tubes, and medical feed set adapters must meet strict standards for performance and hygiene. These include optical clarity and defect-free surfaces for microplates and chemical resistance for centrifuge tubes and dimensional accuracy for medical feed set adapters. Across all components, durability, sterility, and precision are critical to ensure safety and reliability in healthcare applications.
To meet these requirements, manufacturers rely on injection moulding, a process that depends on high-quality moulds for consistent performance and long tool life. Building such moulds calls for advanced tool steels with superior corrosion resistance, outstanding polishability, and durability under extreme pressures and temperatures, ensuring long tool life and reliable performance for medical plastic parts.
ASSAB’s premium tool steels, including Vanax SuperClean, Tyrax ESR, and Mirrax ESR, are engineered to deliver excellent corrosion resistance, polishability, wear resistance, and dimensional stability. Produced using advanced PM (Powder Metallurgy) and ESR (Electro Slag Remelting) processes, these steels offer exceptional cleanliness and homogeneity, ensuring defect free surfaces and long mould life. These attributes make them the ideal choice for medical plastic moulding, delivering reliability, efficiency, and long-term cost savings for manufacturers.
The following case studies illustrate how ASSAB’s advanced tool steels deliver superior performance in medical plastic moulding, overcoming common challenges such as wear, corrosion and limited tool life:
Blood Assay Microplates (PET)
- Process: Injection moulding of Polyethylene Terephthalate blood assay microplates with multiple cavities
- Tool Steel: Vanax SuperClean
- Surface Finish: Mirror Finish
| Tool Material | 420 MOD ESR | Vanax SuperClean |
|---|---|---|
| Hardness | 48-52 HRC | 56-58 HRC |
| Tool Life (shots) | 100 | 5000 |
| Failure Mode | Scratches | Scratches |
Centrifuge Tube (PP)
- Process: Injection moulding of Polypropylene centrifuge tubes.
- Tool Steel: Tyrax ESR
- Surface Finish: Polished
| Tool Material | High Corrosion and High Wear Resistance PM Steel | Tyrax ESR |
|---|---|---|
| Hardness | 58-60 HRC | 55-57 HRC |
| Tool Life (shots) | 500,000 | 700,000 still running |
| Failure Mode | Corrosion cracking from cooling channel | Corrosion cracking from cooling channel |
Medical Feed Set Adapter (Copolyester)
- Process: Injection moulding of copolyester adapters for medical feed sets.
- Tool Steel: Tyrax ESR
- Surface Finish: Polished
| Tool Material | Reference Tool Steel S7 | Reference Tool Steel 420 SS | Tyrax ESR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hardness | 52-54 HRC | 50-52 HRC | 54 HRC |
| Tool Life (parts) | 6,000,000 | 6,000,000 | 25,600,000 |
| Failure Mode | Wear showing at 95 K shots | Wear showing at 95 K shots | Still running at 1.6 million shots |
Lancing Device Outer Body (ABS)
- Process: Injection moulding of ABS lancing device outer body
- Tool Steel: Mirrax ESR
- Surface Finish: A1
| Tool Material | 420 MOD | Mirrax ESR |
|---|---|---|
| Hardness | 48-50 HRC | 48-50 HRC |
| Tool Life (cycles) | 800,000 shots | 1,000,000 and still in production |
| Failure Mode | The mould cavity bottom cracked, resulting in water leakage | No failure shown at 1 million shorts |
Enhancing Performance with PVD Coating
In addition to selecting premium tool steels, applying PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) coatings such as TiN-ultrafine and CHROME-X® from our sister brand eifeler, can further enhance mould performance. PVD coatings provide an extra layer of protection against wear, corrosion, and chemical attack, especially in aggressive moulding environments or when processing abrasive polymers. These coatings reduce friction, improve release properties, and extend tool life even further, minimizing downtime and maintenance costs. When combined with ASSAB’s advanced steels, PVD coatings deliver a powerful synergy for maximum durability and efficiency.
Your Trusted Partner for Future-Ready Medical Plastic Manufacturing Solutions
Medical plastic manufacturing is evolving rapidly, and success depends on more than meeting today’s standards—it requires anticipating tomorrow’s challenges. ASSAB’s advanced tool steels empower manufacturers to achieve this by delivering excellent corrosion resistance, polishability, wear resistance, and dimensional stability under demanding conditions. These advantages translate into longer tool life, fewer production interruptions, lower total cost of ownership, and faster response to market needs. By partnering with ASSAB, you are not just choosing a material, you are investing in a solution that drives efficiency, innovation, and competitive strength for years to come.