Injection molds for medical products

In the medical field, injection molds play a crucial role. The high quality, high precision, and strict hygiene standards required for medical products present unique challenges and opportunities for the design and manufacturing of injection molds.

1、 Characteristics of injection molds for medical products

High precision requirements

Medical products typically have complex geometric shapes and intricate structures, such as miniature medical device components and high-precision medical connectors. Like the commonly used suction heads in laboratories, they are small in size but require extremely high precision to ensure accurate liquid suction each time. For example, the size and shape of the indwelling needle tip and catheter need to be precisely controlled to ensure safety and effectiveness during use.

Strict hygiene standards

Due to direct contact with the human body or use in medical procedures, molds must meet strict hygiene standards. This means that the mold material needs to have good biocompatibility, a smooth surface, and easy cleaning to prevent the growth and residue of bacteria and pollutants.

The specificity of material selection

In order to ensure the safety and reliability of medical products, the materials used in injection molds usually need to have properties such as high temperature resistance, corrosion resistance, and wear resistance. For example, commonly used mold steels such as P20, H13, etc., after special treatment, can meet the requirements for long-term use of medical products.

2、 Key points of design and manufacturing

die structure design

Reasonable mold structure design is the key to ensuring product quality and production efficiency. For medical products, it may be necessary to use multi cavity molds, hot runner systems, or special demolding mechanisms to improve production efficiency and product consistency. For example, when producing a large number of suction heads, multi cavity molds can significantly improve production efficiency.

Optimization of cooling system

A precise cooling system can effectively control the temperature of the mold, reduce product deformation and internal stress, thereby improving the dimensional stability and quality of the product.

Surface treatment technology

In order to improve the wear resistance and demolding performance of molds, various surface treatment techniques are often used, such as hard chromium plating, nitriding, etc.

3、 Quality Control and Testing

dimension measurement

Use high-precision measuring equipment, such as a coordinate measuring instrument, to strictly inspect the key dimensions of the mold to ensure that they meet the design requirements. Taking the indwelling needle as an example, it is crucial to detect key dimensions such as the angle of the needle tip and the inner diameter of the catheter.

Trial molding and sample evaluation

After the mold manufacturing is completed, trial production is carried out, and comprehensive performance testing and appearance inspection are conducted on the samples, including physical properties, chemical properties, and biocompatibility.

Monitoring during the production process

During the mass production process, regular maintenance and inspection of molds are carried out to promptly identify and resolve potential issues, ensuring the stability of product quality.

4、 Development Trends and Innovation

Digital Design and Manufacturing

With the continuous development of computer technology, the application of digital design and manufacturing technology in the field of medical injection molds is becoming increasingly widespread. Through CAD, CAM software, and simulation analysis, possible problems can be predicted and optimized during the mold design phase.

Micro injection molding technology

With the increasing demand for medical micro devices, micro injection molding technology has developed rapidly. Capable of producing medical components with extremely small dimensions and high precision, such as finer suction tips.

Application of new materials

Continuously exploring and applying new mold materials, such as high-performance engineering plastics, ceramic materials, etc., to meet the higher requirements of medical products for mold performance.

In short, injection molds for medical products are an important support for the medical manufacturing industry, and their level of design, manufacturing, and quality control directly affects the quality and safety of medical products. Continuously innovating and improving the technological level of injection molds is of great significance for promoting the development of the medical industry.