Improve lab productivity with PVC pipe welding

Our customers in life sciences manufacturing see an increase in laboratory productivity when switching from stainless steel components to plastics with PVC pipe welding. It is a time- and money-saving solution for our scientific equipment fabrication customers.

High-quality plastics feature stronger wear resistance than some metals, giving them a longer production life. Other benefits for making a switch to thermoplastics include:

• Plastics welding saves time as it’s a simpler process compared to metal welding
• Plastics are more chemically-resistant than many metals
• Many plastics resist thermal degradation and maintain operating strength and rigidity in high temperatures
• Plastic tubing offers better insulation than some metals

The desire for cleaner, faster and better when it comes to patient diagnostics technology appears to be insatiable. Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) require a reliable transportation system to deliver consistent, highly-repeatable results. Plastics also include the flexibility of adding sub-systems for multiple flow rates and pressures.

Plastic tubing is commonly used to transport gases and chemicals through varying sizes of tube and pipe. Plastic welds erase complications. For instance, plastics can safely transport liquids and gases that corrode metal. Thermoplastics generally deteriorate much slower than metals, making plastics a durable, long-lasting solution for life-saving technologies.

Plastics used in life sciences

Axenics creates transportation systems for laboratories using these plastics:

• Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is low-friction, easily formable and boasts great chemical resistance. Varying temperatures do not negatively affect PTFE.
• Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is strong and light and a variation, chlorinated polyvinyl chloride (CPVC), can withstand high temperatures.
• Polypropylene (PP) is easily formable and has a high chemical resistance.
• Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) is durable, strong and known for its ability to withstand harsh chemicals.

Axenics utilizes a proprietary PVC pipe welding process using heat to join two polymers. Heat softens the plastic and then it is pushed or fused together to bond the two pieces. Patient monitoring devices and diagnostic instruments require a viable and stable bond.

Plastic weldments for life science components include these benefits:

• They have a strong resistance to acids, alkalis, greases and solvents, hydrogen peroxide, demineralized water and hot steam
• They have a strong plasma resistance, lowering the chance for corrosion
• They maintain rigidity in high temperatures

Cleanliness matters in PVC pipe welding

Scientific  equipment needs to be highly-functional and contaminant-free – lives depend on it. Therefore, inspection solutions are an important part of the process at Axenics. Our life science manufacturing customers receive module performance testing on all components during each step of production.

Axenics houses a high-purity cleanroom to greatly reduce contaminants, and it is also used to control the temperature, vibration, humidity and particle levels in the environment. Our Class 100 cleanroom is vacuumed, dusted and inspected internally twice a week. An air filtration purifies the space, and our technicians wear special protective suits to avoid flaking skin from getting into the environment. Tools used in the cleanroom are thoroughly wiped before and after use in the cleanroom.

Many OEMs do not have the space for a cleanroom. Rather than bring your production to a halt when cleanroom welding or bending tasks arise, consider outsourcing to us. Axenics has 40-plus years of experience in PVC pipe welding for the life sciences industry.

Related Posts