Plastic molding is virtually synonymous with medical device manufacturing. It is the most relied upon component fabrication process across most healthcare segments. That said, it still creates challenges for companies that don’t maintain a core competency in its practice. Multiple challenges can often emerge for developers of medtech when specifying molded parts without being familiar with all the considerations.

A variety of factors can influence the success or failure of a molded part. Using the wrong material, setting too tight of tolerances, getting the tooling wrong, or any other of a number of aspects can rapidly derail the success of a molding project. As such, it can be critical to bring in a trusted, experienced partner to help ensure the task is successful and all facets are kept in mind.

To help further explain just how important such a molding firm can be in the development of a medical device component, representatives from Röchling Medical responded to a series of questions. In the following Q&A, Lukas Rath, Head of R&D MedTech EU, and Kimberly Sheehan, Molding Group Leader, address scale-up, DFM, micro molding, and other relevant topics.

Sean Fenske: To avoid costly design mistakes when molding parts, when is the best time to involve your molding partner?

Lukas Rath: As early as possible! The earlier you incorporate plastic-compatible design into the layout of the components, the better. With some geometries, it may not be a problem to make minor changes later. However, when interfacing with other components, bringing…