The application context is the medical sector. The customer needed to produce a flange for an apparatus normally used in operating theatres and sterile environments. The basic issue is to produce a part free of any external contamination (grease residues, packaging residues, presence of dust, ….) which would compromise the use of the part even after sterilisation. A further challenge is to ensure the handling of individual parts without compromising sterility.

We decided to design and manufacture a stainless-steel mould equipped with PVDF coatings that can produce without greasing the moving parts. The moulding island is directly connected to the packaging, which takes place in a double bag to guarantee the sterility of the inner bag despite the handling, which thus “contaminates” only the eternal bag. Before being packaged, the part is immersed in a flow of ionised air to remove the electrostatic charge and analysed by a vision system to ensure the correct opening of the 360 micro holes in the flange. The solution appears simple despite the fact that it required effort and dedication.