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Case Study | Medical Disposable Rapid Plastic Prototype

The plastic prototype was a medical disposable Laparoscopic surgery component. The lead time was in the 11th hour. Hit the ground running is what our core business is all about. This design and budget didn’t allow for traditional plastic injection molding, yet rapid prototyping methods, while fast, were a bit too limiting. Our method here at Phoenix Proto is a perfect blend of both worlds of rapid prototyping and traditional tooling.

The customer was understandably nervous, even though she found us through a colleague reference… Short lead-time, multiple parts with different issues, new supplier… not exactly a project destined for coming together on time. In the current climate, she must have not only had her resume updated but lit a few candles, hoping we wouldn’t let her down. She sent her files in, and we got her quote back the same afternoon. We committed to getting her medical disposable Laparoscopic surgery prototype project of 8 parts back within 3 weeks.
Disposable Medical Surgical Plastic Prototype | Medical Grade ABS - Polycarbonate - Delrin | 3 Weeks

Medical Grade ABS Resin and Design Choices

The body of the medical device was made from medical-grade white ABS. This plastic prototype also required a satin finish for aesthetic purposes. Sleek, yet enough tooth to the texture to imply a firm, confident grip during the procedure. Phoenix Proto’s engineers assisted with the product design. One of our concerns is not only the perfect prototype reflecting the integrity of the design but the future of the design. Production is so often not thought of in prototype design.

In this case, we helped tweak the medical design on the draft, radius, and fillet to ensure a smooth even resin fill. Draft, Radius, and Fillet all are highly important in molding a plastic prototype successfully. Especially a disposable medical prototype that has features that require tight tolerances of +/- .0002 up to +/- .001.

Interior Resin – Medical Grade Polycarbonate and Delrin

There were 6 internal parts. We recommended that the parts be injection molded out of medical-grade Polycarbonate and medical-grade Delrin. Why different materials? When you have plastic parts rubbing against each other, it is often best that they be made out of a different material to reduce friction and wear. The interior parts are all based on gears. If they do not run smoothly and cleanly, the surgical operation does not run smoothly. Not something a practitioner wants to find out during a procedure.
Medical Disposable Plastic Prototype Interior | Medical Grade ABS - Polycarbonate - Delrin | 3 Weeks

Internal Medical Component Structure

The plastic disposable device was to be held together with screws. The inner screw holes were heat staked with brass inserts for the threads. Not only do staked brass inserts provide extra strength to the plastic part. We managed to add aesthetic value to the product through an often-overlooked sense: touch. The plastic part was designed with a smooth texture along with superior gripability. However, added weight gives a substantial feel to the part during use, which just adds to the practitioners’ confidence in the procedure.

We met the customer’s deadline, much to her relief. Our blended tooling method produced 10,000 plastic parts from the prototype. The product made it through clinical trials and hit the market to become a success.

Rapid Plastic Injection Molding Done Right

Rapid Plastic Prototypes usually means compromising on the design in order to receive parts quickly and cost efficiently. We blend traditional Injection Molding Tooling methods with Aluminum Tooling to rapidly produce production quality Plastic Prototypes in 3 weeks or less. Your design, no limitations.
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