The editorial team members of Medical Product Outsourcing and Orthopedic Design & Technology reached out to representatives at several companies exhibiting at Medica/Compamed this year in case you are unable to see them at the event or are not headed to Germany this year. Hopefully, the following questions we served up to Robert Halstead, EMEA market manager—Medical TPU at Lubrizol LifeSciences will offer you some additional insight to determine if the company is a potential services partner for you.
 
MPO: What technology or service are you emphasizing at Medica this year?
Robert Halstead: Medical-grade polymers—Custom design and compounding; long-term implant grades
Product development—Drug-eluting devices and implants; design for manufacturability (DFM) and prototyping
Contract manufacturing—Full-service capabilities for silicone including implantable medical devices; precision extrusion and secondary processing of thermoplastic polymers
 
Compamed is the perfect opportunity to meet the personnel who have global responsibility for driving Lubrizol's increasing presence in Life Sciences. Our polymer portfolio includes leading medical TPU brands and we offer contract manufacturing of implantable and non-implantable devices, together with extensive product development capabilities for advanced drug delivery solutions.
 
MPO: What’s the most common challenge customers inquire about and how do you address it?
Halstead: Often our clients have a product design and an idea of what properties they require but no idea which polymers will meet their performance requirements. We also see a trend among customers who don’t have the level of resources needed bring their design from idea to market and they look to external supplier partners to help them through that entire process.
 
With Lubrizol’s wide knowledge of polymers suitable for medical applications, we are able to assist our customers make the correct material selection. Additionally, we are able to support clients with our new TPU Applications Laboratory, which offers rapid prototyping and has extensive product testing capabilities. As we process silicone and thermoplastics in house, we support customers with design for manufacturability suggestions to reduce development cycles and maximize chances to design a device that will be robust, reliable, and cost effective.
 
MPO: If you could give one piece of advice to companies seeking a manufacturing partner before they make a decision, what would it be?
Halstead: Lubrizol LifeSciences should be engaged as early as possible in your product development. Our extensive knowledge of materials, manufacturing processes, and regulatory requirements, plus the ability to provide prototype samples, often helps our clients meet design input requirements more effectively, enabling quicker speed to market.
 
MPO: What are the forces driving medical device manufacturers to seek your technology/services over doing it in-house?
Halstead: With decades of experience, engineering expertise, and commitment to quality, the contract manufacturing services offered by Lubrizol LifeSciences are sought by customers worldwide.
 
The decision to contract Lubrizol LifeSciences to manufacture over in-house capabilities is made after considering our broad capabilities in silicone fabrication and expertise in precision thermoplastic extrusion. These capabilities often minimize the investments required to get to market.
 
MPO: In what ways is your company able to aid in getting a product (project) to market faster?
Halstead: Our expertise in materials, processes, and global regulatory requirements enables our clients to make the right choices the first time, which greatly enhances the chances of getting to market quickly with a quality product that meets the clinical need.
 
Lubrizol LifeSciences is located at Medica/Compamed in Hall 8A, Booth/Stand K26 and also represented at Hall 8B, Booth/Stand M01.