Life-improving partnerships

Once extremely risk-averse, the healthcare and medical industry has in the past been slow to adopt new solutions. “That’s changed,” says Florance Veronelli, segment manager medical devices Trelleborg. “Now patients are increasingly looking for medical devices that seamlessly integrate with their lives, providing not only effective treatment but also a more user-friendly experience. Today, healthcare and medical companies are more than ever pushing the boundaries to deliver innovations.”

 

Patient influence, coupled with product designs that embrace the latest technologies, features and wireless connectivity, is driving the rapid change.

 

Veronelli points to people living with diabetes as an example. “Many diabetes sufferers do not see themselves as ill,” she says. “They have a condition that they live with and want a full and active life. They’re demanding monitoring and medication devices that are wearable, unobtrusive and operate by themselves. This means, for example, that patients will not even have to think about receiving the right dose of medication at the right time.

 

“We can make patients’ lives better,” Veronelli continues, “and all of us involved in the production of healthcare and medical components are dedicated and passionate about doing so. From development engineers through to our manufacturing operators, everyone knows the purpose or use for the medical component or device on which they are working, and they understand the impact each application has on the patient.”

 

Even though new product design is faster than it has been in the past, developing medical devices and obtaining all necessary approvals and certifications still takes several years. “To reduce development time our customers are looking for reliable partners that have a high level of expertise in their field,” says Veronelli.

 

Saving time in development, and thereby bringing new technology to market faster, has advantages for both medical device manufacturers and the patient. Trelleborg’s medical staff and manufacturing network are organized to help make the most of these advantages. 

“Our worldwide network offers global capabilities with local presence,” Veronelli explains. “It includes leading-edge manufacturing facilities and groundbreaking centers of excellence that are steering the industry in their specialized focus areas. And we are not standing still. Trelleborg is investing heavily to expand our global footprint in line with the needs of our customers, as demonstrated by our announcement to acquire the Australian-Chinese Baron Group, the investment into a new Costa Rica facility and the creation of the Trelleborg Medical Solutions business area.”

 

The healthcare and medical industry is highly regulated, with no margin for error in product safety. “Safety for the patient is paramount, and it’s achieved through process stability, using the right materials as well as the cleanliness and purity of materials and production, which can take place in our cleanrooms,” says Veronelli.

 

Trelleborg’s medical operations meet the ISO 13485 international standard for medical device manufacturers. Additionally, Trelleborg facilities operate with the same quality management system. “It is important for our customers to know that whatever Trelleborg facility their products are manufactured in, they will be manufactured with the same diligence and to the same quality standards,” she says.

 

Most medical device manufacturers operate globally. For sustainability and supply chain efficiencies, they will manufacture devices close to their point of use. “This helps mitigate the risk of supply chain disruption, such as during the pandemic,” Veronelli says. “Thanks to the size of our organization, we have security in our supply chain that other suppliers cannot offer. This is a big plus for our customers.”

 

Veronelli emphasizes that Trelleborg goes beyond supplying just a product. With its extensive materials and diverse manufacturing capabilities, Trelleborg offers complete solutions without the need for outsourcing. “We are a full solution manufacturer and can help with design for manufacturing and perform assembly, packaging, labeling and more. Customers can consolidate their product with us, meaning they only need to qualify, track and audit one supplier; this reduces risk and saves costs.”

 

In the future, how will Trelleborg support their customers in new developments?

“Connectivity between medical devices and healthcare providers’ systems is becoming increasingly important,” says Veronelli. “That sets us new challenges in integrating and protecting electronics in wearable devices that need to be as small as possible.”

 

For example, Trelleborg is a technology leader in liquid silicone rubber (LSR) injection and two-shot molding. This is an ideal process to produce durable and robust molded components for such applications.

 

“LSR and two-shot molding allow us to develop solutions that cannot be produced by any other manufacturing method, making the impossible possible,” says Veronelli.

 

She also highlights Trelleborg’s groundbreaking work in implantable drug-eluting devices. “This is at the very pinnacle of polymer solutions,” she says. “Active pharmaceutical ingredients, or APIs, are integrated into silicone and other materials, such as bioresorbable components. Implanted in the body, the APIs elute from the device, delivering drugs to a specific treatment area as required.”