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Rapid manufacturing company Proto Labs Inc. (Maple Plain, MN) has introduced medical-grade liquid silicone rubber (LSR) material to its quick-turn injection molding capabilities. The company now offers Dow Corning QP1-250 moldable silicone in addition to its standard and optical-grade LSR materials.

Norbert Sparrow

May 4, 2015

1 Min Read
Proto Labs adds medical-grade LSR to rapid injection molding services

Rapid manufacturing company Proto Labs Inc. (Maple Plain, MN) has introduced medical-grade liquid silicone rubber (LSR) material to its quick-turn injection molding capabilities. The company now offers Dow Corning QP1-250 moldable silicone in addition to its standard and optical-grade LSR materials.

protolabs-mask-gasket-400.jpgParts created in LSR are strong and elastic and exhibit thermal, chemical, and electrical resistance. They maintain their physical properties at extreme temperatures and withstand sterilization. LSR is biocompatible, so it is frequently used in products that require skin contact. As a result, moldable silicone lends itself well to surgical and dental applications, consumer healthcare products, and other components that have human contact.

"With this advanced new silicone product from Dow Corning, we are staying on the front end of technology and industry trends," said Jeff Schipper, Global Segmentation Manager, in a press release. "QP1-250 is particularly beneficial to those developing wearable products for the fitness industry."

Proto Labs can manufacture 25 to 5,000-plus parts in one to 15 days. The $200-million company serves an array of industries, but its quick-turn prototyping capabilities are increasingly sought out by medical device manufacturers wrestling with risk mitigation and the regulatory approval process. President and CEO Victoria Holt spoke with PlasticsToday about how the company's technology benefits medical device OEMs at NPE2015. You can read the interview in an article titled, "Proto Labs puts medtech manufacturers on the fast track."

Proto Labs will be exhibiting at BIOMEDevice Boston (booth 101) this week to discuss its medical-grade LSR along with new enhancements to its CNC machining and 3D-printing services that are helping advance medical device development.

About the Author(s)

Norbert Sparrow

Editor in chief of PlasticsToday since 2015, Norbert Sparrow has more than 30 years of editorial experience in business-to-business media. He studied journalism at the Centre Universitaire d'Etudes du Journalisme in Strasbourg, France, where he earned a master's degree.

www.linkedin.com/in/norbertsparrow

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