Medical moulding Spectrix demonstrates seven steps from product idea to series production

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A six-cavity mould for pipette tip racks forms the centrepiece of Spectrix’s live Fakuma demonstration. The application illustrates how part development, mouldmaking, process validation and production support connect within the company’s seven-stage injection moulding approach.

From the initial idea to stable series production: Under its “End-to-End Injection moulding Solutions” approach, Spectrix supports injection moulding projects throughout the entire product lifecycle. A key advantage is its broad technological capabilities: Nearly all essential competencies and technologies along the process chain are available within Spectrix. At Fakuma, the company demonstrated how the individual development steps work together using a medical application. Together with several technology partners, Spectrix has developed a 6-cavity single-face mould for a pipette tip rack that will be running live at the show.

A high-performance injection moulding process does not begin with mouldmaking. Decisions regarding material, part design and process concept are made much earlier – and later influence the mould, hot runner, control technology, automation and series production process. At the same time, a project does not end with the delivery of the mould: Qualification, production ramp-up, scaling and lifecycle support all play a decisive role in long-term performance. Spectrix therefore considers the entire process as an interconnected development chain:

• Early Project Involvement

• Product Development

• Piloting & Prototyping

• Production Mouldmaking

• Validation & Integration

• Production & Scaling

• Lifecycle Support

Early project involvement

The earlier mould and process expertise is incorporated into development, the better a part can be prepared for stable and cost-effective series production. As part of its co-development approach, Spectrix therefore works closely with customers from the early stages of a project – from the initial product idea and material selection through Design for Manufacturing (DFM). The company can draw on extensive material expertise, with more than 500 polymer grades already tested and documented.

Product development

Simulation and process engineering then help identify potential challenges at an early stage and evaluate different solution approaches. Across the group, more than 150 mould and hot runner designers as well as over 30 application and mould flow engineers are available to support this work.

Piloting and production mould

Depending on the application, pilot moulds, pre-series production and initial sample inspections can be used to validate new mould and process concepts before industrialisation. For the Fakuma project, this intermediate step was not required due to the manageable 6-cavity configuration.

Based on the development and simulation results, the 6-cavity single-face production mould was built directly by Männer. The 3D-printed cavities are subsequently precision-finished using established mouldmaking processes including milling, EDM and polishing.

The hot runner and temperature control technology also come from within Spectrix. The application uses the Männer Performance Line. The naturally balanced 6-cavity system is designed to provide uniform melt distribution across all cavities. Temperature control is provided by the Gammaflux G25, which measures temperature 20 times per second and adjusts it with a precision of 0.017°C.

System validation & integration

Once the mold is complete, the mould, injection moulding machine and automation are integrated into a complete system. Spectrix follows a Scientific moulding approach to systematically determine process parameters and define a stable process window.

Depending on customer and industry requirements, Spectrix also supports functional verification, process validation including DQ, IQ, OQ and PQ, transfer into regulated manufacturing environments, and Site Acceptance Testing (SAT).

For the Fakuma showcase, the mould was integrated into an Arburg 570 H2000-800 and operated as a complete production cell.

Production & scaling

With Specialty Injection moulding, Spectrix is expanding the capabilities of its Tech Centers worldwide. In total, more than 60 injection moulding machines are available for testing and ramp-up production. In addition to development, sampling and validation, the company will also be able to provide bridge and temporary production – for example, to bridge the period until series production starts or to enable the controlled transfer of processes to a subsequent production site.

Spectrix also offers low-volume and niche production for particularly demanding applications. In selected cases, specialized applications can also remain in permanent series production. Quality-controlled processes, traceability and documentation support production throughout.

Lifecycle support

A mould project does not end when production starts. Maintenance, spare parts supply, optimization, refurbishment and modernization help ensure availability, process stability and part quality throughout the entire lifecycle.

The Fakuma showcase demonstrated what End-to-End Injection moulding Solutions means for Spectrix: not simply placing as many individual technologies as possible alongside one another, but connecting the relevant competencies throughout the entire product lifecycle. With Männer, Foboha, Synventive, Thermoplay, Gammaflux and Priamus, Spectrix brings together nearly all essential technologies and competencies along the process chain within one company – from co-development to mouldmaking, hot runner, sensing and control technology, system validation and integration, Specialty Injection moulding and Lifecycle Support.

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