News & Insights

An Informational Brief on Polymer Machining   Polyphenylene Oxide (PPO), also known by its trade name NORYL™, is an amorphous engineering thermoplastic.  It is generally used commercially for electrical components, automotive parts and in medical grade sterilizable medical instruments that require high heat resistance, dimensional stability and accuracy.  Some of its benefits include being low cost, light-weight with very low moisture absorption.   AIP has over 37 years of experience... Read More

A discussion on the importance of FDA registration to ensure QMS in plastics machining facilities   For businesses and facilities involved in the production and distribution of medical devices, FDA Registration is a requirement to machine or manufacture any plastic material that will be used in the United States medical market.   Therefore, if your manufacturer or machining shop is not FDA registered, start looking for a new facility with... Read More

Source: Plastics Today Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) is part of the umbrella of polyethylene thermoplastics. Other peers include low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE). Although UHMWPE embodies many similar qualities as HDPE, it is much stronger and carries a significantly higher resistance to chemicals, wet environments and withstands abrasion 15 times greater than carbon steel. This is why, among its many applications, it is the most common material... Read More

An Informational Brief on Polymer Machining   Polycarbonate, one of the oldest known polymers, was first discovered in 1898 by Alfred Einhorn at the University of Munich. It was not until 1953 that Bayer patented the first linear polycarbonate and branded it as "Makrolon". Ever since then, this material has become one of the most commonly used polymers across multiple industries.   Known for its durability, stability and clarity, polycarbonate... Read More

A discussion with the plastics pros at AIP on how the ISO 13485:2016 standard improves quality assurance for medical machined plastics.   What sets a quality management system (QMS) above the rest for medical device manufacturing and machining? Safety, sanitation and product integrity are, without a doubt, crucial for any plastics machining company working with materials for medical use.   How can you ascertain the validity of a company's QMS?... Read More