# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Peter Jacobs, senior director of marketing at CNC Masters, gives MPN the rundown of why medical device manufacturers should be ditching metals in favour of new plastic resins.
The manufacturing of medical devices must involve using disposable materials to prevent the occurrence of infection. In addition, they are required to offer exceptional versatility and are economical at the same time. When they do, plastics can act as an excellent substitute for metals.

Plastics are disposable, malleable, durable, cost-effective and can outperform equipment made from steel, ceramic or glass. Here are some advantages of using this inexpensive and durable material in medical devices.

1. Flexible design language

Plastics are created using various resins. Although each plastic resin exhibits unique properties, all fabric plastic polymers render substantially greater flexibility relative to metals.

The manufacturing of medical devices involves complex designs, intricate geometry and textures making plastics a more practical choice.

Manufacturers typically employ computer numerical control (CNC) machining to manufacture medical devices with intricate structures and aesthetically appealing designs. As most shop owners operate at a small or medium scale, mini milling machines are considered ideal for achieving versatility, while occupying minimal space.

Latest techniques such as plastic injection moulding facilitate developing mould designs and parts with complex geometries, while rendering exceptional efficiency that rivals metals. Not only are plastics easily mouldable, but they also offer metal-like endurance and strength.

2. Convenient sterilisation

Surgical tools made of medical plastics are ideal for one-time use, as their disposal inhibits the spread of deadly infections. Modern technologies, however, have helped create special antimicrobial plastics employed in medical devices. Such special antimicrobial surfaces are effective at repelling and killing toxins despite the lack of regular sterilisation.

3. Enhanced Ergonomics

Plastic is lighter than metal, thus making medical instruments out of plastic keeps their weight to a minimum. This reduced weight enhances the comfort level of devices and tools for the medical practitioner and minimises fatigue during surgeries.

Plastic is also highly customisable, offering a significantly greater design capability relative to metals. The material is available in various colours, surface finishes, and textures, which boosts its user-friendliness.

Technological advancements in plastic composites have helped develop thermoplastic products that render on par performance with metals in domains such as strength-to-weight/stiffness.

4. Safety

Medical plastic is shatter-proof and nonpermeable, which makes it an outstanding solution for safely moving biohazardous substances and curbing the spread of deadly pathogens. Medical plastic is also used to make tamper-proof caps to eliminate foul play in a patient's medical prescriptions.

5. Recyclability

Plastics are reusable, giving them a significant advantage compared with metals. Used plastics can be melted and reused several times, making them an economical choice for industry owners. Conversely, metal parts, once destroyed, must be discarded and swapped out with new ones.

Plastics can also be recycled and used to manufacture new components. This perk also contributes to curtailing the time taken to source new materials for manufacturing.

6. Economically efficient

Plastic resins are relatively affordable compared with metals, primarily because the production expenses of plastic parts are substantially cheaper than their metal counterparts.

Regardless of the volume of parts needed during a production cycle, plastics are more economical and offer equal benefits in the medical sector.

Moreover, plastics are more economical to store and ship than metals due to their lightweight and immunity to chemical attacks and corrosion. Modern-day plastics offer significant durability that alleviates their odds of being damaged during transportation, further preventing redundant expenses.

7. Aesthetic appeal

Injection moulding adheres to the prevailing aesthetics standards. These standards dictate that manufactured medical devices are aesthetically pleasing to replace the institutional appearance.

The injection process directly colours plastics and helps achieve natural transparency. This process makes identification simpler using colour-coding and increases the appeal of the products.

Plastic injection moulding creates final products that offer a distinctive array of functionality in the medical domain. The advantages of using injection-moulded medical devices comprise their compatibility, availability, aesthetic value and scaled-down costs.

8. Greater life span

Although metals have longevity, they are prone to chemical and weather withering, thus curtailing their life span. In contrast, plastics are highly resistant to physical, chemical, weather and environmental attacks, and so provide greater resistance and a prolonged lifespan.

9. Better compatibility

Plastic devices manufactured from injection moulding exhibit higher compatibility with imaging and X-ray machines than metals. They enable a sharper observation of bones due to the deeper penetration of the X-rays. Imaging results generated by plastic devices are more accurate than metals because they do not hamper the magnetism of MRI machines.

10. Environmental benefits

Compared with metals, single-use plastic instruments are the preferred sustainable option. Companies have ascertained that the carbon footprint of single-use instruments is minimal and can help achieve net-zero relative to the average CO2 equivalent annual emission from a hospital that uses conventional metal instruments.

For instance, injection moulding, a part of the mass production process that manufactures plastic, leaves minimal scrap material behind, compared with metal creation. This process also requires a lower heating temperature than a metal, which uses less energy.

Final words

Plastic resins have been gaining momentum recently, owing to their exceptional properties such as being lightweight, durable, thermally conductive and economically efficient.

With the advent of new polymers, plastics are swiftly replacing their metal counterparts in many industries, including medical science.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
10 advantages of using plastic rather than metal

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Peter Jacobs, senior director of marketing at CNC Masters, gives MPN the rundown of why medical device manufacturers should be ditching metals in favour of new plastic resins. The manufacturing of medical devices must involve using disposable materials to prevent the occurrence of infection.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Benefits of Plastic Products and their Sustainability

The versatility of plastics can meet almost any requirement from designers and customers. Plastics are lightweight and durable and their versatility in colour, touch and shape gives tremendous marketing advantages.

Plastics are part of the solution to arresting Climate Change.

The plastics industry only consumes 4% of the world's oil production as feedstock. The rest is used for energy and transport. The production of most plastic products is not energy intensive compared to metals, glass and paper.

Plastic products play a major role in saving and conserving energy and power safety.

22% of an Airbus A380 double-decker aircraft is built with lightweight carbon fibre reinforced plastics, saving fuel and lowering operating costs by 15%

105kg of plastics, rather than traditional materials in a car weighing 1,000kg, makes possible a fuel saving of 750 litres over a lifespan of 90,000 miles. This reduces oil consumption by 12 million tonnes and consequently CO2 emissions by 30 million tonnes in the European Union.

BMW in its 6 series Coupe uses a rear boot lid made of composites and thermoplastic front wings. This has saved 100 kilos in weight.

Without plastics, packaging weight could increase by as much as 400%, production and energy costs could double and material wastage increase by 150%

Renewable energies rely on plastics (pipes, solar panels, wind turbines, rotors)

PVC-U double glazed windows and doors are essential for an energy efficient home. They have a minimum 35 years life and are easily maintained. The BRE's Green Guide has given PVC-U windows an A rating

Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) Insulation has a key role to play with the heating and cooling of buildings accounting for half of Europe's total energy consumption

Durable and flexible plastic pipes prevent leakage of valuable water. 772 miles of London cracked Victorian water mains are being replaced by blue plastic pipes

Modern plastic processing machinery (injection moulding) use between 20%-50% less energy compared to 10 years ago. All electric machines would yield a 75% overall saving.

Plastics do not conduct electricity so PVC is widely used to insulate wiring, while thermosets are used for switches, light fittings and handles

A plastic carrier bag weighs six times less that alternative materials

Use of plastic bottles rather than alternatives leads to savings of up to 40% on distribution fuel costs and saves on transport pollution.

Industry targets and achievements on recovery and recycling of used plastics

Plastics can be recycled at the end of use, typically for a maximum of six times. If it does not make economic or environmental sense to recycle, used plastics should go to Energy from Waste to provide much needed power. Used plastics should not be sent to landfill. It is a waste of a valuable resource.

Plastic packaging constitutes around 8% of the household waste stream and only 5% of waste going to landfill.

21.8% of used plastic packaging was recycled in 2005 but this percentage is rapidly rising as more local authorities collect plastic. Approximately 33% of available plastic bottles from households were recycled in 2007, a 15% increase on the previous year. The EU Directive on packaging waste has set a target of 22.5% to be achieved by 31st December 2008.

The main end products for recycled High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) include pipes, pots, crates and other moulded products while recovered films are turned into sacks, bags and damp-proof membranes. The vast majority of recovered PET is used in the polyester fibre industry although there is a growing demand for PET for closed loop packaging.

Last year 42,000 tonnes of used PVC from UK construction uses were recycled, a European record. It was recycled into window frames, pipe, conduits, flooring and safety products. Last year 33% of packaging Expanding Polystyrene (EPS) was collected and recycled.

Used plastics has a higher calorific value than coal and where it does not make economic or environmental sense to recycle it, then it should go to energy from waste (EfW) incineration to provide much needed home-grown energy and avoid expensive imports.

Unfortunately, compared to our European neighbours, the UK has very little EfW capacity and relies excessively on diminishing landfill. The UK for a population of 60.5 million has only 21 EfW plants whereas environmentally conscious Denmark for a population of 5 million has 32 EfW plants.

...

Are You Interested in Learning More About Plastic Packaging?

The BPF has created short e-learning courses that cover plastic packaging. If you're interested in learning more, you can access our CPD approved e-learning courses on sustainable plastic packaging here.

Understanding the Environmental Issues

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Benefits of Plastic Products and their Sustainability The versatility of plastics can meet almost any requirement from designers and customers. Plastics are lightweight and durable and their versatility in colour, touch and shape gives tremendous marketing advantages. Plastics are part of the solution to arresting Climate Change.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The problem with single-use plastic & how you can avoid it

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Single-use plastic includes products such as straws, bags, and bottles; pretty much any plastic item that’s made for temporary use.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.embed_code
The problem with single-use plastic & how you can avoid it

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The use of plastic products has increased significantly in the recent past, with many enterprises joining the industry and many more varieties of plastics being made. Firms consider plastics easier and cheaper to manufacture as compared to other materials -- such as metals and stones -- because they're produced from byproducts of crude oil and can be recycled. Consumers also consider plastics lighter, compared to other packaging materials. However, the wide use of plastic products has shortfalls.

Disposable plastics used in packaging foodstuff meant for human consumption contain harmful compounds. Improper disposal of these packaging products leads to these harmful compounds finding their way to water bodies, where they dissolve over a long time due to their non-biodegradable nature. Littered plastics are also harmful to animals because they occasionally eat them and die. Additionally, plastics fabrication involves the use of potentially dangerous chemicals, which are added as stabilizers or colorants. Most of these chemicals have not undergone an ecological risk appraisal, and their impact on human well-being and the environment is presently vague. One example is phthalates, which are used in the manufacture of PVC.

Plastics are generally non-biodegradable; hence, they may take centuries to decay. This is due to the intermolecular bonds that constitute plastics, whose structure ensures that the plastics neither corrode nor decompose. Plastics disposed of indecently get washed away to water reservoirs. They clog waterways and float on reservoirs, polluting and making them unsightly.

Plastics generally have a low melting point, so they can't be used where heat levels are high. This also means they cannot be used as protective barrier for furnaces. Some plastic products are highly flammable -- polystyrene, acrylics, polyethylene and nylons commonly used in packaging, home and office appliances. This makes them a fire hazard.

Plastics generally have a short useful life compared to metals. This short life cycle results in pile-ups of unwanted garbage in the office, home or waste yards. Although some of the plastics are recycled, most remain uncollected in dump sites and pollute the environment. Additionally, polythene bags are easily carried by wind, something that makes them almost impossible to collect for recycling.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Disadvantages of Using Plastic Products

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The use of plastic products has increased significantly in the recent past, with many enterprises joining the industry and many more varieties of plastics being made. Firms consider plastics easier and cheaper to manufacture as compared to other materials -- such as metals and stones -- because they're produced ...

# data[].attributes.body
- Getting people to agree with your essay
-Reliable Evidence
-Making the reeder understand your POV
-Organized format

# data[].attributes.body
Narrative writing is writing that tells a story, this can be real or imagined. This includes beginning, middle, and end as well as...
~Setting
~Characters
~Plot
~Point of View
~Dialogue

# data[].attributes.body
- How does something work
-Provides info on topic
-Explanation behind topic