GE Facility Provides Customized Silicones and Customized Service for Faster Development of Medical Applications
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WILTON, CONN. - Jan. 31, 2006 - Individual attention is just one hallmark of GE - Silicones' full-service facility in Garrett, Ind. Comprised of the new application development laboratory along with manufacturing and technology capabilities, the facility was recently expanded to help customers achieve a competitive advantage through rapid development of products featuring versatile GE heat-cured elastomers, liquid silicone rubbers, and room-temperature vulcanizing (RTV) materials. To expedite development, manufacturers of medical applications and suppliers are appointed a personal chemist to guide them through the silicone customization process.
The Garrett facility is a testimonial to GE's laser-like focus on the healthcare industry and responsiveness to technologies that match industry needs. With elderly patient care increasingly provided at home and in long-term care facilities, there is a demand for devices with the customized look of consumer products in conjunction with long term comfort, devices such as prosthetics, orthotics, and mobility devices for which GE's LIM* liquid silicone rubber and RTV gel products are excellent candidates. Increase in obesity, a major healthcare global epidemic, is driving an increased focus on respiratory and cardiac conditions such as obstructive sleep apnea. This drives the need for new advanced gel material options and other low-durometer material solutions that provide greater comfort and conformance in applications such as patient interface masks.
"Our customization facility functions as the 'back room' for medical application manufacturers, fabricators, and molders by providing sophisticated development capabilities that can help them bring new products to market quickly and cost-effectively," said Eric Luftig, market director, Healthcare, GE -Silicones. "On one hand, we offer the personalized service and responsiveness you'd expect from a small company. On the other, we provide tremendous GE resources, such as advanced silicone chemistry that meets key healthcare requirements such as FDA and biocompatibility1. This combination of customized service and exceptional products helps OEMs reduce time to market and deliver a unique device application."
GE's family of engineered silicone materials also addresses other trends in the healthcare industry, including the growing demand for special properties such as radio-opacity, extended pump life in tubing, and adhesion promotion. Chemists and other experts at the Garrett facility develop, test, and produce unique silicone formulations to help meet specific customer requirements through the use of specialty additives, colorants, and manipulation of physical properties.
Cardinal Health, a leading manufacturer of medical products, turned to GE when it needed to identify a liquid silicone rubber material candidate for a radio-opaque wound drain. "The staff at GE's customization center is totally focused on each individual company's particular requirements," said Luis Morales, Cardinal Health's Medical Product and Services plant manager. "They have the right people, technology, and facilities to take you step by step through the whole process - and they're fast. We got a great result while saving time and effort."
"The Garrett center - and its sister facility in Chino, Calif. - attests to GE's continued focus on product customization to meet the increasingly sophisticated and complex needs of healthcare customers," said Tim Angle, GE Americas business manager, Elastomers and RTVs. "We're very proud of these resources, which offer a full range of customized services to address numerous application requirements." Services include: formulation and full-service mixing for blending, filler addition, color-matching, and catalyst selection; prototyping for custom applications; custom testing and packaging; start-up and low-volume production runs; and troubleshooting to optimize tools and materials. Both facilities are ISO9001 registered.
About GE - Advanced Materials
The Advanced Materials business of General Electric Company is part of the Industrial business group and is headquartered in Wilton, Conn. Comprised of Silicones and Quartz, GE - Advanced Materials is a global leader in providing a range of high-technology materials solutions. The GE - Advanced Materials, Silicones' portfolio includes silicone-based products and technology platforms, silanes, sealants and adhesives. The Quartz portfolio includes high-purity fused quartz and ceramics materials. These materials solutions are used as springboards for innovation in hundreds of consumer and industrial applications ranging from car engines and integrated circuits to biomedical devices and cosmetics. Industries served include aerospace, agriculture, appliances, automotive, construction, electronics, furniture and furnishings, healthcare, home care, industrial, lighting, packaging, personal care, plastics, semiconductor, telecommunications, tire, transportation, and water purification. As a Worldwide Partner of the Olympic Games, GE is the exclusive provider of a wide range of innovative products and services that are integral to a successful Games. Experience more at http://www.ge.com/advancedmaterials.
