Web Seal provides gaskets, die cuts and other sealing components used in diagnostic tools, lab equipment, medical devices, PPE, surgical instruments and a variety of other life sciences applications.
Life Sciences / Medical
Superior sealing performance is critical in every area of medical and life sciences applications to prevent dangerous pathogens, toxic substances and other contaminants from negatively affecting the health of both individuals and communities.
Purity and safety in testing, manufacturing and processing as well as in packaging, storage, and use of medical and life science-related services and products are paramount. Demanding industry regulations and legal standards require that all materials used in the medical and life sciences industry be contaminant-free, making the selection of the most appropriate sealing solutions essential. Even electronics used in non-invasive healthcare environments can be a matter of life-or-death. RFI shielding, for example, is needed to prevent interference from smartphones and other seemingly innocuous hand-held receivers.
Nearly every medical device is enclosed in a gasket or has a sealing element. Web Seal can provide high-grade sealing components that meet FDA certification and USP Class VI and ISO compliance for a wide range of non-invasive medical and healthcare applications, including:
- Biotech research
- Diagnostic equipment manufacturing
- IoT-designed medical electronics, such as monitors, mobile transport equipment and power management
- Medical device filtration venting systems
- Personal protective equipment (PPE)
- Pharmaceutical and cosmetics processing
- Refrigeration storage appliances
- Venting and climate-control systems
Seals for Medical and Life Sciences Applications
While non-invasive equipment often uses standard gaskets, O-rings, molded parts, die-cuts and other common sealing devices, requirements are exacting in both aggressive and passive healthcare environments.
Characteristics often needed are:
- abrasion resistance
- biocompatibility
- good compression set
- good tensile strength
- high resistance to acids, alcohols, alkalis, chemicals, de-ionized water, and solvents
- long service lifetimes
- low friction
- low gas permeability
- outstanding flexibility and performance in extreme temperatures
- radiation tolerance
- resilience to suction and vacuum pressures
- resistance to microbial growth
- resistance to active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and reagents
- resistance to vigorous sterilization techniques
- superior leak-proof performance
Medical grade silicone is frequently used in the healthcare industry due to its many favorable physical properties. Other elastomers that meet USP Class VI and FDA standards include EPDM, FKM, and nitrile. Sanitary gaskets are often made from PTFE and Viton®.
Web Seal can provide you with recommendations for the most effective sealing solutions for your healthcare, laboratory and medical applications:
- Sealing components commonly used in the life sciences and medical field include:
- Closure seals, caps and stoppers
- Composite seals
- Custom die-cuts and molded parts from FDA-approved and other medical-grade materials
- Diaphragms and bellows
- Door seals
- EMI and RFI shielding
- Parker PTFE FlexiSeals®
- Reliable hydraulic and pneumatic seals
- Sanitary gaskets
- Sanitary O-rings
- Small container seals
- Specialty components, such as screen gaskets and miniature elastomer seals
- Thermal management products for electronics
Personal Protective Equipment
Web Seal has been proud to be active in supplying die-cut components for essential personal protective equipment (PPE), such as face shield parts for essential workers. We can use materials supplied by the customer or source material for specific applications. Web Seal can also prepare components for PPE with pressure-sensitive adhesives and perform custom sub-assemblies and packaging.