Pressure forming large parts helps launch proton therapy

DFM adds value for large medical covers & panels

Profile Plastics expertise and value-added services help launch innovative medical advancements.

Advancements in cancer treatment often require new equipment designs. Proton therapy precisely focuses a high-definition beam of energy on tumors, reducing damage to surrounding tissues and resulting side-effects. However, the system fills a room.

The team at one leading radiation therapy OEM sought design and production help. To launch their solution, the gantry room equipment required covers and panels. They needed a partner who could manage the volume, size, and scale of the project.

Challenge: How do you effectively create very large attractive cover panels?

Large covers and panels hide the working elements of the radiation system. The product team wanted textured parts with a high level of finish. How those parts package for shipping around the world was also a consideration.

They wanted something lightweight, yet strong enough to withstand transport. Their prototype supplier was unable to deliver consistently high-quality parts. Those first parts were made of fiberglass, which is heavy and requires sanding, finishing and painting.

Pressure forming offered an effective alternative. After a rigorous supplier review process, the OEM team selected Profile Plastics.

Solution: Partner with a supplier who adds greater value

Profile’s extensive Design For Manufacturing (DFM) experience helps customers maximize the benefits of switching to pressure forming. DFM adapts the design of each part to the process. The company has a successful history in meeting the specific needs of the medical device industry.

Size matters

27 oversized parts matched color and texture and aligned consistently

The first challenge was the size of the parts, too large for most other plastics processes. Fortunately, Profile’s equipment can create individual pieces up to 8’ x 12’.

The gantry room project included 27 different parts produced on 10 sets of tooling. Several pieces were nearly 5 ft long. The center disc panel itself was fully 5 ft in diameter.

Enhancing aesthetics

Pressure forming offers superior part appearance. Profile determined KYDEX® T brand PVC/Acrylic blend material provided the desired strength, chemical resistance, color and texture. The engineers recommended several specific changes to improve the aesthetics of the parts involved:

• Using molded-in color to replace the inconsistent painting of the early prototypes
• Using hidden fasteners that snap in place, eliminating screwheads for clean surfaces
• Overlapping flanges that help panels self-align, resulting in even seam lines

The Profile team also leveraged their deep experience with post-process transfer decals to properly apply graphics, including a large 2-piece company logo on the center disc. Graphic placement on such large parts requires engineered fixtures for consistent, exact application.

Reducing costs

Profile provided the better quality, more cost-effectively in two specific ways.

Tooling for pressure forming costs significantly less than injection molding. That makes the process perfect for the larger part sizes and limited run quantities common in medical equipment.

Pressure forming requires less handwork afterward than methods like rotomolding or structural foam. That makes the process more repeatable, adding consistency and further reducing costs.

Added services

Constant communication is essential for successful DFM projects. Profile and the customer worked closely throughout the gantry room covers project. Other value-added services included kitting and packaging. Profile created the ultimate packaging with unique crates to protect the assembled covers and electronics traveling worldwide by sea freight.

Results: Quality parts, ready for global distribution

Highly engineered aesthetic panels and enclosures for medical equipment demand a dedicated and skilled supplier. Profile’s DFM expertise, large part thermoforming capabilities, value-added services, and communications made the OEM’s proton therapy equipment launch a success.