Purging Compounds for Medical & Pharmaceutical

Plastic processors in the medical industry have incredibly tight specifications and quality requirements. Millions of people depend on your products every day, so it’s imperative that they deliver. You need to keep production costs down but have zero margins for error.

Here’s why Asaclean® Purging Compounds are the preferred choice for some of the best medical & pharmaceutical processors worldwide.

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Why Asaclean® Purging Compounds are the Best Choice for Medical & Pharmaceutical Processors

Asaclean® has safe, effective, and reliable high-performance purging compounds designed for the specific needs of medical manufacturers. Whether you’re molding super-engineering resins for medical parts, extruding clear tube for oxygen masks, making blister packs for syringes or molding pill bottles and caps for prescriptions, we’ve helped people just like you quickly remove contamination and achieve dramatic cost savings.

When we hear from processors in the medical industry, they usually are asking for help with a handful of different processing issues. If you’re reading this section, then you’ve probably experienced some of these struggles firsthand:

  • You’re dealing with black specks or contamination.
  • Your teardowns are time-consuming and hurt your productivity.
  • You’re running clear parts need to eliminate haze and residue issues.
  • You work with super-engineering resins and have difficulty with changeovers.
  • You need specialized, reliable products that you can depend on.
  • You’re not sure if purging compounds work in your application

Medical supplies

Medical and pharmaceutical processors have the industry’s tightest quality specifications and run difficult resins including PVC, TPU, ABS, HDPE, PC, POM, PMMA, PEEK, etc. Scrap is incredibly costly when you’re running expensive resins. Also, you know you need a spotless machine to run acceptable product. Contamination issues and frequent screw pulls further reduce your productivity.

As a medical plastics manufacturer, you likely rely on high-volume output to surpass budgeted profit margins. As one example, special, thin-walled molds for medical plastics parts offer the advantage of high-volume product runs with short cycle times – a necessity since these applications run multiple colors.

However, numerous resin transitions, from thin-walled molding, in particular, result in high scrap rates and production downtime that decimate your profit potential.

Many medical processors assume that these headaches are an inevitable part of the job.

We have good news. It doesn’t have to be that way.

59%

On average, Asaclean®’s medical customers save 59% on reduced scrap & downtime.

1. Asaclean®’s Products Will  Solve Your Issue

Plastic processors in the medical industry don’t need to experience contamination or lengthy changeovers.  We offer Mechanical Purging CompoundsChemical Purging Compounds, and Purging Concentrates designed to tackle your unique set of processing challenges.

Asaclean® NCR works great for our medical extrusion products, especially on material changes from PE to TPU. Quick changeovers and easy to remove with the next product in line.  We trialed other products, but nothing came close to the performance of Asaclean®.”
Jarred P. , Project Manager, Medical Extrusion, Midwest

Our PLUS Grade Concentrate & Chemical Purging Compounds excel in your most difficult medical & pharmaceutical applications.

Once we identify your needs, we will help you choose the best grade of Asaclean® for you.

For Medical & Pharmaceutical applications, Asaclean® Purging Compounds:

  • Clean the screw & barrel thoroughly
  • Eliminate cross-contamination
  • Are safe for hot runners, valve gates, & nozzle tips
  • Are incredibly easy-to-use & shorten changeover time
  • Dramatically reduce scrap and defect rates
  • Have low residue formulas for clear applications
  • Effectively clean super-engineering resins
  • Prevent gels and non-melts & remove black specks
  • Perform on multilayer lines
  • Help facilitate easier screw pulls
  • Seal your machine during shutdowns to promote easier start-ups

medical personnel talking to each other

Asaclean® offers Purging Compounds engineered for your specific resins, processing temperatures, and applications.

With the world-class R&D team of Asahi Kasei in Japan, Asaclean® offers incredible cleaning performance coupled with expert technical & product support.

I've used Asaclean® for over 10 years because it's effective, easy-to-use, and leads to cost reduction. Anytime you can work with a great & reliable product that cuts costs, that’s an amazing combination. We use an Asaclean® Purge Program for preventative maintenance.
It is great for preventing screw pulls & downtime. If you do need to pull a screw, it makes them a breeze.”
Troy F , Process Engineer, Cook Medical, Indiana
60%

On average, Asaclean®’s pharmaceutical customers save 60% on reduced scrap & downtime.

medical supply various plastic caps

What is the best purging compound for medical processors?

Asaclean® offers purging compounds that are excellent, popular choices for medical manufacturers worldwide.

As for which grade is the best option, it depends on what you’re trying to accomplish.

The “best” purge may be different depending on your goals. Work with an Asaclean® Purging Expert to find the right choice for you.

My company switched to Asaclean® about 3 or 4 years ago. It literally cut the cleaning time of our extruders in half! We no longer must use the wire brushes to finish cleaning after purging.”
April P. , Master Trainer, Medical Molder

Are your purging compounds FDA approved and are they safe for my application?

Asaclean® Purging Compounds are a safe and effective choice for hundreds of medical or pharmaceutical applications.

Our Purging Experts help medical manufacturers reduce scrap and downtime daily.

There are no commercial purging compounds approved by the FDA. The FDA does not currently regulate or offer approval for purging compounds. But that doesn’t mean you cannot safely use purging compounds to clean your machinery.

Here is an FDA 3rd Party Opinion that discusses Asaclean®’s product line.

Asaclean® Purging Compounds have been successful in hundreds of medical & pharmaceutical applications that require strict approvals. Our team is standing by to answer any specific questions you might have about how to use Asaclean® in your application.

After purging with Asaclean® EX Grade and then pulling the screw, comparing it to how it looked before, it was close to nothing.  The guys are giving you lots of thanks for making their screw pushes a lot easier. Once again, thank you.”
Liz , Maintenance Manager, Pharmaceutical Extruder, AZ

2. Our Team Understands the Needs of Medical Processors

Asaclean® Technical Service Representative offer a unique level of service not found in other areas of the industry.

Many of our Purging Experts used Asaclean® as customers themselves before joining our team.

Your point-of-contact isn’t a salesperson. They are a processor.

With over 200 years of combined processing experience, we understand your issue and can offer solutions. We’ve seen it all and are here to help you.

As we mentioned earlier, purging compounds are not regulated by the FDA. As such, most purging compound suppliers recommend only using the product for non-invasive medical applications. For invasive medical applications, purging compounds should only be used as part of a screw pull and manual cleaning/inspection. However, make sure to check with your purging compound supplier if the product can be used at all since the policy may vary by supplier.

Medical beds lined up next to each other

Purchasing the right purging compound for your medical plastics processing is the first step in achieving faster production runs with minimal scrap rate. The purging procedure you develop is equally important for the most efficient resin transitions.

That’s why it is recommended you partner with a purging compound supplier who provides you with ample guidelines, step-by-step instructions, and training for your crew. This multi-pronged approach to developing proper purging procedures is the only way to optimize the process.

When you work with Asaclean®, you have access to free ongoing consultations with a medical purging subject matter expert.

From a buying standpoint, one thing that really sticks out is that Asaclean® are solutions providers. They help us solve the problem. They have provided technical support, training, and product support followed.”
Ray R. , Supply Chain Manager, Washington

3. We Will Train Your Team to Be Asaclean® Purging Experts

Asaclean® Purging Compounds are incredibly easy to use, but you will only see your best results when you follow our recommended purging procedures.

When it comes to purging compounds, less is more.

We do not want you to use more Asaclean® than is necessary to achieve your best performance. If you use more than we recommend, your cost savings will drop.

We want you to get the absolute best performance using the least amount of Asaclean®. That is why we place such a premium on training your team.

All medical & pharmaceutical processors deal with slightly different challenges, so it’s important that you follow the correct instructions. That’s where we come in.

When you select Asaclean®, we will diagnose your issues, build out a free Purge Program, and train your shifts on how to use Asaclean® to get the best results.

We will help you trial our product, provide in-person or virtual training, answer any questions, and be available however necessary to help your team succeed. Sometimes keeping good labor can be difficult. Don’t worry. As you find new hires, we’ll train them as well.

Asaclean® support goes over and above. Training is a part of that. it's great to have our rep in front of people giving training, because if five pounds works, ten pounds is not better. Training is key when you're using these products, and I feel that if I called my Asaclean® rep for help at midnight he would probably answer.”
John S. , Manufacturing Manager, Northwest

4 Easy Ways for Medical Processors to Improve Productivity

staff testing out medical supplies

1. Avoid Cross-Contamination: Purge Preventatively & Don’t Run Until Failure

Purge regularly to make sure you’re keeping your screw and barrel clean. A personalized Purge Program can help you avoid most contamination issues from occurring. The best offense is a good defense.

If you’re making external medical products, this could be a fast and easy way to avoid tear downs.

EX Grade is an unbelievable product for pulling screws for our maintenance department.  It helps us get back up and running in a matter of minutes.”
Vincent Zirkle , Plant Manager, Blue Ridge Molding, North Carolina
92%

Asaclean® customers save up to 92% on screw pulls.

2. If Tear downs are Essential, Use EX Grade Purging Compound for Quick & Easy Screw Pulls

Some applications cannot risk any level of contamination and necessitate a manual screw pull. Removing your screw from your machine without a purge requires great effort, and the cleaning itself takes hours of manual, tedious scrubbing. You must remove the layers of resins or contaminants that have accumulated around the screw. This excessive downtime is certainly affecting your company’s bottom line.  If you’re running until failure or running until you experience severe contamination, EX Grade is a solution that can make your life much easier in a hurry.

3. Use a Specialized Asaclean® Purging Compound Formulated for Your Needs

In addition to EX, there are incredible specialized Asaclean® products designed for any processing situations you might face. We offer grades designed for clear applications, low-temp resins, super-engineering resins, extrusion, etc. Take a few moments to work with an Asaclean® Purging Expert to find the right product for your needs.

sealed medical rooms

4. Seal Your Machine with Purge During Shutdowns

It’s amazing how many production teams forget to seal with Asaclean® before weekend and holiday shutdowns. Purging compounds do not oxidize in the barrel and have a material affinity that removes carbon and any lingering contamination at start-up. Sealing with Asaclean® may be one of the biggest time-saving decisions your production team can make.

Ready to start improving your efficiency and increasing your profitability?

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