A project for a leading German food technology provider demonstrates how such a development can be implemented in practice. industrialpartners developed BPA-free components for the precise application of enzymes and supported the project through to series production. A single point of contact was responsible for the entire technical implementation and coordination with the European manufacturing partners.
High Standards for Materials, Functionality, and Manufacturing
The components had to be capable of applying enzymes precisely and reproducibly while also allowing for cost-effective mass production. Even minor deviations in geometry, material, or tolerances could affect functionality. Such requirements are also common in other sensitive applications where material selection, component geometry, and the manufacturing process must be closely coordinated.
One-Stop Plastic Development
The project encompassed every step, from the initial idea to the finished production run. This included:
・ Product Concept and Design
・ Selection of suitable BPA-free materials
・ Component optimization for injection molding based on DFM principles
・ Support for tooling, sample production, and prototyping
・ Validation, quality assurance, and mass production
Even during the design phase, the components were engineered for cost-effective manufacturing and high process reliability. Geometries, wall thicknesses, tolerances, and interfaces were adjusted so that the parts could be reliably demolded and manufactured with consistent results. This helped minimize the need for subsequent adjustments and laid the groundwork for consistent component quality.
Step by Step Toward Safe Production Readiness
Before the start of series production, samples and prototypes were manufactured and tested. The focus was on the functionality, dimensional accuracy, and manufacturability of the components. The results were directly incorporated into further optimization before the components were approved for series production.
BPA-free materials for regulated industries
Only BPA-free plastics were used for this project. The selection of such materials is not only relevant for applications involving food contact. In medical and laboratory technology, as well as in other sensitive areas of application, avoiding BPA can also be an important requirement. The key consideration is always that the material meets the application-specific technical and regulatory requirements.
The materials were therefore not selected in isolation from the design. Their properties had to be suited to the intended application, the geometry of the components, and the injection molding process. For this specific project, the requirements for use in the food industry were also taken into account. The result was a durable and production-ready solution for a sensitive industrial application.
European manufacturing for short lead times and reliable quality
Development, tooling, injection molding, and quality assurance were carried out exclusively with European partners. This kept communication channels short, allowed changes to be quickly implemented in production, and ensured that quality requirements were tracked transparently. It also facilitated the approval of prototypes and the transition to mass production.
Among other things, the customer benefits from:
・ Short supply chains and predictable delivery times
・ High level of supply security
・ direct communication with the partners involved
・ Flexible adjustments during development and mass production
・ European quality and manufacturing standards
Especially in sensitive and regulated industries, regional and resilient production facilitates collaboration throughout the entire product life cycle. This applies to applications in food technology as well as to projects in medical and laboratory technology. At the same time, dependencies can be reduced, and changes can be coordinated more quickly with the partners involved.
Production-ready plastic components for sensitive applications
The result is BPA-free plastic components that function reliably and can be cost-effectively manufactured in series production. The project demonstrates how industrialpartners integrates product design, engineering, material selection, and manufacturing planning from the very beginning. This development approach can be applied to other regulated industries where material compatibility, documentation, and process reliability play a central role.
Plastics Development for Regulated Industries
Contact product design and product development
Jens Arend
Mobile: +49-177-312 60 07
E-mail: ja@industrialpartners.de