Extrusion Equipment Maker in Front Lines of COVID-19 Battle

PLASTICS TODAY MAGAZINE - July 01 2020

by Norbert Sparrow -Medical Extrusion: Pipe & Profile, COVID-19

Richard Brookes, Marketing Director of extrusion machinery manufacturer Boston Matthews, got my attention this week when he sent me an e-mail and wrote, "I am pleased to attach some good news during these strange times." He went on to say that his company had completed the production and assembly of multiple machines ahead of schedule that will be used to produce medical devices for the direct treatment of COVID-19. Good news, indeed, and a pretty impressive lineup of equipment, as the image below shows.

Unfortunately but somewhat predictably, Boston Matthews is unable to divulge details about the extruders or the customer, except to say that the latter is a global manufacturer of medical devices. The machines will be employed to produce components used in intensive care units and other respiratory care environments of hospitals in more than 120 countries.

"The order was placed earlier this year, when the majority of the world was either in lockdown or about to enter lockdown,” explained Managing Director Simon Brookes. "It was of vital importance to the customer that we were able to maintain our production levels and commit to fulfilling this extremely sensitive order on time. Knowing how important this order was, especially in the middle of a pandemic, it was also of vital importance we maintained production for our existing machine order obligations,” added Brookes.

Boston Matthews, which is headquartered in Worcester, England, UK, and operates a facility in Coral Springs, FL, engaged in a massive internal planning initiative involving all aspects of the supply chain, production levels, and personnel availability so that it could accommodate this order, said Brookes. "A select team was chosen specifically to handle this new order from start to finish, and I am very pleased to say they performed professionally and diligently throughout, and the entire project was completed ahead of schedule.”

Boston Matthews has designed and manufactured extrusion equipment for medical applications for more than 45 years. Specialized extrusion lines in its portfolio are used in the fabrication of polystyrene pipette tubes, bump tubing, single- and multi-lumen tubing, catheter tubing, and blood bags. The company also serves the automotive, packaging, and wire and cable sectors, among many others.