Ichor Electroporation
Injection system - Electroporation is the process
of injecting fluids into the subject in the presence of an
electric field. (Before getting involved in this program,
none of us knew what it meant either.) The effectiveness of
certain drugs improves dramatically with this process.
Ichor has patented a system to accomplish this, and is in the process of validating their product. The system is comprised of a control box and an applicator into which a disposable "applicator cartridge" is inserted. This is where Pacific Plastics enters the picture. The applicator cartridge has needle-like electrodes arranged around a conventional hypodermic needle. When activated, the applicator automatically inserts the five needles, and the patient receives a small electrical stimulation after the drug is injected. (Surprisingly, test subjects say it is not significantly more painful than a regular injection.)
Individual injection molded parts (upper left) and Applicator Cartridge
as it would be during injection (lower right)
Ichor wanted developmental tooling, but the molded parts are complex and require long core pulls. We agreed that aluminum prototype molds with hand loads were inadequate. We opted for two P-20 steel molds which can be modified as readily as aluminum for design changes.
While these molds are now serving a developmental role, they have a life expectancy sufficient to carry them well into the production phase, eliminating the cost of "throw-away" prototype molds. Saving money for our customers is always a goal at Pacific Plastics.
Four-cavity injection mold with hydraulic core pulls for the large parts (minus lower cylinder)
Python Products Custom
Bungee - This is a classic example of how we
help start-up companies into the market successfully and quickly.
The owners of Python Products
had a novel idea to market bungee cord kits which allow the
customer to create bungees of any length. They had an excellent
marking plan but no experience with product development or
plastics, so they came to us in the fall of 2005.
The bungee had to support 50 pounds, and the hook had to be easy to attach to the elastic tubing without any tools. Design documentation and prototypes were provided by Pacific Plastics, and Python did the testing.
After a number of iterations, we found a two-part configuration that met the requirements. We completed the overall hook design and designed a blade holder for cutting the tubing (in the shape of a Python, of course).
We then designed a production mold
with four cavities for the hook and plug and one cavity
each for the blade-holder parts. By eliminating three
of the hooks and plugs from the initial build, Python
had the benefit of a prototype mold at a fraction of the
cost.
The initial parts worked as planned, and Python quickly verified that there was a market for their product. We added the three additional cavities and began production early this year. Python Cut-to-Fit Bungees are now available in retail outlets and at pythonbungee.com.
 One shot-four hooks with attached plugs and a blade holder |
