Achieving (Nearly) 100% Yield
in Medical Device Assembly
A medical device manufacturer* overcame critical adhesion failures in their assembly process and moved to mass production thanks to a tailored plasma cleaning solution.
*Anonymous for privacy purposes
The Challenge
The customer manufactures highly specialised medical equipment, a process which involves bonding rubber lining materials onto plastic substrates using adhesives. Given the critical nature of the devices, there is zero tolerance for failure in the final product.
- The assembly process required reliable adhesion between rubber lining and plastic — materials that are notoriously difficult to bond without surface preparation.
- Multiple adhesive processes had been tested, but none could deliver consistent results without plasma treatment.
- The existing process could not meet the stringent (nearly) 100% yield requirement demanded by medical device regulations.
- Without a working assembly process, the customer was unable to progress into mass production and advance to the next stage of clinical trials.
Before & After Plasma
Before
- Manufacturing highly specialised medical equipment involving glueing rubber lining materials onto plastic.
- Had tested various glueing processes which were not working without plasma surface treatment.
- Zero tolerance for failure in the final product — the current process could not meet the (nearly) 100% yield requirements.
- The assembly process for the devices was not functioning and needed a plasma solution to proceed.
After
- Achieved very close to 100% yield target in the device assembly process.
- Fully functioning and qualified assembly process, with plasma cleaning fully integrated.
- Able to move forward into mass production of devices and advance to the next stage of clinical trials.
- Consistent, repeatable surface preparation that meets regulatory requirements.
The Process
Evaluation Study
An in-depth evaluation study was conducted to prove the right plasma recipe and treatment parameters for the customer's specific materials. This phase took more than a year of rigorous testing and trials to achieve the optimal recipe that would guarantee consistent adhesion results.
System Delivery & Installation
Following the successful evaluation, a batch plasma cleaning system was delivered and installed at the customer's facility. The system was sized to match the customer's initial small-volume production needs, while being capable of scaling as demand grows.
Process Qualification & Production
The plasma cleaning process was fully qualified within the customer's assembly workflow, meeting all the regulatory and quality standards required for medical device manufacturing. The customer was then able to move into mass production and progress to the next phase of trials.
Technology Used
Batch Plasma Cleaning System
The solution deployed was a batch plasma cleaner from SCI's product range. Batch systems are ideal for applications requiring thorough surface treatment on smaller production volumes, offering flexibility in process recipes and chamber configurations.
Explore our batch plasma systems →The plasma cleaning process was the missing piece. Once we integrated the SCI system into our assembly line, we finally achieved the yield targets we needed to move forward with production.— Customer's Process Engineering Team
Facing a Similar Challenge?
Whether you're in medical devices, automotive, or electronics — our plasma solutions can help you achieve the yield and quality targets your process demands.