May 2, 2024 Putnam Plastics Now Offers FEP Heat Shrink Tubing

Putnam Plastics expands portfolio to include FEP heat shrink tubing with no processing aids and low lineal shrinkage.

DAYVILLE, CT USA – Putnam Plastics Corporation, a leader in advanced extrusions for minimally invasive medical devices for over 40 years, is excited to announce the addition of FEP heat shrink tubing to its extensive portfolio. This latest offering reinforces Putnam’s commitment to innovation and customer-centric solutions in the medical device industry.

Unlike other technologies in the industry, Putnam’s FEP heat shrink tubing is manufactured without any processing aids, including silicone oil. This eliminates potential bonding and contamination issues commonly associated with traditional heat shrink materials. A significantly lower lineal shrinkage rate is an additional advantage of Putnam’s heat shrink compared to competitors. Featuring less than 5% lineal shrinkage, Putnam’s FEP heat shrink tubing may provide increased tensile values on certain bonded catheter shafts.

Recent investments into their manufacturing capacity has allowed Putnam to provide quick turnaround times for FEP heat shrink tubing. Lead times for both standard and custom sizes can be as quick as four weeks. Standard wall thicknesses range as low as 0.006” in diameter up to 0.020”, providing flexibility to meet specific application requirements. For custom sizes, wall thicknesses as low as 0.004” can be achieved. Additionally, Putnam’s heat shrink tubing offers expanded inner diameters up to 0.375” and an expansion rate of up to 1.7 times the original size.

“As catheter manufacturers ourselves, we were hampered by excessive lead times for custom and standard sizes of heat shrink,” said Bob St. John, Senior Catheter Engineer at Putnam Plastics Corporation. “Because of that, we started manufacturing our own heat shrink in-house.  Combining our extrusion capabilities and understanding of catheter assembly, we have developed a product with excellent performance characteristics.”

Putnam Plastics has been a leading manufacturer of extrusion-based technologies for over 40 years and are thrilled to be able to deliver additional solutions to meet the needs of their customers. Whether you’re looking for a primary or secondary source for your FEP heat shrink needs, Putnam Plastics can provide support with consistency and stability at a competitive price.   

For more information on FEP heat shrink tubing, please visit www.putnamplastics.com

About Putnam Plastics Corporation
Putnam Plastics Corporation has been a leader in medical tubing for over four decades with a focus on small diameters used for life saving vascular catheters and minimally invasive medical devices.  Putnam offers the widest range of tubing technologies and tube finishing operations in the industry, and frequently combines these technologies to create components at the forefront of today’s most sophisticated medical devices. For more information, please visit www.putnamplastics.com.

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