International Plastics News for Asia

The world is now fighting a pandemic, which threatens to cause severe impact on the economy of many countries and regions. Businesses are affected, industrial production is almost on a standstill – and governments around the world are pouring huge efforts and resources in implementing measures to alleviate the impact of this health crisis. In the midst of all these are the producers of plastics and rubber products who are working round-the-clock to meet demand for protective materials, medical supplies and devices. There are many innovations in the medical field that highlight the use of plastics and rubber, and this issue presents some of them. For instance, the demand for medical tubes has grown and recent concept in IV tube extrusion responds to the complicated requirements. 3D printing, which offers the best option for the medical sector, has also been applied in the production of medical devices. Hence, the development of new compounds suitable for the high-resolution printing of implantable medical devices brings cost-saving benefits and enables mass production to support growing requirements.