Ahead of the game

An increasing demand from the medical and pharmaceutical industries for a one-stop shop for their manufacturing needs has encouraged Europlaz Technologies to invest £150,000 in further cleanroom space. The new Class 10,000 cleanroom at its factory in Southminster, Essex, means that the established injection moulding manufacturer now offers clients both manufacturing and assembly solutions to the highest standard.

One step ahead With more than 8,000ft2 of dedicated cleanroom space and a BSI 13485 accreditation, Europlaz is now recognised as having one of the largest cleanroom medical device manufacturing plants in the country. Following the opening of the new 3,000ft2 assembly cleanroom, clients are placing both the assembly and manufacturing of their medical devices with the company – which is a cost-effective approach. Chief executive Eddie O'Keeffe explains: "Our medical and pharmaceutical customers were already using many of our design, tooling and moulding services but were placing their assembly requirements elsewhere. "So we could offer them a seamless one-stop shop solution we decided to invest in a new state-of-the-art assembly cleanroom. This means that from developing a customer's initial specification, through design, manufacture and assembly to packaging, Europlaz can provide a completed product ready for sale." For three decades the team at the company has had a track record of devising first class solutions to "impossible" technical challenges. It is acknowledged as a company that is able to create cutting edge injection moulded components and packaging. The many different items successfully developed by the company include the initial concept of the Beconase tooling and the Ventolin inhaler in the 1980s, and a unique insulin dispenser system in 2000.

High build specification On the manufacturing side the 5,000ft2 Class 10,000 cleanroom is accredited to ISO 14644-1 Class 7. It operates 24 hours a day and enables the company to be flexible enough to meet last minute production deadlines. The addition of an assembly cleanroom broadens what is available. The new area is significantly above the build specification normally expected as it uses a high spec ventilation system with 25 changes of air per hour so it is ideal for medical device assembly work. As well as an increase in orders, the investment has had wider benefits too; the company is expanding its workforce to meet the demand that the new facility has produced. And the good news continues: "The new cleanroom has helped our business to grow despite the gloomy outlook for manufacturing and we're now looking at the possibility of investing in a further 4,000ft2 of cleanroom space by the end of this year," says O'Keeffe.