Interface Associates

Since 1987, INTERFACE ASSOCIATES' products have provided catheter manufacturers worldwide a cost-effective means to increase productivity and simplify the most intricate steps of catheter manufacturing. Our equipment has allowed many start-ups to gain a competitive advantage and accelerate time to market and helped established business' to improve production efficiency. Our product line is continuously growing and upgraded based on the needs and suggestions of our clients - - as a result we are now considered a "one-stop shop" for catheter production equipment.

BALLOON FORMING MACHINE The 9500 & 9600 Series Balloon Forming Machines, our most prevalent products, provide a solution to the difficult task of consistently and quickly forming various size balloons from polymer tubing. With a variety of machine options available, each machine can be customized to form specific materials or meet unique customer applications. The recently introduced 9800 Series Balloon Forming Machine further simplifies the balloon forming process by utilizing an integrated touchscreen display, computer interface, data communication and closed loop digital control of pressure, gas flow and stretch force.

MORE SOLUTIONS …. TUBING PROCESSING
Interface Associates' Extrusion Die Stretcher performs hot die draw-down of plastic tubing to reduce its diameter to a desired and precise dimension. Typical applications include tubing sizing, hypo-tube jacketing, reducing crossing profile of folded balloons, etc. Designed to stretch or neck-down tubing parisons in preparation for the balloon forming process, both our Hot Jaw Tubing Stretcher and Double End Stretcher reduce the outside diameter and wall thickness of polymer tubing in selected areas by stretching it axially at an elevated temperature.

TESTING Our Hydraulic Pressure Testers, PT-500 and PT-1000, deliver up to 1000 psi of hydraulic pressure and are ideal for testing polymer tubes and catheter balloons. Several standard programs are available to perform tests such as fatigue, pressure ramp, incremental pressure cycle test, etc. The GPL-500 Gas Pressure Leak Tester tests finished catheters using pure nitrogen gas. All pressure testers are programmable and offer printer output and PC Interface. Our next generation testers, the PT-3070 and GPL-5020, are scheduled for release December 2000 and will be showcased at the upcoming MD&M West 2001 in Anaheim, California.

FOLDING Our Fluting Fixtures are cost effective tools used to simplify the balloon folding and sheathing process by quickly and consistently folding balloons into either 3, 4, 5 or 6-flute patterns.

WELDING & FUSING The Tubing Welder fuse welds balloons to catheter shafts of similar or identical composition while our Hot Air System provides a precisely controlled stream of hot air for heat fusing, heat shrinking and shaping operations. For more information, please contact us.