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Every product is developed in collabo- ration with a customer for a specific need. "We work closely with customers from concept through product realization," states Steele. "We're not afraid to take on a challenge. We'll take on a project where others have said, 'This can't be done.' We'll land an order, and develop a process that works. In the 28 years we've been in business, there have been maybe two or three projects that were not successful. That's a pretty good batting average." LEAN AND GREEN Microspec operates out of a pristine, 28,000 ft² plant. It runs lean and green. Microspec's manufacturing floor—which accounts for roughly two-thirds of the facility—includes 18 extrusion lines that are used for production and R&D;, plus other equipment for R&D; and QC. This saves time and cuts production scrap—technicians don't have to run to another room or building to see if product is out of spec. And there's a side benefit to this approach, notes Steele: "Having technical produc- tion and QC people on the same floor allows people to learn from each other." On the "green" side, rooftop solar panels account for 20-25% of the company's power usage. It also uses heat exchangers that allow its process water to be cooled by ambient air outdoors. And plans are on the drawing board to develop adjacent to the current plant a geothermal- powered building that will house business development and R&D.; Inside the current ISO 13485-certified plant, Microspec's extru- sion lines are housed in a controlled environment. They range in size from 0.5 to 2 in. diam. and are supplied mostly by Davis- Standard, Pawcatuck, Conn. (davis-standard.com), and Graham Engineering's American Kuhne, York, Pa. (americankuhne.com). On "When our competitors say 'no,' we say 'yes.'" a given day, about half of these extruders might be used for product runs; the rest for R&D; and validation. Two lines are dedicated entirely to R&D.; Microspec extrudes one to three layers in ODs that range from approximately 0.08 mm to 15 mm. Downstream systems are furnished by a variety of suppliers that include Conair Group, Cranberry Township, Pa. (conairgroup.com); RDN Manufacturing, Bloomingdale, Ill. (rdnmfg.com); and G.F. Goodman & Sons, Warminster, Pa. (gfgoodman.com). Depending on the product being run, tanks can be arranged from 8-10 ft up to 100 ft. Generally, the more lumens in the tube, the more cooling is required to extract heat from inside the tube. Each lumen has its own air-supply line. Before being cut or spooled, tube OD and ID are checked by gauges furnished by Beta LaserMike, Dayton, Ohio (betalasermike.com), and Zumbach Electronics Corp., Mt. Kisco, N.Y. (zumbach.com). Microspec runs an extremely wide range of materials, including a variety of TPUs, nylons, fluori- nated polymers, and bioabsorb- able resins. Microspec is considered a pioneer in extrusion of high-heat engineering plastics such as PEEK, PEI, and polysulfone, as well as fluorinated polymers, including FEP. "We pretty much are set up to run everything except for PTFE or silicone," notes Langevin. Microspec runs at line speeds ranging from 5-10 ft/min to 400 ft/min. Microspec has manufacturing and QC on the same floor so that quality defects can be identified and corrected immediately. Microspec designs and builds all its own tooling in a department headed by Bruce Gordon (pictured), who used to supply Microspec when he had his own tool shop. Microspec's product range is diverse, but its niche is in highly precise multi-lumen tubing. "We're not afraid to take on a challenge. We'll take on a project where others have said, 'This can't be done.' 42 SEPTEMBER 2017 Plastics Technology PTonline.com Microspec Corporation On-Site