Hospitals need to deliver high-quality healthcare while containing medical costs and meeting regulatory demands. For manufacturers of medical equipment, earning the trust of hospital administrators means meeting all of these requirements. This is especially true for hospital bed manufacturers, whose highly-engineered products are used by patients throughout their hospital stays.
Today’s hospital beds contain precise parts made of various materials. Metal parts are more expensive than plastic ones, and may be subject to corrosion. Metal components are also heavier, which increases product weight and shipping costs. Many hospital bed manufacturers would like to replace metal parts with plastic ones, but only if the new parts meet existing requirements for cost, quality, and compliance.
When a manufacturer of hospital beds asked Elasto Proxy about plastic parts, we didn’t just explain that they’d cost less. Our technical team listened to all of the manufacturer’s requirements, which include healthcare supply chain management. In addition to technical design, material selection, and custom fabrication then, we apply the power of logistics to our periodic part deliveries.
The molded plastic parts that the hospital bed manufacturer needs aren’t especially complex, but the savings on tooling is significant. Because plastic injection molding allows for undercuts, threads, and ports, this part production method supports complex shapes to finish-level specifications. Elasto Proxy isn’t a plastic injector molder, but we work with a trusted partner who complements our capabilities.
To ensure part quality, Elasto Proxy inspects the components that our partner ships to us. After our inspectors verify that the parts meet all of the hospital bed manufacturer’s requirements, we store the components at our warehouse in Newmarket, Ontario, Canada. Then, instead of paying for a year’s worth of parts all at one time then, the manufacturer orders and receives quantities periodically.
Today, Elasto Proxy helps equip each hospital bed with plastic parts from as many as 18 different molds. The pedal pads that are used offer just one example of our capabilities. Thanks to Pantone color matching, the pedal pad that unlocks the hospital bed is colored green for “go”. To help patients distinguish functions, the part that helps bring the bed to a stop is red.
Both of these cost-effective, foot-driven components are designed to withstand numerous cycles. Elasto Proxy also supplies the hospital bed manufacturers with sturdy plastic rollers that can support patients weighing up to 300 lbs. Thanks to Pantone color matching, these economical plastic rollers are colored gray to match the expensive metal that’s used on the hospital beds.
In addition to pedal pads and bed rollers, Elasto Proxy supplies the hospital bed manufacturer with protective plastic parts for hospital beds that slide over metal edges. We also store and ship bed-mounted holders for patients and medical staff to use. By replacing metal parts with quality plastics, the manufacturer is reducing costs, ensuring quality, and meeting the needs of its healthcare industry customers.
Does your company make hospital beds, medical devices, or medical equipment? Do you need plastic parts for hospital beds that meet all of your requirements for cost, quality, and regulatory compliance? By applying the power of our supply chain strength, we can help you to achieve your goals. To learn more about how Elasto Proxy’s experience with the medical industry, please contact us.