Open for business: Primo Medico now fully integrated and ready to take on the market

Medical tubing is a rapidly expanding business area. New medical technologies are constantly being developed, and precision tubing for various uses is in high demand. As a European leader in plastics extrusion, Primo has a natural place in the field of medical tubing, and after an intensive process of organizational and technological development, Primo is now ready to expand its activities in the medical business. 

In 2010, Primo acquired the Danish company Totax, an internationally respected specialist in the development and production of advanced medical tubing. The acquisition of Totax was part of a strategic decision to enter the medical tubing market, combining the extrusion expertise within Primo with the specialist knowledge and equipment required to fulfill the high standards in the medical sector. 

An exciting market

Ville Pitkänen, the new Business Area Director in Primo Medico, explains: “In this business, the development of new products and the implementation of new materials and methods can take years.

Requirements for safety, hygiene and precision are very strict, and validation and approval processes are long. This is a market for companies who are in it for the long run and have the resources and will to develop their activities – just like us.”

Following the acquisition of Totax, Primo went through a process of technology transfer, moving machinery and key personnel to Primo’s facility in central Europe. 

In Zory, Poland, Primo Medico has invested in new machinery and a class 8 clean room, which means that Primo is able to produce medical tubing in one facility with all expertise and technology under one roof. The clean room facilities are ready for fast upgrade to class 7 whenever needed. 

Mr. Pitkänen sees many new opportunities in the medical market for Primo. “There are many exciting projects out there, and we are ready to take on the challenges offered by our customers. We’ve got the expertise, the organization and the technology – and all the facilities our customers need.”

The PVC-free blood bag project

One example of Primo Medico’s involvement in advanced tubing projects is the European PVC-free blood-bag project. The challenge is to produce blood bags entirely free from PVC, thus minimizing patients’ exposure to harmful substances such as phthalates. Primo Medico is deeply involved in this project, developing and producing PVC-free tubing for the new types of blood bags. You can read much more about the project at pvcfreebloodbag.eu.

Visit Primo Medico at Compamed

As a part of the new and stronger market presence, Primo Medico will participate in the Compamed trade show in Dusseldorf, Germany, in November. “The goal is to get out there and meet our customers, new ones as well as existing ones, and show them what we can do in medical tubing,” says Ville Pitkänen.