TekniPlex Healthcare to expand capacity for coated Tyvek®, reinforced papers for pharm, medical-device apps

Wayne, PA-based TekniPlex Healthcare, which uses advanced materials-science expertise to help deliver better patient outcomes, is installing a new state-of-the-art, proprietary air-knife coater. The new infrastructure not only will extend the quality of TekniPlex Healthcare’s precision-coated barrier products but also add substantial capacity urgently needed in the industry. In particular, the air-knife coater will allow TekniPlex Healthcare to significantly increase its supply of coated Tyvek®, heat-seal coated reinforced paper, cold-seal coated paper and film for various medical device, pharmaceutical and diagnostic applications.

Scheduled to complete validation in Q4 2023, the machinery addition is exceedingly well-timed, coming at a crucial confluence of global supply chain challenges, increased demand, and heightened requirements for higher performance barrier solutions. The investment allows TekniPlex Healthcare to stay ahead of the supply and demand curve while further improving product performance.

“Our engineered barrier solutions, including our coated Tyvek and coated paper products, have experienced substantial growth in recent years,” says Chris Qualters, CEO of TekniPlex Healthcare. “The state-of-the-art air knife machine will ensure we can meet escalating product demands in the North American market while also allowing us to further expand in other geographies like China, Southeast Asia, Latin America, and Europe.”

TekniPlex Healthcare’s proprietary coating formulations and application technology result in products designed to meet demanding performance and sterilization requirements. The division’s coated Tyvek® combines robust sterile barrier with optimal breathability, while offering a clean peel and compatibility with a wide variety of flexible and rigid film materials.

Meanwhile, TekniPlex Healthcare’s high-performance coated paper is a high-volume solution for a broad array of breathable and non-breathable medical products, including drapes and gowns, gloves, procedural kits, tubing and syringes. The coated papers offer both clean peel and compatibility with multiple paper grades. TekniPlex Healthcare also produces a range of latex-free, cold-seal options ideal for adhesive bandages and dressings, nasal strips, swab sticks, and certain medical devices.