York, Pa. — Graham Engineering Corp. is speeding up production of its extruders to meet the demand for more medical tubing in the marketplace during the coronavirus pandemic.
York-based Graham said in an April 15 news release that the medical industry requires more medical tubing for ventilators and other products, with demand for ventilators expected to hit 10 to 15 times that of pre-COVID-19 levels.
"In the past three weeks we have seen a strong uptick in orders and inquiries from businesses in North America and the Asia-Pacific looking to add capacity for ventilator tubing," David Madar, strategic medical market manager for Graham Engineering, said in the release. "We are responding by validating available inventory, turning quotes instantly and committing to extruder supply through accelerated delivery."
Ventilator tubing kits are supplied to hospitals as single-use breathing circuits. A key component of the circuit is corrugated tubing, typically made of medical grade polyethylene or EVA. In adult kits, the standard inside diameter of the tubing is 22 millimeters.
Graham's American Kuhne product line has a 20-year history in supplying medical extrusion systems, the company said.