Arlington, Vt.-based Mack Medical/Mack Molding, supplier of contract manufacturing services and injection molded plastic parts, is broadening its orthopedic business. The company has built a new 2,000-square-foot modular clean room, has additional laser welding capacity, and a completely new business unit dedicated to orthopedics and disposable medical devices.

“These steps represent the latest in a long list of investments Mack has made over the last 12 years in the medical market, which is now approaching 40 percent of overall sales for the northern division,” said Jeff Somple, president of Mack’s northern operations.

With removable panels, the new clean room is constructed in order to make future expansions easy. The doors are air locked when shut, and roll up easily to facilitate tool changes and product flow. The facility houses six, 100-ton electric injection molding machines made by Toshiba Machine Co. Ltd. The company previously used hydraulic presses, but these electric presses are expected to use 60 percent less energy. The clean room is certified to the ISO 14644-1 Class 8 standard, the company reported.

The new Litron-made, high-precision laser welding system is customized for laser welding Mack’s preferred bracket design for holding surgical instruments. The resulting hermetically sealed weld bead is free of gas, air and contaminants, producing a more robust and inherently cleaner assembly than traditional riveting methods.

Mack also has added staff to support its new orthopedic business.

“We have seen significant growth in orthopedics, so felt it necessary to establish a dedicated group that will focus solely on the needs of this market and its customers,” said Dwalin DeBoer, who is heading up the new unit. A chemical engineer, DeBoer has worked at Mack in several functional areas during the past 11 years. Earlier experiences included stints with Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics, GE Plastics (now SABIC), and Monsanto Plastics. Joining her are Dawn Bacon, customer service representative, and Cassie Earley and Rich Hornby, program managers.

The new business unit also will be supported by Chris Wartinger, who, as part of the business development team, will continue to be responsible for spearheading growth in the orthopedic sector. Wartinger has been with Mack for 20 years and has focused on orthopedic market sales for the past seven. Prior to becoming a business development manager, he held a variety of other positions within the company, including program manager and production supervisor, giving him a broad understanding of new business development and product launch.