Spectrum Plastics Group Expands Clean Room Capabilities

Spectrum Plastics Group’s expansion of clean room facilities at its manufacturing plants gives Customers more options for molding programs requiring tightly controlled environmental conditions.

MINNEAPOLIS (July 16, 2011) – Spectrum Plastics Group today announced that expansions to its clean rooms are under way at its production facilities in Minneapolis, MN and Ansonia, CT. This means expanded capabilities for molding, assembly and packaging operations within controlled environments, a capability that’s essential to its core medical and defense Customers.

The expansion in Ansonia will transition approximately 1,900 ft² of ISO Class 8 to 6,000 ft² of ISO Class 8, and an additional 2,000 ft² of ISO Class 7. At its corporate headquarters, Spectrum is adding an additional 7,000 ft² to its existing Class 7 cleanroom in the Minneapolis facility, as well as an additional 10,000 ft² of Class 8, for a combined area of 26,000 ft² of clean rooms in its two production facilities.

This expansion comes on the heels of Spectrum’s acquisition of micro-molding assets in January, 2010 and continues their value proposition of ‘quickly turning engineering concepts into high quality products’. “Our knowledge of the entire product development lifecycle is a key differentiator in the marketplace and to our customers, said Mark Schaefer, Corporate VP of Business Development. “From initial concept to rapid prototype to quick turn tooling to injection molding, our seamless approach can help any customer successfully launch a new product” Spectrum Plastics Group was an early pioneer in clean room molding with current programs that range from implantable and delivery devices, to minimally invasive surgical instruments, along with some precision military assemblies that also require a clean environment for assembly. “Being able to mold, assemble, package, and prepare for and manage sterilization for our Customers makes us a true extension of our clients’ engineering and manufacturing teams” Schaefer continued, “we’re much more than a molder to our Customers, they have embraced us as a true partner in the entire product development lifecycle.

The current expansions are slated to be operational by the fourth quarter of 2011, with several new programs already sold into the new capacity.