BBM700
Balloon Blowing / Forming Equipment

The MSI BBM700 is designed to blow/form plastic catheter balloons from various types of extruded polymer tubing. The BBM700 provides a user friendly platform while still offering flexibility and advanced control over the balloon blowing/forming process parameters.

The unique MSI heating platform offers the user their choice of glass, metal, split or tubular molds and affords great flexibility in process development including spot heating along the mold length, uniform heating of the entire mold or a combination of the two. Coupling this heating platform with simultaneous adjustable tube tensioning and/or stretching provides for nominal tube processing resulting in balloons with optimal balloon wall and shaft thicknesses while improving on current cycle times.

With a user interface designed for both ease of process development and operation, and a robust, flexible, yet repeatable process, manufacturers are provided a solution for the laborious process of balloon blowing/forming.

	BBM700 Catalog Page
	Balloon Blowing & Forming Equipment Videos

BBM700 Features:

• Minimal tooling to purchase, compatible with glass, metal,
• split or tubular molds.

• Profiles are created, stored and recalled easily through the
• touch screen user interface.

• Linear Servo Motors with integrated load cells and
• encoders provide accurate and consistent tension forces
• and stretch distances.

• Automated tube cutter and parison location/ placement,
• which egates the need to pre- cut tubing to a specific
• length.

• Process development and support available.

Summary of Spec Data:
Power Requirements	220 VAC
Pneumatic Requirement	100 psi (Regulated Source)
Nitrogen Requirement	1000 psi Regulated Source
Temperature Range	Ambient to 750°F (400°C)
Blow Pressure	PC Controlled Precision Pressure Valve
Blow Range	0 - 1000 psi
Tube Tensioning/Stretchinge	Linear Servo Motor
Strecth Distance	0 - 15" per side (381mm)
Strecth Rate	0 - 30"/sec (762mm/sec)
Mold Types	Glass & Metal Tubular or Split
Finished Balloon Length Range	5mm - 150mm
Finished Balloon Diameter Range	1.5mm - 10mm
User Interface	Touch Screen PC
General Warranty	1 Year

Molds:

• Compatible with glass, metal, split or tubular molds.

• Accepts wide range of mold diameters.

• Capable of processing Nylon 12, Pebax, Polyurethane and PET
• (other materials may be possible).

• Molds fixed to machine using 3 fingered pneumatic grippers.

Tubing Grippers:

• Right Gripper seals and firmly holds tubing allowing tensioning for axial
• elongation.

• Left Grabber seals and then punctures tubing creating N2 port for
• pressurization of tubing,and firmly holds tubing allowing tensioning for axial
• elongation.

Tension/Stretch Control:

• Linear servo motor for tensioning and stretch functions.

• Ability to apply tension load to tubing.

• Tension set value can be adjusted at key points in process cycle.

• 0 – 25 lb tension capability with 0.1 lb resolution.

• Ability to stretch tubing to set distance.

• Stretch set value can be adjusted at key points in process cycle.

• Ability to switch between tension and stretch distance within cycle.

Pressure Control:

• 0 – 1000 psi electronic precision pressure valve.

• Able to set pressure ramp rate for each stage of the process.

Temperature control:

• Independent PC controlled temperature for each nozzle.

• Ambient to 750°F (400°C).

Heater/Cooling Nozzles:

• Optimized flow pattern for uniform heating of mold.

• Narrow center heater nozzle allows focused application of heat for initiation of
• balloon.

• Axial traverse enables controlled balloon propagation within mold.

• Wide outer heater nozzles for heat setting of formed balloon.

• Wide cooling nozzle which optimizes flow pattern for rapid mold cooling.

User Interface:

• Touch screen PC user interface.

• PC control/display parameters include: nozzle temperature, blow pressure,
• axial force/tension and distance/stretch moves, heater nozzle position, and
• cooling.

• Easy to navigate menu structure which aids process development and profile
• setup.

• Test screen provides independent control of all functions easing machine
• setup and maintenance.

• Capable of storing and recalling multiple product profiles.

• Barcode scanning capability.

• FDA 21 CFR Part 11 compliant.

Processing Range:

• 120mm in length, 10mm in diameter with nozzle change out (utilizing MSI metal
• molds).

• Size capabilities will be determined on a case by case basis for anyone wishing
• to use their own mold design.

BBM700 Balloon Blowing / Forming Equipment

BBM700
Balloon Blowing / Forming Equipment