Lubrizol and Polyhose Open Medical Tubing Plant in Chennai, India

Lubrizol and Polyhose have inaugurated a medical manufacturing site in Chennai, in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, that will produce precision extruded tubing for minimally invasive devices, the companies said in a June 19 press release syndicated by Polymerupdate.

The release said the facility will make tubing for minimally invasive neurovascular and cardiovascular devices and is designed to expand regional capacity and strengthen supply reliability for customers in India and globally. Lubrizol, a Berkshire Hathaway company, describes itself as a specialty chemicals maker; Polyhose makes fluid conveyance systems.

What the plant will make

The site is certified to ISO 13485, the international quality management standard for medical devices, and is backed by dedicated quality control and the same standards used across Lubrizol's global manufacturing network, the companies said. Operations will focus on tubing extruded from polyamides, nylon, Pebax, polypropylene, polyethylene and Lubrizol's medical-grade thermoplastic polyurethane.

"Minimally invasive procedures are transforming patient care, and high-precision tubing is at the heart of many of these devices," said Mittal Shah, Lubrizol's business head for medical devices in India, the Middle East and Africa. He said the partnership would allow the company to work with device makers in India "across the full product development lifecycle."

John Valukas, president of Lubrizol Engineered Materials, called the inauguration "an important milestone in Lubrizol's commitment to India and to supporting our customers in the global medical device industry." He said the company's goal was to help customers bring products to patients faster "with reliable local supply and the highest quality standards."

An Indian supply chain push

The companies framed the plant as part of India's effort to build domestic device manufacturing. The release said the site is set to expand the country's capacity for precision extruded medical tubing, "reducing reliance on imports," and Indian Pharma Post reported that the facility is expected to improve access to catheter tubing for device makers across India, the Middle East and Africa.

"By working closely with Polyhose and regional stakeholders, we aim to support innovation, create high-skilled jobs and enable India to become a more significant contributor to the global medical device supply chain," said Abhishek Shrivastava, Lubrizol's managing director for India, the Middle East and Africa.

Shabbir Yusuf Jamnagarwala, Polyhose's founder and managing director, said the company had worked with global customers on extrusion and fluid conveyance for more than three decades and called the collaboration a new chapter. Neither company disclosed the cost of the facility, its capacity or the number of people it will employ in the release.