Today we’re going to give you a look behind the scenes of how we produce this medical tag dispenser.

This flat sheet of clear polycarbonate starts out as a four by eight sheet and each piece is cut to size on a 3-axis CNC machine. We’re able to cut 28 parts out of just one sheet which produces the end-product, a medical tag dispenser. The now machined flat sheets of polycarbonate are then sent down the line to be formed using a process called heat bending. The sheet gets placed in a heating fixture which has heaters in specific locations to allow the sheet to become pliable in the areas where the sheet will be bent. Once the heating is complete, the pliable piece is then removed and placed over a bending fixture.

In the video, you will see that the fixture has two pins on the top which are used to correctly locate the sheet to begin bending while the sheet is held onto the fixture using vacuum. Once the part completes its cooling stage, it is removed from the fixture and we begin to assemble the part. Heat bending is a relatively quick and effective production method. As soon as the ideal temperature is met, and the plastic becomes pliable, the plastic is quickly manipulated into the desired shape. Once the shape is obtained, it begins to cool and take the form of the fixture or mold. The parts get sealed in a bag and packaged with their complete kit, which includes the red tray that we actually also form and machine and house, along with a plastic bin, which is purchased by the customer elsewhere. So there you have it- that is how we produce our medical tag dispensers here at Bo-Mer plastics.