Slick, Precise, and Fast: Why the Right Extrusion Partner Drives Medical Device Innovation

Taylor Reed-MedTech Writer
Oct 15
4 min read

In today’s rapidly evolving medical device industry, innovation is often measured not just by what you design—but by how fast and precisely you can bring it to life.

From neurovascular microcatheters to structural heart delivery systems, every lumen, braid, and wall thickness matters. And when performance depends on the consistency of an extrusion, your manufacturing partner becomes just as critical as your CAD model.

At Glenn Enterprises, we take pride in representing extrusion partners whose capabilities, lubricious additive technology, and responsiveness help engineers achieve slick, high-performance results in record time.

Single Lumen, Multi-Lumen, Balloon tubing, Reinforced catheter shafts, coiling and braiding

Understanding the Science of Lubricious Extrusions

When a catheter or delivery system navigates tortuous anatomy, friction is the enemy. Engineers design for torque, flexibility, and trackability—but even the best design can falter if the extrusion’s surface coefficient of friction is too high.

That’s where lubricious additives, such as Propell Plus™, enter the picture.

Propell Plus™ and similar proprietary additives are blended into the polymer melt during extrusion. The result is a low-friction surface that:

Improves device deliverability through complex vasculature
Reduces insertion forces
Enhances patient comfort
Minimizes wear during repetitive deployment cycles

These benefits are essential for catheters, guide sheaths, and balloon delivery systems, where every micron of smoothness counts.

While some extruders rely on post-processing coatings, integrating lubricious properties directly into the extrusion delivers long-term durability and consistent surface performance. It eliminates flaking, ensures repeatability, and provides engineers a predictable foundation for downstream bonding or coating steps.

Technical Capabilities that Drive Consistency

The best extrusion partners don’t just pull tubing—they engineer precision at scale. In partner ship with a world class extrusion expert with 31+ years in the business, we help exemplify what modern catheter extrusion should look like.

⚙️Technical Highlights

ISO-13485 certified extrusion facility
Precision melt control with in-line laser gauging for dimensional accuracy
Consistent wall concentricity for balanced performance
Lubricious additives available, including Propell Plus™
Material expertise: FEP, PTFE, EFEP, PEBAX, and Pebax blends
Rapid-turn single-lumen extrusions: lead times under one week
Custom multi-lumen and reinforced runs: ≈ 2 weeks turnaround
Applications: catheters, guidewires, hypotubes, and minimally invasive devices
Availability: in stock for R&D through full-scale production volumes
Standards compliance: ASTM and ISO manufacturing frameworks

These aren’t just bullet points—they represent process control disciplines that translate into measurable results:

Wall thickness tolerances as tight as ± 0.03 mm for small-bore tubing
Eccentricity control below 10 % per ASTM D1710
Dimensional stability within ± 1 % following thermal cycling
Surface finish consistency maintained across long production runs

That level of repeatability allows engineers to focus on design function, not compensating for manufacturing variation.

Why an Extrusion Partner Matters More Than Ever

The modern medical device supply chain isn’t just about sourcing components—it’s about building partnerships that de-risk development.

An extrusion partner like Renegade, represented by Glenn Enterprises, provides more than product—they provide process transparency and technical collaboration from concept through commercialization.

Here’s why that matters:

Faster Prototyping and Iteration
In early design stages, every day counts. Short lead times—often under a week for standard single-lumen extrusions—allow engineers to iterate faster, validate designs sooner, and advance programs to clinical readiness without bottlenecks.
Material Expertise Across Applications
Whether you’re designing for neurovascular flexibility or structural heart pushability, access to diverse polymers like FEP, PTFE, EFEP, and PEBAX ensures the extrusion meets both functional and regulatory expectations.
Dimensional Reliability
Catheter systems are multicomponent assemblies. Maintaining ID/OD stability within microns ensures mating parts—like liners, braids, and balloons—fit precisely every time.
Integrated Additives for Functional Performance
Lubricious blends like Propell Plus™ reduce surface friction without the need for coatings, simplifying downstream assembly and enhancing durability.
Scalability from R&D to Production
A true partner maintains consistency from 10-piece prototype runs to thousands of units in full production, using validated setups and process controls.

In short, the right extrusion partner becomes an extension of your engineering team, not just a vendor.

Why Choose Glenn Enterprises

Selecting the right extrusion partner is important—but knowing who to trust to connect you with the best manufacturer is just as critical. That’s where Glenn Enterprises makes the difference.

For over 15 years, Glenn Enterprises has represented trusted medical component manufacturers across metals, plastics, and hybrid assemblies. We help design engineers, program managers, and sourcing teams find the right process capability for each challenge—without the delay of searching and qualifying suppliers from scratch.

🤝The Glenn Enterprises Advantage

One point of contact connecting you to validated, specialized suppliers
Deep expertise in extrusion, grinding, wire forming, coatings, and assembly
Focused on reducing sourcing time and improving throughput
Proven track record supporting R&D, validation, and production builds
Engineering-driven solutions, not just quotes
Short lead times and flexible quantities
Trusted by top-tier medical device OEMs

When you work with Glenn Enterprises, you gain access to a network built on trust, responsiveness, and technical depth. We understand the nuances of catheter design—how the extrusion impacts balloon bonding, marker-band placement, or guidewire interface. That understanding translates to fewer iterations, faster approval cycles, and cleaner builds.

Delivering Performance Under Pressure

Every catheter tells a story of collaboration between design, materials, and process.

When the extrusion performs flawlessly—tight tolerances, smooth surfaces, consistent walls—the rest of the device follows suit.

With Propell Plus™ lubricious additives, ISO-13485 certified processes, and accelerated lead times, Glenn Enterprises and Renegade Extrusion deliver performance you can trust from prototype through production.

Because in the race to market, the slickest results come from precision partnerships.