By Roger Renstrom
CORRESPONDENT
Published: February 13, 2014 2:59 pm ET
Updated: February 13, 2014 3:01 pm ET
ANAHEIM, CALIF. — Employee-owned contract manufacturer and injection molder Diversified Plastics Inc. of Brooklyn Park, Minn., added a three-dimensional printer for production of prototype parts and mold components.
The highly precise Stratasys Objet260 Polyjet Connex can achieve tolerances of 0.0005 inch and went into operation in October. The compact 3D printer works with more than 120 materials and can print multiple materials simultaneously.
Diversified acquired an additional Toshiba electric injection molding machine of 110 tons last year and, during 2014, plans to buy another electric in the range of 110-300 tons. Currently, Diversified operates 18 presses of 50-610 tons including six Van Dorns and five Toshibas.
In May, Diversified obtained registration for medical device production from the Food and Drug Administration’s center for devices and radiological health. The FDA now requires the registration for contract manufacturers of finished medical devices.
Diverfied has a record of sequentially elevating development of single-use urological medical devices including some on display at the UBM Canon trade show Feb. 11-13 in Anaheim.
The devices include a suture thrower and an introducer to assist in implanting urology mesh. The introducer consists of a metal tube with a polycarbonate clamshell grip. An overmolding of a thermoplastic elastomer blend encapsulates the grip.
Diversified has done the preliminary work for 1,000 square feet of clean room as an addition to its existing 600-square-foot Class 8 clean room.
Diversified employs 51 and projects 2014 sales of $12 million vs. last year’s $10 million. Employees took ownership in November 2011. | 
