CleanCut
Under 1 week
An engineer starts on your spec, sketch or sample part.
Engineering
An engineer on your project in under a week, not 4–8 weeks.
The 4–8 week wait is common at large converters. Here, a packaging engineer who works on the cutting floor reviews your spec, sketch or sample part, and tells you what will cut, tear or seal badly and what we'd change.
The wait, compared
Under a week to an engineer, not 4–8.
The time from sending what you have to a packaging engineer working on your project.
Common at large converters
4–8 weeks
A common wait for engineering time on a new project.
A small team.
A new project doesn't wait in a long queue. The people who review your spec work alongside the people who cut it.Design and cutting under one roof.
Spec review, prototypes and production happen in the same building in Kensington, so questions about a part get answered at the press.A die, not a mold.
Every new outline needs a cutting die, not a new mold. A new die adds about one week, so a design change doesn't restart the project.
This is the wait for engineering work, not for a quote. We still reply within one business day, and aim to quote parts we cut within two business days of having what we need.
What our engineers do
Four ways an engineer helps before we cut.
Our advice helps you decide. You approve the spec, and you validate the package.
Design for die-cutting
We review outlines, holes, slots, tabs, corner radii and the material you've picked, and tell you what will cut, tear or seal badly and what we'd change. Tolerances are quoted per part.
A die-line from your sketch
No spec yet? Send a sketch, a photo, a 3D model or a sample part. We draw the die-line for you to approve, free for parts we quote.
Material and sterilization advice
Lids, cards, rollstock and pouches chosen to suit your tray, your device and your sterilization method. Our chart rates each product for EtO, gamma, e-beam and steam. Where it says “Ask us”, ask our engineer.
Validation-build planning
Quantities, lots and documents for your ISO 11607 validation build: how many parts the test plan needs, including set-up and retests, how lots should appear in the build, and which documents to ask for. You validate the package; we supply the parts and the paperwork.
How it works
From spec to delivered parts.
- 01
Send your spec or CAD
A PDF, DXF, DWG, STEP or IGES file, your customer's spec with its revision, or a sketch or sample part if you have no spec yet. Add the material if you know it, and your tray or pouch.
- 02
Engineering review and quote
We check the geometry, material and critical tolerances, tell you about anything that will cut, tear or seal badly and what we'd change, and aim to quote within two business days of having what we need, for the parts we cut. If the part needs engineering work first, an engineer starts on it in under a week, not the 4–8 weeks common at large converters.
- 03
Prototype samples
Quick-turn samples cut from the production material.
- 04
Validate or verify
Seal, sterilize and test the parts on your own line and cycle. If the package is already validated, check the first parts against the approved spec. A first-article inspection report is available on request.
- 05
Production and ship
Small runs or full volumes, shipped to Canada, the US and the EU.
Checklist
What to send us
Send what you have. Nothing on this list is required to start the conversation.
- Spec or CAD filePDF, DXF, DWG, STEP or IGES. If you build to your customer's spec, send it with its revision.
- No spec yetA sketch with key dimensions, a photo, or a sample part is enough to start.
- MaterialIf you know it. "Not sure yet" is a fine answer.
- Tray or pouchThe tray or pouch the part goes with, or its spec.
- Sterilization methodEtO, gamma, e-beam, steam or a low-temperature method, if you know it.
- Quantities and timelineWhat the build needs now, what production looks like later, and any hard dates.
FAQ
Engineering: common questions
How fast does an engineer start on my project?
In under a week, not the 4–8 weeks common at large converters. That is the wait until a packaging engineer is working on your project. It is not the quote time or the time to finish the design.
The times we already publish still apply:
- We reply within one business day.
- Our quote target is 2 business days for parts we cut and 3–5 business days for supplied items, once we have the details we need.
- Prototype parts typically ship in weeks, not months, from spec approval. A new die adds about 1 week.
- Production parts ship in 2–3 weeks on an existing die.
Is engineering help free?
Yes, for parts we quote. Reviewing your spec, sketch or sample, suggesting changes, advising on material and planning a validation build are part of quoting. We draw the die-line for you to approve, free for parts we quote.
The cutting die is quoted once, as a separate line from the part price, and you own it once it is paid for.
Can you work from my customer's spec?
Yes. Send the approved spec, its revision and the material callout.
- We cut to it as written, and quote to your customer's part number and revision.
- If something in the spec will cause trouble on the die or on your line, our engineer tells you before we cut.
- We don't substitute materials or change the process without your written approval.
Do you validate the package?
No. The device maker, or the contract manufacturer that seals for them, validates the sterile barrier system to ISO 11607-1 and ISO 11607-2.
We help you plan the parts side of a validation build: how many parts to order, how lots should appear in the build, and which documents to ask for. We cut validation lots on the production die and process, and ship them with a certificate of conformance and lot records. We don't validate your package or claim compliance on your behalf.
Start a project
Have a sketch, a spec or a sample part? Send it over.
Yours or your customer's. We'll reply within one business day, and an engineer starts on your project in under a week, not the 4–8 weeks common at large converters.