Material Science Expertise Across Specialized Industries
Founded in 1996, Cambridge Polymer Group, Inc. (CPG) is a contract research laboratory specializing in material science solutions. We collaborate with our clients to solve complex polymer issues, utilizing our full-service laboratory and multi-disciplinary research team to:
- Create experimental designs
- Develop innovative, new materials
- Design prototypes for proof-of-concept studies
- Conduct root-cause analysis in product or manufacturing failures
- Validate manufacturing processes
- Support the regulatory pathway
As a recognized and well-respected leader in materials science, CPG has extensive cross-industry expertise. We work closely with clients across a broad range of demanding industries, helping them develop novel devices, validate the design concepts, optimize their manufacturing processes and mitigate regulatory risks.
Healthcare: Medical Device & Pharmaceutical Support
The healthcare industry utilizes a broad range of durable materials, from basic polymers to advanced biomaterials that support the production of pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and combination products. Material choice and design validation must account for the critical safety aspects of patient contacting devices and compounds.
Pharmaceutical Testing & Development Services
To address the complex challenges of pharmaceuticals and material science, our PhD-level researchers provide innovative R&D strategies and analytical testing solutions that encompass:
- Analytical method development and validation
- Comprehensive data interpretation
- Material selection for specialized applications
- Regulatory standards compliance
- Sterilization impact testing
- Support for drug delivery OEMs
- Testing for analytes in complex matrices
- Material compatibility with drugs and excipients
Medical Devices
Our medical device materials consulting services are science-driven and tailored to meet our clients’ unique needs. CPG specializes in the following areas to mitigate risk, optimize performance, and ensure regulatory compliance (FDA/ISO):
- Biocompatibility
- Failure analysis
- Polymer science
- Cleaning assessments and validations
- Manufacturing support
- Degradation analysis
- Accelerated aging
Our experienced team assists clients with medical device material selection and testing recommendations to meet the specific requirements of a diverse range of applications, such as orthopaedic implants, disposable syringes, surgical instruments, catheters, endoscopes, and more. By continuously updating our technologies and methodologies and actively participating in AAMI and ASTM standard development, we are a leading force in material selection for the healthcare industry.
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Combination Products
At the intersection between medical devices and pharmaceuticals, combination devices are becoming increasingly popular. CPG provides critical support to device manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies to ensure adequate performance and compatibility of drug/device combinations. Our unsurpassed expertise enables us to help clients overcome challenges associated with design, material compatibility, regulatory compliance, testing, and development.
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Additive Manufacturing & 3D Printing
CPG provides additive manufacturing support, from raw material to finished components. Both additive manufacturing and 3D printing are used interchangeably to describe the process of adding material rather than subtracting them to create three-dimensional (3D) objects. 3D printing is typically associated with small-scale operations or prototyping, whereas additive manufacturing is commonly used in engineering, industrial, and production processes to create end-use parts that perform as expected.
These techniques offer many benefits, but understanding how these materials behave in medical devices is crucial. Incomplete fusion and residual monomers are obvious issues where experience in material science, and the issues with cleaning or validating biocompatibility, is vital. At CPG, our knowledgeable team of engineers and polymer scientists implements a diverse range of testing methods to ensure our customers’ parts are consistently produced to the highest quality and safety standards.
Our Ph.D.-level material scientists are cross-disciplined, valued members of the ASTM F42 (Additive Manufacturing Technologies), and have expertise testing and analyzing parts using the following techniques:
Sustainability
CPG provides specialized analytical and R&D services for, with a focus on elastomers, polymers, and composites. Leveraging our expertise in developing eco-friendly materials, and the impact of production on polymers, allows us to deliver:
Material composition evolution with regrind or reprocessing
Trace contaminant determination
Advanced, durable materials for producing energy-efficient components
Failure analysis testing
Regulatory support
Energy Material Solutions
CPG’s experience across industries provides invaluable expertise in high performance materials. Materials for alternative energy solutions often face the most demanding requirements, and understanding the impact of the surrounding environment is crucial. CPG has worked on applications as diverse as solar materials, fuel cells, wind turbines and moisture harvesting. Specific areas of experience are:
- Potting and sealing compounds on solar panels
- Separators in fuel cells
- Membranes in conventional alkaline batteries
- Rheology of liquid electrolytes
- Environmental stress on electronics packages
Consumer Products
Polymers, which are often used to manufacture lightweight consumer products such as electronic housings, toys, and outdoor recreational equipment. In addition, polymers are often a critical component of the formulation itself. We have assisted companies in the following areas:
- Cost-effective scalability
- Custom properties
- Recycling optimization
- Reduced landfill impact
- Shelf-life stability
- Surface engineering
- Product optimization through rheology or surface tension
- Mechanical testing of client product
- Psychorheology, mapping consumer perception to analytical data
Advanced textile innovation can be tailored to encompass a broad range of properties, allowing material scientists to select materials optimized for various characteristics, such as elastic behavior, odor resistance, color fastness, and more.
Environmental Sustainability of Polymeric Materials
The primary factors for reducing the environmental impact of polymer materials include:
Advanced recycling technologies
Converting plastic waste into valuable oligomers or monomers to support a circular economy.
Bio-based polymers
Minimizing reliance on fossil fuels and reducing carbon emissions by using polymers derived from plant-based, renewable biomass.
Biodegradable alternatives
Reducing waste accumulation through the use of materials that naturally degrade via environmental factors or microorganisms.
Robotics Materials Consulting and Testing
Robotics encompasses a diverse range of devices across various industrial applications. At CPG, our knowledgeable team can address common material issues associated with robotics, such as:
- Material selection
- Durability
- Compatibility with cleaning agents or system ingredients, such as lubricants
- Material aging
- Strength-to-weight optimization
- Wear
- Fatigue
Environmental exposure to corrosive chemicals, extreme pressures and temperatures, and aggressive cleaning agents must also be considered when selecting a material for robotic applications. Incompatible materials can significantly shorten the lifespan of a robot and lead to poor performance or premature failure.
Medical Device and Surgical Robotics: Materials, Testing, and Regulatory Support
Key material considerations for medical and surgical robotics include:
- Biocompatibility
- Cleaning
- Fatigue
- Sterilization degradation
- Wear
Flexible elastomers, such as silicone and PU, are ideal for soft robotic applications but require specific chemical compatibility testing to confirm performance capabilities.
Commodity elastomers and polymers, such as ABS, PC, and nylon, are often used for disposable instruments, housings, and flexible medical components.
High-performance materials, such as PPSU and PEEK, offer superior sterilization durability, making them the preferred choice for reusable robotics instruments.
Industrial Robotics Materials Consulting and Testing
CPG supports material selection for industrial robotics by providing testing and failure analysis for elastomers, polymers, and composites used in grippers, bearings, and gears. Our high-quality materials feature the following properties to enhance robot reliability and performance:
- Durability
- Friction reduction
- Environmental stability
- Fatigue and wear resistance
Our custom test plans are designed to validate wear, friction, creep, environmental aging, and fatigue. GLP-compliant testing provides material validation for medical robotics, and failure analysis testing helps us identify root causes of failure to optimize material performance.
Contact CPG To Learn More About the Industries We Serve
Since 1996, Cambridge Polymer Group, Inc. has been providing material science solutions that include contract polymer testing by industry and R&D to meet the needs of our global clientele. Our multidisciplinary team delivers end-to-end support in the following areas:
Additive engineering
Custom testing and validation
Failure analysis and traditional analytical testing
Material selection and development
Process compatibility