Q: What information do you need from me to be able to provide a quote for silicone?
A: We need to know the dimensions of the silicone item you require (we are asked to make many things other than silicone mock vessels, though they are the majority of our work). Ideally, you should send a drawing of the piece complete with dimensions.
For silicone mock vessels it is usual to use either the wall thickness or the radial compliance as the key control parameter.
Q: Do you offer testing services?
A: We are involved in the design and construction of testing equipment, and have been commissioned to execute some one-off testing for clients. We do not currently offer standard testing such as fatigue or durability testing for stents, heart valves etc. However, we do plan to roll out those testing services in the next year.
Q: What shapes can you produce for silicone mock vessels?
A: We are asked to produce a variety of custom shapes for silicone mock vessels, but the majority fall in to one of three categories; straight vessels, bifurcated vessels and curved vessels.
Essentially, if we are able to machine the tooling, then we can produce a silicone mock vessel from it.
Q: Are we safe to share confidential information with you?
A: Client confidentiality is key to us. We understand that you are sharing sensitive information with us, and equally ask that you appreciate the proprietary nature of our work. Our standard practice is to enter in to some form of mutual non-disclosure. We are generally happy to work with your standard documentation for this.
Q: Do you provide certification of properties for silicone mock vessels?
A: We are happy to provide certification for your silicone mock vessels. This will confirm the compliance that we have measured for each vessel (
we measure each vessel, not just a random sample from each batch) as well as any other variables that are seen as key to the performance of the product.
Q: Why are your silicone mock vessels cheaper than others that are available, does this mean they are of a lower quality?
A: The process we have developed for producing silicone mock vessels allows us to produce them more efficiently, as well as delivering a more consistent product. We've used that gain in efficiency to reduce that price charged for the product. We are confident that you will consider the quality of our mock vessels to be a significant improvement on any others that you have or could purchase.
Q: Can I see the quality of your silicone mock vessels before I commit to a purchase?
A: We are always happy to provide samples of our work. We might not have the exact dimensions that you are looking for, but we will be able to furnish something very similar to the product you require.