Advanced polymers play a critical role in medical device manufacturing, enabling safe, reliable, and high-precision components. Photo courtesy of Gauss Engineering Solutions.
In the white corridors of laboratories and operating rooms worldwide, state-of-the-art medical devices share one essential trait: they are primarily made of plastic.
You can also read: The Rapid Growth of the Medical Elastomer Market.
But not just any plastic—these are advanced materials designed to resist chemicals and heat while maintaining biocompatibility. Costa Rica quietly positions itself as a strategic global hub in this evolving landscape.
The country is already a leader in medical device exports, with the sector representing 44% of its total exports. It’s also becoming a critical player in manufacturing high-performance plastic components.
“Despite the challenging global context, Costa Rica’s exports remain strong,” says Laura López, General Manager of the Costa Rican Foreign Trade Promotion Agency (PROCOMER). “Foreign direct investment companies continue to bet on the country due to its human talent and favorable business conditions.”
“Plastics are essential to the sector, offering unmatched properties compared to other materials,” explains Rich Buletko, Senior Project Engineer at Accudyn Products Inc.. This U.S.-based company recently established operations in Costa Rica.
According to Buletko, medical-grade plastics are not only lightweight, versatile, and durable but also biocompatible, corrosion-resistant, and capable of delivering precision at scale. “They enable faster production cycles and extremely high accuracy, which is especially important for critical, life-saving products,” he emphasizes.
Accudyn works with a diverse range of materials—from polycarbonate (PC), polyamide (PA), and PMMA to thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) and polyphenyl sulfone (Radel® PPSU). Also,their technical capabilities include two-shot molding, which allows different resins to be combined in a single cycle—a method increasingly demanded in complex medical applications.
Costa Rica-based Gauss Medical Devices echoes this view. “Plastic represents between 65% and 70% of all raw materials in our devices,” says Reyner Vallejos, Director of Operations and Engineering. “The dependency is total.”
Operating as both a component supplier and contract manufacturer, Gauss faces a dual challenge: selecting the right resin and meeting strict international regulations. “It’s not just formulation—it’s compliance, performance, and traceability,” he adds.
As Vallejos points out, certifications like REACH and RoHS, once European-specific, are now widely required by U.S. clients—further raising the bar for medical-grade plastics.
Injection molding operations at Accudyn’s plant, where advanced plastics like PPSU and TPE are transformed into life-saving components. Photo courtesy of Accudyn Products Inc.
Despite its growing prominence in medical manufacturing, Costa Rica does not produce plastics domestically. Nearly all resins are imported, mainly from the U.S. and China.
Vallejos sees a strategic opportunity here:“PTFE is a high-potential material, but its local unavailability limits design flexibility. If a regional supplier stepped in, it would change the game.”
There is also a shared need for specialized laboratories. Gauss currently partners with the Center for Research and Extension in Materials (CIEMTEC) for biocompatibility tests—facilities that would be prohibitively expensive to build independently.
In an industry reliant on single-use plastics, sustainability is complex—but not ignored. Accudyn is ISO 14001-certified and has implemented several measures to reduce its environmental footprint.“We may not control post-use waste—but we can control how these products are made,” says Buletko.
Vallejos agrees, stressing that sustainable design must start at the material level, even if full compostability remains a future goal.
Both companies are expanding. Accudyn is installing vertical molding technologies for cable-based and sensitive components. Gauss, meanwhile, is launching a new plant featuring an R&D lab for next-generation product development.
The message is clear: Costa Rica’s role in high-performance medical plastics is no passing trend. It’s a long-term strategy with global reach. As Vallejos puts it, “If Costa Rica produced plastics, we wouldn’t just be a leader in medical devices—we’d be competing in automotive and electronics as well.”
Closed-loop material handling and energy-efficient molding systems at Accudyn, aligned with ISO 14001 environmental management standards. Photo courtesy of Accudyn Products Inc.
| Description | USD Millions | % Share |
| Hardened protein or cellulosic plastic artificial casings | 7.7 | 54% |
| Plastic pipes and fittings | 1.9 | 13% |
| Other plastic manufacturers | 1.3 | 9% |
| Polyethylene with a density ≥ 0.94 | 1.2 | 8% |
| Plastic packaging items | 1.0 | 7% |
| Plastic sheets and plates | 0.8 | 5% |
| Polyvinyl chloride | 0.1 | 1% |
| Plastic bars, rods, and profiles | 0.1 | 0% |
| Apparel and accessories made from plastic sheets, incl. gloves, mittens | 0.0 | 0% |
| Epoxy resins | 0.0 | 0% |
| TOTAL | 14.4 | 100% |
Source: Costa Rican Foreign Trade Promotion Agency (PROCOMER).
Seventy percent of FDM energy goes to the heated bed, but adjusting processing parameters can…
The INC-5 summit in Busan advanced the Global Plastics Treaty; Geneva 2025 aims to resolve…
K 2025 preview unveils cutting-edge plastics tech: low-carbon materials, advanced recycling, smart thermoplastics, and EV-ready…
SABIC, BASF, and Braskem are using certified-renewable plastics to reshape supply chains with drop-in, low-carbon,…
Plastics Engineering honors Glenn Beall’s remarkable journey, highlighting his deep impact on design, education, and industry…
This is the second in a two-part series discussing adjusting your injection molding process to…