Published February 8, 2023 – Updated April 20, 2026
Introduction
Technical elastomers, particularly silicone, are widely used in demanding industrial environments, including applications related to the medical and pharmaceutical sectors.
These materials are valued for their thermal stability, resistance to ageing, flexibility, and their ability to maintain consistent properties over time, making them well-suited to challenging operating conditions.
Depending on the formulation, certain elastomers can meet specific requirements, particularly in terms of material contact and regulatory compliance (such as FDA requirements).
Silicone in Healthcare Environments: Specific Constraints
Industrial applications in medical and pharmaceutical environments require high levels of reliability, repeatability, and material control.
In practice, technical components may be exposed to:
• frequent cleaning cycles
• temperature variations
• repeated mechanical stress
• controlled contact with materials
These constraints must be considered from the material selection stage.
In such environments, consistency of performance over time is often more critical than initial performance.
ENRI’s Role: An Industrial Approach to Healthcare Applications
At ENRI, we operate as an industrial partner, working alongside equipment manufacturers during the design and production stages.
We manufacture silicone-coated rollers and custom technical parts for industrial companies developing equipment or solutions used in medical, pharmaceutical, or related environments.
Our role is to address precise technical requirements while taking into account process constraints such as temperature, contact conditions, dimensional accuracy, and long-term performance.
A High-Performance Material, but Not a Universal Solution
Silicone offers many advantages in these environments, but it is not a universal solution.
It provides excellent thermal stability and long-term performance, but remains more sensitive to abrasion and certain mechanical stresses.
In some cases, a comprehensive analysis of the overall process is required to validate the appropriate material choice. This is essential in applications where long-term reliability is critical.
Example of Application in Medical or Pharmaceutical Environments
In certain converting or packaging lines used in medical, pharmaceutical, or related environments, silicone rollers are subjected to combined stresses.
They may be exposed to:
• frequent cleaning cycles
• elevated temperatures
• repeated mechanical stress
• controlled material contact
In this type of environment, silicone helps maintain relatively stable properties over time, whereas other materials may degrade more quickly.
For example, on lines requiring regular cleaning and temperature fluctuations, the choice of material and hardness becomes critical to prevent deformation, loss of precision, or process drift.
Our RISIL AL-60 rollers, a silicone grade adapted for contact applications, are regularly used in this type of configuration.
Recently, a series of rollers was manufactured in our workshop for an industrial customer operating in this type of process.
A Clear Industrial Positioning
ENRI acts as an industrial partner, providing technical solutions tailored to equipment and to the specific constraints of each application.
Our approach is based on analysing real operating conditions in order to deliver reliable and durable solutions.
Do You Have a Project?
Are you developing equipment or solutions for medical or pharmaceutical environments?
Our team supports you in selecting the right material and manufacturing your technical parts or coated rollers, based on your actual operating constraints.
To learn more about silicone properties in industrial environments, you can also read our dedicated article on industrial silicone.
Feel free to contact us to discuss your project.
For a broader overview of regulatory requirements and coating solutions in the pharmaceutical industry, you can also consult our dedicated article: https://www.enri.fr/les-solutions-de-revetement-adaptees-aux-normes-strictes-de-lindustrie-pharmaceutique/
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