Diagnostic consumable markets are expanding worldwide rapidly, with countries like China projected to see reaction cup volumes nearly triple from 1,500 million units in 2020 to over 4,000 million units by 2030—representing annual growth rates of approximately 10%.

Scaling reaction cup production to capitalize on this market growth, however, is not always straightforward. Ultra-tight tolerances, high transparency standards, and the need for consistent quality across millions of cycles often push conventional molding systems beyond their limits.

In this article, we explore how Husky’s advanced hot runner technologies—Ultra Helix™ and UltraSync™—are enabling leading manufacturers to overcome these challenges and seize unprecedented growth opportunities. 

Preserving Material Integrity for Sensitive Applications

Reaction cups demand exceptional transparency and chemical resistance to ensure accurate optical measurements in diagnostic applications. However, many medical-grade resins like polycarbonate (PC) are prone to degradation during processing, leading to contamination, discoloration, and compromised performance.

UltraMelt™ technology addresses these material challenges through precision-engineered, non-reactive surfaces that preserve sensitive resin chemistry throughout the molding process.

UltraMelt™ enables:

●       100% non-reactive surfaces that prevent material degradation and contamination

●       Optimized thermal control maintaining material transparency and optical properties

●       Corrosion resistance for extended system life with challenging resins

●       Aerospace-grade construction ensuring consistent performance over millions of cycles

●       Specialized design for temperature-sensitive and chemically reactive materials

Gate Quality for High-Volume Production

As manufacturers scale to meet the growing demand for reaction cups, gate quality becomes a critical factor that can make or break profitability. When producing billions of units, even minor gate vestige issues compound into significant quality and cost problems. Traditional hot runner technologies struggle with gate quality degradation over millions of cycles, inconsistent thermal profiles affecting cavity balance, and extended mold qualification times that delay production ramp-up.

Husky’s Ultra Helix™ addresses these challenges through cutting-edge manufacturing techniques and innovative design that achieves an unprecedented level of gate vestige cleanliness. From startup through millions of cycles, this technology ensures consistently high gate quality, often lasting the life of the mold.

Ultra Helix™ technology enables:

●       Precision gate control through stem-to-gate concentricity and uniform thermal profiles, ensuring consistent flow and cavity balance

●       Simplified mold integration that reduces complexity and accelerates setup

●       Advanced thermal management with innovative heater design that ensures consistent temperatures and reduces qualification time

●       Enhanced thermal consistency that reduces mold qualification time and costs

●       Universal compatibility across all nozzle sizes and gate styles for design flexibility

Precision Valve Control for Multi-Cavity Excellence

When running high-cavity molds at the scale required for reaction cup production, cavity-to-cavity variation becomes a critical challenge. Even minor variations compound into major quality and cost issues, while process variation affects both part quality and mold longevity. Additionally, traditional pneumatic systems create ongoing energy costs through compressed air requirements that impact overall production economics.

UltraSync™ represents the next generation of servo-driven valve gate actuation, delivering synchronized, precision-controlled valve stem movement that ensures consistent quality across millions of cycles. By synchronizing valve movement across all cavities, UltraSync™ eliminates the timing inconsistencies and cycle-to-cycle variation that undermine part quality and yield.

UltraSync™ enables:

●       Synchronized plate actuation for precise valve timing and stem positioning across all cavities

●       Servo-driven precision for reduced cavity variability and consistent part quality

●       No compressed air required—cutting energy use and operating costs

●       Enhanced process control from start-up to high-volume production environments

●       Flexible integration available across a range of gate styles and nozzle sizes

●       Superior repeatability that maintains quality standards throughout millions of cycles

A Sustainable Advantage in a Fast-Moving Market

Reaction cup manufacturing is evolving rapidly, and not all suppliers will be able to keep pace. Manufacturers still relying on conventional hot runner systems will struggle to scale without sacrificing quality.

Husky's UltraMelt™, Ultra Helix™ and UltraSync™ technologies provide more than performance upgrades—they offer a strategic advantage in a competitive, high-growth market. With unmatched gate quality, synchronized cavity control, and reduced operating costs, these systems enable precision at scale while lowering the total cost of ownership.

And in this fast-moving IVD sector, where capacity decisions made today will define market position for the next decade, the time to act is now.

Ready to Get Started? 

Connect with Husky specialists to discuss your injection molding goals and learn more about how Ultra Helix™ and UltraSync™ can position your operation to capitalize on the growing reaction cup market opportunities.