Specialplast – supplier to medtech companies
Specialplast, based in Gislaved, has been working with welding of soft plastics and film materials since its founding in 1956, and for the past 30 years has produced products for companies in the medtech industry.
– “During this period, we have grown from small-scale production of medical devices to becoming one of Sweden’s leading suppliers of high-quality soft plastic products to both large and small medtech companies in the Nordics and Germany,” explains Per-Erik Levinsson, CEO of Specialplast Wensbo.
– “The core of our production process is welding and joining of soft plastics, but we also process hard plastics and perform assembly and finishing of manufactured products, depending on customer requirements.”
Specialplast Wensbo does not own any medical device products itself but instead helps medtech companies take their product from the idea stage and first prototype to a finished product on the market.
– “Among the products we manufacture for customers are, for example, various types of drainage bags, liquid containers, and different mattresses for pressure relief and prevention of bedsores.”
– “We also manufacture hygienic disposable shields for CPR as well as components for intelligent training manikins used to educate doctors, nurses, and paramedics. We tailor the manufacturing process to our customers’ needs.”
Three cleanrooms
To meet the industry’s strict cleanliness requirements and to control airborne particles, temperature, and airflow, Specialplast Wensbo has installed three cleanrooms totaling more than 500 square meters at its Gislaved facility.
– “Our cleanrooms are classified as ISO Class 8, which means that everyone entering goes through several steps including washing and changing into protective clothing adapted to the production environment.”
– “Production inside the cleanrooms is a mix of automated production lines with robots and manual handling. Manufacturing is flexible – we can produce products in volumes from small batches up to millions of units, and adjust our shifts accordingly.”
– “For many years, we have been certified according to ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO 13485, and we have now started the process to achieve ISO 28000 certification in 2025.”
Per-Erik Levinsson highlights the company’s development services as a key factor behind its success and strong reputation among medtech companies. Specialplast Wensbo has two development offices: one in Lund, close to the university hospital, startup companies, and medtech development consultants, and another at GoCo Health Innovation City in Mölndal.
– “In Lund and Mölndal, we are in constant contact with medtech companies and industry peers to explore new collaborations. Our development teams are skilled at taking ideas to the next step – from discussions about material selection and production methods to manufacturing, final assembly, quality assurance, packaging, warehousing, and distribution.”
– “Early in the process, many customers want a prototype they can hold and evaluate, which we can deliver thanks to our expertise and production facilities.”
Latvian sister company
Specialplast Wensbo, with 40 employees and a turnover of approximately SEK 150 million, also has a major trading business with a warehouse in Gislaved, importing and distributing office and packaging products to wholesalers and specialty retailers across the Nordics. Specialplast Wensbo is one of the operating companies within the Specialplast Group SG AB.
The other company, SIA Specialplast (formerly SIA Centennial), was previously partly owned by the group, but in 2024 all shares were acquired. The company is located in Daugavpils, Latvia.
– “Our high flexibility, expertise, and capacity have always been our strengths, and through the acquisition of SIA Specialplast we have further strengthened these. In the Latvian operation, we also weld soft plastics and produce products made of paper and textiles,” says Per-Erik Levinsson.
