Engineering Better Fluid Management with Porous Fiber: From Concept to Production 

Date: Wednesday, September 2, 2026

Event Summary

Fluid management challenges are rarely solved by a single material property. Achieving reliable device performance requires the right combination of material selection, pore structure, component design, and manufacturing expertise.

In this webinar, Porex fiber technology experts will explore how porous bonded fiber solutions can be tailored to meet demanding medical device requirements. You’ll gain insight into the broad range of materials, pore structures, performance characteristics, and formats available, and learn how these design variables influence fluid handling, capillary action, filtration, absorption, venting, and overall device performance.

Beyond material selection, we’ll discuss how porous fiber components can be designed for precise geometries and application-specific performance, helping simplify device integration, streamline assembly, and support scalable, high-volume manufacturing. Through real-world case studies, you’ll see how custom porous fiber solutions have helped medical device manufacturers solve complex engineering challenges, improve device performance, and accelerate product development. 

What You’ll Learn

• How porous bonded fiber technologies can be tailored to optimize fluid management across a wide range of medical device applications.
• How material selection, pore structure, and component design work together to influence fluid handling, capillary action, filtration, absorption, venting, and overall device performance.
• Design considerations that simplify device integration, improve manufacturability, and support scalable production.
• How custom porous fiber solutions have addressed real-world engineering challenges through application case studies.
• Best practices for selecting porous fiber technologies early in development to reduce risk, accelerate development, and support successful commercialization.

Whether you’re evaluating materials for a new device or optimizing an existing design, this webinar will provide practical insights to help you engineer more effective fluid management solutions—and simplify the path from concept to production. 

Speakers:

Ron Billups, Senior Product Development Engineer • Porex

Ron Billups is a Principal Engineer at Porex Technologies Corp with more than 30 years of experience in manufacturing, specializing in polymer and fiber production. Over the course of his 26-year career with Porex, Ron has built a reputation for technical excellence, operational leadership, and process optimization. Ron earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, in 1991. Throughout his tenure at Porex, he has spent the majority of his career in Operations, where he has led manufacturing initiatives focused on improving quality, efficiency, and productivity. He also contributed to Product Development, applying his engineering expertise to support the successful commercialization of innovative porous polymer technologies. Drawing on decades of hands-on manufacturing experience, Ron combines deep technical knowledge with a practical, solutions-oriented approach to solving complex engineering challenges. His expertise spans process engineering, polymer manufacturing, fiber production, operational excellence, and continuous improvement. He is committed to developing reliable manufacturing processes that deliver high-quality products while driving innovation and operational performance.

Patrick Latimer, Product Development Engineer • Porex

Patrick Latimer graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2024 with a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering and a specialization in Life Science Engineering. He began his career with Porex as a co-op during the summer before his sophomore year of college. Over the course of three years, he gained experience in both the Research & Development department and the Quality department, developing a strong foundation in product development, manufacturing, and quality systems while completing his degree. Upon graduation, Patrick accepted a full-time position as a Continuous Improvement Engineer, where he partnered closely with the Quality team to drive process improvements and operational excellence. After approximately four months, he was promoted to Production Supervisor, where he led the day-to-day operations of an 8×4 shift, supporting production goals, team performance, safety, and process execution. Following 15 months in that role, he transitioned into his current position as a Product Development Engineer, where he focuses on developing innovative solutions and bringing new products from concept through production.