Other equipment
A versatile, servo-driven blister packager thermoforms or cold-forms blisters up to 40 mm deep and features tool-less changeover.
An integrated print station prints on the top or bottom of the lidstock depending on how the material is threaded. An autolift
mechanism protects heat-sensitive products by raising the seal station if the machine stops (BP540 blister machine, Pentapack
NA).
Bowl feeders for stoppers and other small parts change over without tools, thus reducing downtime from 10–30 min to less than
1 min. Patent-pending units simply lift off, clean easily, and are retrofittable (QS Systems bowl feeders, Service Engineering).
Dots of an instant-bonding, pressure-sensitive adhesive are dispensed from a paper carrier web to provide a competitively
priced alternative to hot melt for sealing folding cartons or attaching inserts/outserts to packaging. Eliminating hot melt
reduces waste, clean-up tasks, warm-up time, and burn hazards. Once adhered, the FDA-compliant pressure-sensitive adhesive
peels cleanly with no fiber tear or residual staining, thus making it well-suited for use with inserts or other materials
where print must remain undamaged. A video trial program allows prospective purchasers to see how the automated applicator
works for their application before they buy a system (SD-900 applicator for Glue Dots brand adhesive, Glue Dots International).
A lab-scale unit punches and seals lidstock to unit-dose containers. The tabletop, servo-driven machine monitors force, time,
and temperature and handles either peelable or non-peelable lidstock (RD 06 punching and sealing machine, Rychiger US).
Packagers who need containment or an aseptic filling environment can retrofit a flexible isolator with clear polyurethane
or PVC walls that allow operators more freedom of movement than rigid counterparts. Systems are compatible with negative air
pressure or nitrogen atmospheres. Single-use systems eliminate much of the cleaning and validation required with conventional
rigid isolators (Ace flexible wall isolators, Telstar North America).
An inkjet printer handles print widths from 108 to 540 mm (4.26 to 21.26 in.) at speeds of up to 100 m (328 ft) per min. Ultraviolet
ink dries instantly and doesn't absorb or bleed to produce crisp alphanumeric characters as small as 4-point. Designed for
mounting on horizontal form-fill-seal, blister, and flow pack machines, the digital coder also reproduces serialized numbers,
one- and two-dimensional barcodes, and graphics at a resolution of 600 dpi (InteliJet HD inkjet printer, Bell-Mark Corp.).
INTERPHEX returns to New York's Javits Center April 23–25, 2013. Meanwhile, pharmaceutical manufacturers will have an opportunity
to research more packaging technologies at PACK EXPO, Oct. 28–31, 2012, at McCormick Place in Chicago. The biennial packaging
show has added a 70,000-ft2 Pharmaceutical Pavilion. The sold-out Pavilion includes the Rx Lounge, a dedicated networking space where attendees can relax
and seek advice from pharmaceutical packaging professionals in an Ask-the-Expert area. More formal presentations on packaging
technology are included in the pharmaceutical track of the conference at PACK EXPO and the schedule for the Innovation Stage.
Hallie Forcinio is Pharmaceutical Technology's Packaging Forum editor, 4708 Morningside Drive, Cleveland, OH 44109, tel. 216.351.5824, fax 216.351.5684, editorhal@cs.com
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