Packaging 14915

Originally Published MPMNMay 2004

OutsourcingOutlook

Packaging

Custom Packager Creates Medical Division

A company added a medical division to provide adhesive packaging in quantities from 1 to 1000 g. Equipped with a Class 100,000 cleanroom, the company offers two-part system solutions with reactive adhesives, sealants, or resins in a number of package types. These include A-Pak flexible burst-seal and divider-clip pouches, dual cartridges, and Semkit packages. Acrylics, conductives, epoxies, polysulfides, polyurethanes, and silicones are a few of the materials handled. Designed for large production runs of dual cartridges, a high-speed filling machine dispenses low-viscosity epoxy liquids to high-viscosity pastes into cartridges from 4 to 400 ml with ratios of 1:1 through 10:1. Labeling options include bar codes, corporate logos, caution warnings, instructions for use, material content, and serial numbers.Adhesive Packaging Specialties Inc., Peabody, MA www.adhesivepackaging.com 

Tooling Technology Enhances In-Line Production and Packaging

A medical thermoform packaging company is capable of design, advanced tooling technology, and in-line high-speed production. The end product is created by first evaluating the needs of the packaging engineer, assembly line, customer, and end-user. Specializing in rapid development using CAD and CAM, the company has cut lead times for prototypes and production tooling in half. CNC machining programs are generated from each solid model design, and simulation software is used to validate and optimize tool design. The company's system enhances a medical company's ability to create multifunctional blisters, procedural trays, and instrument packages.Computer Designs, Whitehall, PA www.computer-designs.com 

 

Equipment Acquisitions Enable Packaging Services and Testing

A full-service contract manufacturing and packaging company acquired equipment to provide services such as cleanroom assembly and packaging and product kitting. Package testing options include seal strength, burst, and integrity. Offered for both sterile and nonsterile devices, the company's medical packaging capabilities include thermoformed trays, blisters, clamshells, temperature and static-sensitive packaging, and tubes for liquid products. Peel pouches, tear-open pouches, header pouches, film, foil, and Tyvek are options for flexible packaging. Consumer-ready services include secondary packaging, labeling and lot coding, shrink wrapping, sterilization management, validation, and fulfillment.Pro-Tech Design and Manufacturing Inc., Santa Fe Springs, CA www.protechdesign.net 

Packaging Integrity Lab Provides Seal-Inspection Service

Companies currently evaluating packaging machinery can have their pouches sealed and inspected at a seal integrity lab. A manufacturer of packaging machinery offers the services of its lab and will run a comprehensive seal-strength study on companies' products. Trained technicians can scrutinize sterile packs through a number of seal-strength challenges, and the laboratory can perform burst testing, peel analysis, and dye-penetration studies. Using computer interface systems, the collected data are extrapolated to provide comprehensive real-time data logging with NIST-traceable equipment. The company also provides equipment such as the Viú seal inspection system, the MS-350 medical device sealer, and the V-402 device vacuum sealer.Van der Stahl Scientific Inc., Wrightwood, CA www.vanderstahl.com 

Dutch Packaging Provider Expands North American Presence

With headquarters and a parts distribution center recently established in North America, a Dutch manufacturer provides portioning and packaging systems suited for device-kit assembly. Packaging services are available to customers not wishing to purchase the company's equipment. High-speed counting machines assess each product's electronic signature against specific programmed values such as size, shape, and weight. Products are rejected if there is any deviation from the predetermined parameters. The company's form-fill-seal machinery includes the HP 25000 VFFS model, suitable for bag formats with an adjustable bag length of 100 to 300 mm and bag widths from 40 to 250 mm. An optional double bag-length system enables handling sizes up to 560 mm. Depending on the application, a speed of up to 80 packages per minute is possible. The HP 35000 applies to bag widths from 170 to 350 mm at rates up to 55 bags per minute. Equipped with a constant-temperature-adjustment seal system, the machines guarantee an even temperature through the length of the sealing wire under changing circumstances. They can process most sealable films, including polyethylene and polypropylene, in various thicknesses and compositions. An optional function enables strip packaging of two to eight separate parts containing various types or quantities of product.Hachmang North America, Elmhurst, IL www.hm-na.com  

Packaging Development Accompanies Manufacturing Capabilities

Product and packaging development are provided along with turnkey manufacturing capabilities to minimize time to market as well as start-up costs. The company uses a variety of thermoforming, cutting, welding, sealing, and printing equipment for manufacturing and packaging products. Using a variety of thermoformable plastics, the company handles gauges up to 0.040 in. and roll widths from 12 to 25 in. for in-line thermoforming. Sheet sizes up to 48 ¥ 36 ¥ 0.250 in. can be processed for shuttle forming. Design, process qualification, and contract services are available for customers seeking assistance with product packaging.J-PAC, Somersworth, NH www.j-pac.com 

Contract Firm Focuses on Packaging Disposable Products

A provider of custom medical assembly and packaging services focuses on processing disposable products. Completed devices can be packaged in Tyvek pouches or thermoformed trays. Sterilization can also be performed using a variety of methods. Sealing equipment includes a Doboy B500M medical-grade band sealer and visual thermoforming blister and tray sealer. The company specializes in custom IV administration sets, phacoemulsification sets, Mayo stand covers, and custom medical assemblies.IPAX Inc., Englewood, CO www.ipaxinc.com 

Private-Labeled Procedure Kits and Trays Packaged In-House

A provider of contract manufacturing services and components offers packaging services to produce custom private-labeled procedure kits and trays. Options range from custom-formed blister packs, flexible pouches, and polybags to disposable procedure kits. The company's design engineers use flexible in-house resources to work with customers to develop packages. Depending on the final product, several sterilization techniques are available, includingEtO. B. Braun OEM/Industrial Div., Bethlehem, PA www.bbraunoem-industrial.com 

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