Xcelience expands packaging capabilities
Xcelience has expanded its packaging capabilities by buying a TF1 Blister Packaging Thermoformer machine from Micron PharmaWorks.
The new equipment can produce up to a 100 blisters per minute and can be adapted to create a range of dosage form shapes and sizes.
Xcelience believes the new machine will help it better serve clients’ demand for manufacturing and packaging of clinical trial materials.
Ted Koontz, Xcelience’s director of operations, said: "The TF1 is extremely flexible and is ideally suited for blister packaging of clinical trial materials. It is capable of thermoforming a wide variety of pharmaceutical films as well as Cold-Form Foil.
“This addition is yet another example of Xcelience's willingness and ability to purchase cutting edge equipment to meet our client's needs. We are thrilled to add this capability to our repertoire of clinical trial packaging services."
Accubraille installed in UK plant
Medica Packaging has installed Bobst’s Accubraille system for embossing Braille onto pharmaceutical packaging. It is the first time the system has been installed at a plant in the UK.
Bobost claims its Accubraille is easier to operate and does not suffer from some of the technical issues associated with conventional diecutter Braille machines.
By 2010 all pharmaceutical packaging destined for sale within the EU will have to come with information in Braille. Mark Kerridge, managing director of Benson Group, Medica’s parent company, said: “The main benefits to us of the Accubraille unit are that it will further shorten the supply time to get cartons to our customers, and it will make it easier to maintain the quality of our Braille embossing.”
3S’ ‘practically inimitable’ counterfeit solution
3S Simons Security Systems GmbH claims its Secutag technology can secure pharmaceutical companies’ primary or secondary packaging, the package inserts and the traceability codes against counterfeiting.
The company says Secutag has the world’s “smallest micro colour-code particles” and is accepted as evidence by international courts. Owing to the technical challenges posed by manufacturing the technology 3S believes it is “practically inimitable”.
By combining Secutag with an RFID or data-matrix code, 3S claims the traceability of the entire delivery or of the single packages can be guaranteed, with the products authenticity checked in existing databases around the world.