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Blisterpackagingmachineriesusedinpharmaindustry
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Blisterpackagingmachineriesusedinpharmaindustry
DrD.Mandal,Thursday,July23,2015,08:00Hrs[IST]

Inpharmaceuticalindustries,theconventionalmaterialsusedforpackagingofdrugsandmedicinesconsistofvarioustypesofglass,petbottles,injectable,ampoules,bulk
packsetc.But,afterthediscoveryofblisterpacking,theconceptofpackaginginpharmaceuticalindustryhasbeenchangedenormouslymainlyduetothenumerousbenefitsof
blisterpacking.
Generally, blister packing is light weight and occupies very less volume compared to glass which is often used for packing medicines. This saves a significant amount of
transportationcost.Moreover,blisterpackingprovidesbettersealingtothemedicinesthatneedtobestoredindryandmoisturefreeenvironment,whichextendstheshelflifeof
drugsandmedicineswhichalsocanbestoredforalongertimewithoutdamage.
Doseaccuracycanbeeasilymaintainedinblisterpackingandtheblisterpackagingcanbeeasilyautomatedtomaximizetheprotectionofpackagingsafety.Inadditiontothe
highdegreeofprocessautomation,thereareanumberofsafetytestingdevices,includingboxandmanualidentificationanddetectionthatcangreatlyimprovethesafetyand
healthofblisterpackingusers.Blisterpackagingalsoprovidesgoodqualitysealingforthetabletsandcapsules.Infact,thequalityofblisterpackingmeetstheslogan,Better
QualityofLifethroughBetterPackagingoftheWorldPackagingOrganizations(WPO).
India's per capita packaging consumption is less than US$ 15 against the worldwide average of nearly US$ 100. There are about 600700 small and medium packaging
machinery manufacturers in Indian, which partially fulfil the countrys demand whereas the packaging machinery imports in India are US$ 125 million, though the Indian
packagingmachineryexportsarealsorapidlygrowing.OnJanuary6,2014theEconomicTimeshadreportedthattheannualturnoverofIndianpackagingindustrywouldtouch
$32billionby2025fromthenworth$24.6billion.Intheworldscenario,thetotalturnoverofpackagingindustrywasabout$550billionwhereIndiansharewasabout$24.6
billionperannumin2014.
Inpharmaceuticalindustriestwobasictypesofblisterpackagesareused.Thefirstcategorycomprisesofcavitymadeupofclear,thermoformedplasticandthelid,madeupof
clearplasticoracombinationofplastic,paper,andorfoil.Thesecondtypeofblisterpackagecontainsfoilasanessentialcomponentofwebsanditscavitywhichiscreatedby
coldstretching.Thefirstcategoryblistersarecalledcoldformblisterwhereas,thesecondcategoryiscalledthermoformblistersorthermoformfillseal.
Blisterpackagingismanufacturedbyusinga)plasticsmaterialsviz.,polyvinylchloride(PVC),PETpolyethyleneterephthalate(PET),amorphouspolyethyleneterephthalate
(APET), high density poly ethylene (HDPE), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) etc and b) aluminium sheets or foils. Aluminium foil provides the best option for assured
protectionfromlight.
Theprocessofmanufacturingandthemachinesusedformanufacturingblisterpackingdependsonthetypeofblisterpackingasdiscussedabove.Theoperationsinvolvedin
themanufacturingofblisterpackingofwebandcavitytypeareasfollows.
Thermoformingofthebaseweb,
Automaticfillingoftabletsandcapsules,
Sealingthetopwebtothebasefilm,
Cuttingtofinishedshape,and
Dischargedoffinishedpacks.
Themachinesusedforthemanufacturingofblisterpackagingisverycomplicated.Generallyitsolelydesignedandfabricatedbythemanufacturerandpatented.Ingeneral,a
blisterpackagemanufacturingmachinecontainsthefollowingsystemswhicharecontrolledbyaconsolidatedcontrolsystem.
Feeding
PVCrolling
Aluminiumfoilrolling
Heating
Forming
Cooling
Sealing
Labeling
This type of blister packing manufacturing machines are capable of handling both polyvinylchloride (PVC) and polypropylene (PP). Generally, PP is difficult to run on a
standardblistermachineandcannotbeprocessedasfastasPVC.IfacompanyrunsPPandneedsnewequipment,itmustgothroughavalidationprocessandmustperform
varioustestsonPPtosatisfytheregulatoryrequirements.Becauseofthis,PPisgenerallynotusedinpharmaceuticalblisterpackaging.
Thermoformfillsealmachinescanoperateatspeedsmorethan1000packagesperminute.Programmablelogicalcontrols(PLC)ordistributedcontrolsystem(DCS)are
used to control filling and forming equipment with other downstream machinery for cartooning and wrapping. These controls also feed tablets or liquids into the unitdose
blisters,ensuringthatanexactvolumeisputintoeach.
Thesemachinesalsouseintegratedvisionsystemstomaintaintheaccuracyofthefillandtheintegrityoftheproductintheblisterandcanaccommodateseveraltypesoflid
stocksandbasestocks,allowingthemanufacturertoobtainbettercompatibilitybetweenthemedicineanditspackagingmaterialaswellasbetterpatientcompliance.Blister
packagingmachinestypicallyoperatewithintermittentmotion.
Thesealismadeduringthedwelltimerequiredforthermoforming.Twopiecesoffoilaresealedtogethertomakeblisterpacks.Thetemperatureandpressureinsidethe
packagingmachinecauseoneseallayertoforceontoanotherseallayeri.e.,coverfoiltoformafrictionlockedbond.Thepurposeofthistypeofsealingistoprovideatight
bondbetweentheblistertrayandthepackagingfoil.Medicineswhicharesealedinthiswayareprotectedfrombothdustandmoisture.Thefoilisalsousedtoimprintthe
manufacturersname,batchnumber,manufacturingandexpirydateofthemedicine,andthenameofcoursethenameofthemedicine.
Coldformblisterpackageismadeofaluminiumfoil,film,paperormultimaterialbackingthatisadheredtoasheetofplasticblisters.Alesscommontypeofblisteristhefoilfoil
laminationusedforproductsthatareparticularlysusceptibletomoistureand/orlight.Thesearecoldpressedintoshape.
Productsthatrequirethehighestdegreeofprotectionarepackedinanallfoilpackage.Theuseofcoldformablefoilsisgrowingbecausemoremoisturesensitivedrugsareon
themarket.Coldformablefoilisfindingfavourbecauseitistheonlymaterialthatprovidesa100percentbarriertomoisture,oxygen,andlight.Thishelpstoexpandandforthe
applications,inwhichblisterscanbeused,allowtheblisterpackagingsuitableforsensitiveproducts.
(TheauthorisapracticingchemicalengineerbasedinMumbai)

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