A systemic approach to producing pharma cartons

When it comes to producing cartons for the pharmaceutical industry, the more discrete operations involved – printing, cut & crease, stripping and gluing – the greater the danger that something could go wrong. Ultimately, if proper procedures are not followed, this could lead to the wrong medicine being packed in the wrong box with potentially fatal consequences.

To reduce this risk, UK company Cartonmaster is now able to offer an approved PS9000:2001 production process conforming to the latest pharmaceutical codes of practice. Cartons are produced on an in-line, one-pass printing and die cutting machine. Capable of printing in up to seven colours, with the ability to reverse print if required, the system also varnishes, cuts and creases, embosses and strips away waste to deliver a flat carton blank in less than 10 seconds of production time. The carton blank is then transferred to a Bobst gluing machine for final finishing, which includes on-line pharmacode scanning as a last security check prior to despatch.

One advantage of the system is the ability to offer quick response times and runs as short as 1,000 cartons in a secure production environment. But to cater for larger quantities Cartonmaster has just completed the installation of an intermittent rotary injector diecutting system, which increases throughput, saves materials and does not require high cost tooling or long make-ready times.

Cartonmaster's strategy has already attracted a number of customers in the pharmaceutical sector, including Advanced Medical Solutions, which will trade only with suppliers who operate to strict pharmaceutical codes of practice.

Another customer is Lloydspharmacy. Karen Shead, own brand process manager, said: 'The method of manufacturing a printed carton in one pass automatically reduces the possibility of product admixture and enhances the level of confidence in Cartonmaster as a potential supplier.'