According to the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers & Associations, global spending on pharmaceutical R&D was almost US$135bn in 2011. It is hard to think of that sum and not be in awe of the contribution of hundreds of thousands of pharmaceutical researchers working to solve arguably the most challenging maladies facing the world community. But often overlooked in the discussion of pharmaceutical research is the recognition of a similarly dedicated group of packaging engineers and suppliers working diligently to bring products safely and securely to market.
Pharmaceutical packaging operations are undeniably getting more complicated. The enactment of country and regional level regulations pertaining to serialisation, including the Food Drug Administration (FDA) Drug Quality and Security Act and EU Falsified Medicines Directive, will require more sophistication at the packaging line - not only to control the physical movement of product, but also the corresponding flow of packaging and supply chain data. Packaging equipment suppliers, including printing and marking companies, are working diligently to ensure their solutions address the evolving needs of the pharmaceutical packaging community.
Pharmaceutical manufacturers need to make every second of production count, maximise efficiencies and achieve zero unscheduled downtime. Current Print and Apply Labelling (LPA) systems can print and place labels of various sizes on multiple package types but, long term, are costly due to loss of productivity and replacement of broken or worn parts. For example, productivity will be lost when a nip roller keeps jamming or the tension in the motor belt needs adjusting. Each time a label slips and a jam occurs, the LPA system needs to be stopped and restarted.
The ever-increasing line speed and sheer diversity of packages mean that the number of changeovers matching the demand becomes more frequent. Changeovers require manual adjustments leading to further downtime. Furthermore, the LPA systems’ dual user interfaces can be difficult to understand and this often results in operator coding errors, which in turn mean further wastage and more unscheduled downtime.
Not only do pharmaceutical manufacturers need technology to be able to handle the multiple labelling materials currently in use, but that technology has to adapt to varying throughput and line speeds, so increased machine flexibility is a must. Finally, ease of maintenance is crucial as the need for trouble-free removal and replacements of parts can keep downtime to a minimum.
With so many technological advances designed to improve performance and efficiency through the supply chain, it is amazing that such an important element of the outer casing packaging industry as the LPA technology has not seen ground-breaking innovations for the past 20 years. The majority of packaging manufacturers seem to agree that it is time for a change. In the next article, we look at recent advancements of LPA systems made possible through new design and engineering philosophies.
Ondrej Kruk is a Business Unit Manager at Videojet Technologies. His main responsibility at the company is the global commercial leadership of the Print and Apply Labeling (LPA), Large Character Marking (LCM) and software business units. Kruk has 10 years of business experience, four of them in the product identification and digital printing industry. In his previous role, as global manager of the Product Decoration Business at Videojet, he was able to turn a North American business unit into a global business by leveraging the capabilities of an industrial technology to revitalise a product category in the consumer goods market. Prior to Videojet, he was an Associate at A T Kearney, a global management consulting firm.
