Blister Packaging

Packaging pharmaceuticals in units is rapidly gaining popularity. It has in common with strip packaging the fact that the primary pack consists of a number of items each sealed in its own compartment, until required by the patient. Blister pack consists of semi-rigid Thermo-formed plastics trays in which there are a number of cavities, each containing one item, and with an aluminium foil cover heat-sealed over it.

Blister Packaging

Blister packaging : process flow diagram

FILM DELIVERY HEAT TREATMENT FORMER
PRODUCT TRANSFER SYSTEM CODING

FOIL DELIVERY PRINTING

FILLER SEALER PERFORATOR CUTTER REJECT SYSTEM

Process
Vacuum forming is the process where a sheet/web of plastic is heated until pliable and then sucked (vacuumed) over a mould to produce a replica. It is used throughout a vast range of industries for many different applications

Typical thermoforming
Mold Contour Chamber

Heating Chamber

Trimming Unit

Cold Forming Feeding Device Cover Foil Uncoiler Slitting (Perforation) Waste Foil Coiler

Empty Checker Bottom Foil Uncoiler

Discharge Conveyor

Sealing & Embossing Draw Off Punching

Feeding Device Cover Foil Uncoiler Empty Checker Cold Forming

Bottom Foil Uncoiler Sealing & Embossing Punching

Discharge Conveyor

The CR-SF Dilemma

y Current blister solutions such as peel off and push

through are inconvenient because opening them requires good finger mobility and eye vision so there is the ongoing challenge of designing CR-SF blister packages. y Meeting CR protocol in particular is a distinct challenge y In addition to the above challenges, some packagers are dealing with unique combination challenges.