Two-count blister packs for ‘smart pills’

The company concluded that two-count carded blister packs offered a more attractive option than the flexible pouches it had been using.

Brainiac staffers selected Assemblies Unlimited as the contract packaging turnkey specialist best suited to coordinate all the supply chain components involved in getting the study aid capsules to the marketplace in the new format. Assemblies Unlimited designed and sourced a trapped blister produced in two stages. First a flanged two-cavity blister is thermoformed from PVC sheet, filled with one study aid capsule per cavity, and heat-seal lidded with aluminum foil. The filled and lidded blister packs are then trapped between two blister cards in a second operation. A glossy UV finish on the card stock helps create the optimal in-store impact that Braniac was looking for.

In its role as contract packaging turnkey specialist, Assemblies Unlimited arranged to have Thermo-Pak Co. do the FDA-certified and OTC-compliant thermoform/fill/sealing of the study aid capsule product. Assemblies Unlimited also selected a contract packaging company with an Alloyd heat-sealing system capable of trapping the foil-lidded thermoforms between front and back blister cards. The cards themselves come from Rohrer Corp., another firm brought into the project by Assemblies Unlimited. The cards are 0.21-pt SBS and are printed via a four-color process that also incorporates a UV varnish to provide a high-gloss finish. The packs stand upright in shelf display cartons, delivering high visibility at retail venues such as college book stores and convenience stores.

Brainiac has enjoyed sales increases since the new packaging was introduced. Tyler Johansen, CEO of Brainiac Supplements, says, “We chose to partner with Assemblies Unlimited because of their ability to create custom packaging that would more accurately reflect our brand. Randy Shaw and his team at Assemblies get perfect marks. We couldn’t be more pleased in terms of meeting design deadlines and rendering the packaging we wanted.”