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Is the era of packaging machinery customization here?

Pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers need to work with equipment/controls suppliers to get the most out of packaging machinery.

Pharma med equipment
Pharma med equipment

As manufacturers press for greater efficiencies, flexibility, and control, the demands increase for makers of packaging machinery in the pharmaceutical and medical device sectors.

“The requirements for our equipment suppliers are defined before the purchase of the equipment in terms of OEE (overall equipment effectiveness) expectations, changeover times, etcetera,” says Chuck Taylor, principle packaging/manufacturing engineer, Covidien Surgical Solutions Group. “Our requirements continue to push suppliers to improve the process and the effectiveness of the equipment to meet our goals for energy consumption and waste production.” Taylor’s comments point to equipment’s role in sustainability, a factor more commonly considered in the material selection process.

Validation aspects are particularly important to packagers in the life sciences markets. “As a medical device company, tray- and pouch-sealing equipment are utilized,” notes Chris Bagozzi, manager of sterile packaging development at Medtronic Spinal and Biologics, Memphis, TN. “The suppliers of these machines have made advancements in recent years and we prefer to work with suppliers that can provide upgrades to the equipment that is already in place. Major packaging changes require revalidation of the equipment in some capacity. If the supplier has already proven [or validated], the change has minimal or no affect on the output of the machine, potentially making on-site validation of the equipment an easier task.”

Bagozzi adds, “When purchasing new equipment, it is always beneficial to know the supplier will validate the equipment for the materials being used with it. Lightweight tooling, which can be changed out quickly, is definitely a positive as it is important from time/efficiency and safety and quality standpoints.”

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