3D-Printed Tool Prototyping Service

Maruho Hatsujyo Innovations (MHI)—the U.S. subsidiary of Maruho Co. Ltd, a Japanese healthcare company with subsidiaries in Europe and the U.S. with global sales of $800 million—has launched a prototyping service that is designed to create test products from 3D printing technology. For MHI’s clientele, the service makes available sample blister cavities meant to be nearly identical to final production in order to save time and money compared with traditional metal tooling prototypes.

The technology should provide blister prototypes in days rather than weeks.The service is supposed to have increased speed: the technology should provide blister prototypes in days rather than weeks, allowing companies to take a more expedient “try before they buy” approach to new or modified packaging platforms, including those being tested as part of stability studies. The reduced cost also is supposed to provide leeway to test multiple blister formulations to determine which is most suitable for particular medicines, medical devices, or other high-end products.

“MHI’s prototype tooling provides companies with flexibility when testing blister packaging platforms for barrier properties and other areas of variability,” says Benjamin Voelcker, Product Manager of the MPM division for MHI. 

See it in action at Rapid 3D Printed Tool Prototyping for Blister Cavities.