For those looking to implement a blister machine that accommodates small volume production, Pharmaworks, a ProMach product brand, debuted its TF1 Blister Machine at Healthcare Packaging Expo Las Vegas, co-located with Pack Expo, in booth SL-6501.
"We listened to our customer base, and we heard that some of our entry-level customers and customers with low volumes want to buy a Pharmaworks blister machine, but sometimes budget prevented it," said Ben Brower, general manager of Pharmaworks. "So the Pharmaworks design team went to work to deliver the same quality that our customers expect from Pharmaworks, but in a simple package that would be affordable. The result was the new TF1."
The company set out to build a system that requires minimal training and maintenance, while offering blister capabilities present in more complex machines such as:
- Contact heating
- Motor driven stations
- Servo indexing with print registration
- Simple, intuitive HMI system
Its footprint is compact while capable of thermoforming up to a 90mm x 165mm blister with a maximum draw depth of 25mm, and the system accommodates a variety of materials or cold form operations. Compliant with cGMP standards, the TF1 operates up to 40 cycles/min and can integrate the same feed systems and printers that are used across the TF1 family of machines.
Design simplicity and scaled down control system complexity yield an easy-to-use system with fewer wear parts and spare parts than similar systems which reduces maintenance needs. The company reports the user can “very clearly see the process, set up the machine, and make changes – with changeovers routinely taking less than 10 minutes.”
In addition to the TF1 exhibit at Healthcare Packaging Expo, Pharmaworks will also concurrently exhibit in booth C-3414 in Pack Expo's Central Hall in Las Vegas, as part of ProMach Pharma Solutions.
