Everything You Can’t Ignore About Blister Packaging

Blister packs are playing an integral role in today’s packaging industry.

From drug blister packaging to jewelry clamshell blister packaging, it has proved to be one of the most effective solutions.

However, before choosing blister packaging, there are certain things you cannot ignore at whatever cost. These are some of the key issues we will address here.

1. Choosing Highly Efficient Blister Packaging Machine

Successful packaging starts by choosing a reliable blister packing machine. This should be in terms of:

• Latest packaging technology
• Robust features
• Reliability
• Accurate and consistent packaging
• Low energy consumption
• Ease of use and operation

A matter of fact, there exist different machine configurations ranging from blister cartoning line, automatic blister packing machine tosmall blister packing machine. It will all depend on the product you wish to package in blister packs.

To get the best machine, buy your machines from reputable manufacturers like SaintyCo. At SaintyCo, we have different machine models optimized for unique packaging solutions.

2. Know Products you want to Package

A blister pack is a performed packaging solution. Therefore, your packaging machine should have a tooling system that forms a precise space or cavity for your product.

Take for instance, blister pharmaceutical packaging will focus on packaging tablets, capsules, syringes, vials, etc.

On the other hand, blister packs in automotive industry should have shapes that conform to various parts such as bulbs, nozzles, etc. Other industries such as chemical processing may have blister molding cavities that produces shapes for tubes.

Now, why is this important – your manufacturer will customize the tooling system to form blister cavities that match your products.

Furthermore, this will also allow you to customize the blister packaging solution to fit a specific market niche. Take for instance:

· Blister Packs with Cardboard

You will find blister pack with cards or backboard. Such packaging solution allows you to achieve two things:

• A backboard where you can print more product information including your company logo and specifications
• A transparent blister cavity, allowing customers to view the exact product that you have packaged.

· Custom Blister Cavity Designs

Although product differentiation also plays an important role here but having unique packaging solutions that meets your unique product design is critical. The packaging should not only protect your product but also allow for easy accessibility.

There are many design options including face seal blisters, full face seal blisters, trapped blisters, side blisters,blister trays, blister box packaging, and clamshell blister packs, just to mention a few.

Of course, the backing solution can also offer additional functional features such as:

• Slot hang tabs
• Hook hand table
• Hole hang tabs
• Fold up hang tabs, etc.

3. Develop Blister Package

Once you know your products, whether you focus on pharmaceutical blister packaging or blister packaging for tablets, it is important to design a unique packaging solution.

This is yet another systematic process that involves:

• Identify product to package in blisters in terms of their dimensions, and size
• Design blister cavity and alongside other features such as hang hole, then develop a CAD drawing
• Working on the costs associated with blister pack design
• Develop tooling system for forming blister cavities
• Test and verify practicality
• Fit in the blister packaging machine

With the advancement in technology, it is important to choose modular and scalable blister packaging machines. However, this is only practical if you understand how blister packing machine works.

With this knowledge, you can change or modify the tooling system, to suit your new products. It will be cheaper instead of investing in a completely new machine.

4. Choose Blister Packaging Materials

As you design dies or tooling system, you must know the material you will use during the packaging process. Certainly, you have come across terms such as alu-alu blisters or PVC blister packaging. Well, here the reference is based on the material you use to make blisters.

Of course, there are other thermoforming plastics you can use for blister packs such asPET, PVDC, PCTFE, or COP.

During blister packaging process, once the material is heated to pliable temperature, your tooling system will form the right cavity to fit your product. Again, the forming technology will be depending on the material type. For instance, the machine may adopt cold forming or thermoforming technologies.

5. Quality Control is Critical in Blister Packs

Go for a machine that features lates quality inspection and control technologies. Remember, there are industries such as pharmaceuticals with strict quality control.

Usually, quality control (QC) involve many factors such as:

• Proper labeling for identification and traceability
• Testing possible leakages
• Verifying proper sealing
• Lase based seal inspections

By the end of the blister packaging process, the end product must comply with set quality and safety standards such as the cGMP, CE, FDA or any other regulatory standards withing your jurisdiction.

6. Integrating with Existing Production Machines

Packaging is the final step in the entire production line. Therefore, choosing blister packaging machine that you can easily integrate with say tablet press, capsule filler or any other accessory is critical.

Usually, this will ensure seamless and continuous production process, which ultimately reduces possible downtime.

Conclusion

In case you are choosing blister packaging, you must choose the right machine, know the product you want to package, develop blister tooling, choose blister material, and pay attention to quality control. Once you consider there key factors, you will definitely have a successful packaging process.

FAQs

What is blister card packaging?

It is a unique packaging solution that uses thermoformed blister cavities alongside a paperboard backing. Usually, we refer to this paperboard backing as blister card.

In most cases, you will find this packaging solution in consumer goods, such as electronics and some pharmaceutical products.

Can blister packaging be recycled?

Yes, it’s possible to recycle blister packs.

How is blister packaging made?

Once you have the right machine and equipment. The process starts by forming blister cavities. The machine will then place product into the blister cavity, add a backing material then seal. After which other inspection processes follow.

What are the benefits of blister packaging?

These packaging solutions offer many benefits including cost-effectiveness, versatility, better consumer appeal, tamper evident features and better branding features.