Have you experienced damaged pills or medicine before opening the packaging? If so, the packaging might have been the cause. Pills are sensitive to the outside environment. The packaging needs to protect them from outside physical and chemical conditions that may cause damage.
In this article, we’ll look at two of the most popular packaging solutions- Alu Alu and blister packaging. Keep reading to find out the differences between their strength, composition, and applications.
Alu Alu Packaging: A Brief Overview
Alu Alu is a short form for Aluminium Aluminium. Also known as Aluminium Cold Forming Blister Packaging, it’s a form of packaging common in the pharmaceutical industry, due to its ability to protect medicine from moisture, light, and harsh conditions.
This packaging is made through the cold-forming technique. No heat sealing is used. This technique seals two aluminum foils that have inside sealant coating by applying pressure on them at room temperature. The pressed aluminum foils form pockets that are used to store the drugs.
Blister Packaging: A Brief Overview
In blister packaging, also referred to as push-through packaging, the product is placed between a PVC cavity and a backing material (mostly a paperboard card). This forms a pocket-like or blister shape, hence the name.
Alu Alu vs Blister Packaging: A Side-by-Side Comparative Analysis
Now that we’ve looked at the basics, how do these two packaging options stack against each other?
Alu Alu Vs. Blister Packaging: Difference in Strength & Protection
Alu Alu packaging is known for its strength, protection, and corrosion-resistance capabilities. This packaging protects the product from water vapor, fats, oils, ultraviolet rays, oxygen, and any other extreme conditions you can think of.
Since the aluminum makes the packaging strong, the pack protects the product from any damage or impact especially when packing, transporting, and storing. The tamper-resistant packaging provides secure packaging that upholds the product’s original integrity.
On top of that, Alu Alu packs are flexible and recyclable. Most importantly, these features extend the shelf life of the packaged products.
On the other hand, blister packaging also maintains the integrity of the product since the cavity can be customized based on the product’s sensitivity to light, oxygen, or moisture. The cavity can be laminated to avoid the penetration of components that can compromise the product.
It also offers tamper protection since it’s impossible to open the packaging without leaving significant damage. This helps avoid destruction whether on pharmaceutical or consumer products.
However, keep in mind that the plastic cavity exposes the product to a certain level of damage during handling, transportation, and storage.
Alu Alu Vs. Blister Packaging: Difference in Cost
Alu Alu packaging is expensive to manufacture and purchase due to the aluminum-based raw materials used to make the packaging. A higher production cost means the price is pushed to the consumer.
On the other hand, blister packaging is cost-effective. Both the materials used to make the packs (plastic blister and paperboard) are inexpensive in different sizes, materials, and thicknesses. This makes blister packaging cheaper than Alu Alu.
Alu Alu Vs. Blister Packaging: Difference in Visibility
Products packed using Alu Alu packaging aren’t visible. It’s sort of impossible to visually inspect the product before buying.
On the other hand, blister packs made the products clearly visible. This is an important feature since many buyers want to see the actual product and visually inspect it before making a purchase. But this feature means blister packaging may not be the best for products that are sensitive to light.
Alu Alu Vs. Blister Packaging: Difference in Characteristics
Alu Alu packaging is also hygienic, non-toxic, and non-tainting. This is why it’s used to pack sensitive products, such as drugs, cosmetics, and even foods without having to worry about changes in the flavor.
The plastic cavity used for blister packaging has limited thermal stability. It’s important for companies to regulate the temperature used during the blister formation and heat sealing stages.
Alu Alu Vs. Blister Packaging: Difference in Environmental Impact
Both Alu Alu and blister packaging are made of non-biodegradable material. Not disposing of them properly can cause damage to the environment. And since some packs use plastic and foil, they’re challenging to recycle.
Alu Alu vs Blister Packaging: Difference in Formation
Alu Alu packaging is made through the cold-forming process. The aluminum foil is squeezed in between layers of plastic strips and then it is passed into the shaping unit, where a stamp presses it into a mold cavity. This entire process uses no heat.
As for the blister packaging, the packs are made through the thermoforming process which uses heat. The plastic raw material is heated to a predetermined temperature to make it soft and flexible. It’s then molded using pressure to form the blister cavity.
Alu Alu vs Blister Packaging: Difference in Composition
Alu Alu packs comprise aluminum foil, PVC strips, and nylon (Oriented Polyamide OPA). an adhesive is used to stack all these materials over one another to complete the composition of Alu Alu packages.
Aluminum foil is used to make the lid material, while the base material can be made of PVC foil. It can also be made of a blend of PVC with polyethylene (PE) and polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC). The PVDC is available in duplex and triplex forms.
Alu Alu vs Blister Packaging: Difference in Applications
Pharmaceutical products are often sensitive and need high-quality packing and handling. In fact, it has been established that up to 25% of pharmaceutical products and drugs need protection from external conditions. Alu Alu packaging offers moisture and ultraviolet protection. This makes it suitable for packing drugs that are light-sensitive and hygroscopic, such as high-potency medication.
On the other hand, blister packaging can’t be used for photosensitive drugs. If these drugs are packed using blister packaging, they’ll be exposed to light which will result in degradation and short shelf life.
Blister packs are also used to pack toys and games, health and beauty products, home improvement and hardware tools, hunting and fishing equipment, electronic and automotive products, and household goods.
Alu Alu vs Blister Packaging: Difference in Stability
Alu Alu packaging offers 100% protection from hydrolysis, oxidizing conditions, microbes, and thermal damage. The nylon film used when making the packaging provides high mechanical strength that ensures the products are protected from impact and ripping during transportation and handling. These features generally extend the products’ shelf life.
Blister packaging isn’t as stable and protective as Alu Alu. This packaging is sensitive to light, temperature, oxygen, and chemicals. Besides, blister packs aren’t as mechanically strong as Alu Alu packaging. They’re more susceptible to tearing and delamination.
Conclusion
Alu Alu and blister packaging are some of the most popular packaging options. These two both have individual benefits and downsides that could make the difference when choosing the ideal option for your products. It’s important to conduct an in-depth analysis of the two to make a wise business decision.
Remember, you need to work with a packaging expert to fulfill your business needs. Contact SaintyTec today for tailor-made packaging solutions.
