SHOWSTOPPERS!
A selection of innovative new products exhibited at Emballage (Paris) and Medica (Düsseldorf).
Labels
Multipage labels help obtain compliance with regulatory requirements
Machine-folded multipage leaflets combined with a self-adhesive label are supplied on-reel for use with standard labelling equipment. While Fix-a-Form labels, licensed worldwide by Fix-a-Form International (Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, UK) are not new, their popularity has surged within the pharmaceutical, device, and diagnostic industry as legislation requiring more-detailed product information in several European languages is implemented. Fix-a-Form labels were exhibited at Emballage by the French licensee, Pago S.A. (Trappes, France), which also offers custom labelling solutions and a variety of labelling equipment.
According to Fix-a-Form marketing manager Stephen Jarrold, the leaflet-style labels have achieved tremendous market share in the pharmaceutical sector in the past two years. "Growth has been between 20 and 40%," he says, adding that there is much more to come. "Many of our licensees are creating special production areas and cleanroom environments exclusively for the production of pharmaceutical labels. Leaflet-labels are now fully accepted in the pharmaceutical sector because they are recognized internationally," says Jarrold.
In addition to providing space for adequate product description and diagrams and pictures where necessary, the leaflet-style labels can be overprinted with batch numbers, dates, and other required information. A double bar code system is available, with matching bar codes printed on the label and the leaflet, to reduce the risk of mismatched labelling. Holograms and tamper-evident strips can also be incorporated. Available configurations include booklet formats, concertina folded leaflets, cross-fold leaflets with dual openings, and a number of laminated variations. The most recent product, called Secure Reseal, is a permanently sealed laminated version with a double-zip perforation. This design ensures that the leaflet doesn't open when applied to tightly curved containers. An easy-lift tab allows users access to the leaflet, which can be repeatedly consulted and resealed.
Ink-jet printer
New printhead design optimizes markings
A continuous ink-jet (CIJ) printer features a printhead design with optimized geometry and integral temperature sensors that enable more-precise printing in varying climatic conditions. In addition, the Linx 6800 incorporates an icon-based user interface and improved printer control software, and it is housed within a sturdy IP 65–rated stainless-steel or IP 66–rated plastic cabinet. The machine, which was introduced by Linx Printing Technologies plc (St. Ives, Cambs, UK) at Emballage, represents the "most fully equipped CIJ printer available in its class," according to sales and marketing director David Jenkins.
The modified printhead enables more consistent and accurate ink-drop placement, while a built-in temperature compensation system ensures that print quality does not vary with the ambient temperature. The operator interface includes a black-on-white VGA screen for easy viewing under all lighting conditions, and the new printer control software contains several built-in message formats. Users can select character heights from 1.7 to 13.2 mm and message formats up to 34 drops high.
The Linx 6800 integrates easily with other systems and equipment on the production line, and it prints on a wide variety of substrates.
Packaging equipment
Multifunction thermoformer suited for sterile medical applications
Designed for medium-output requirements, a modular thermoforming machine is suited for a variety of uses, including the processing of sterile medical equipment. Multivac AG (Hünenberg, Switzerland) presented the new features of its compact rollstock machine, the R330, at the recent Emballage exhibition.
Side profiles and cross sections as well as the feet and control cabinet are constructed of corrosion-resistant stainless steel. The hermetically sealed cabinet and machine drives are designed to prevent moisture ingress. In addition, all bearing points are sealed and fitted with maintenance-free slide bearings. Consequently, the thermoformer achieves excellent hygiene standards. Because there are no cavities where water or product can collect, it can be foam cleaned and then simply hosed down. The R330 complies fully with the EC Machinery Directive and meets US FDA requirements for equipment used in the processing of medical devices.
Flexibility is intrinsic to the machine design, according to the company. Two complete die sets can be mounted, and the changeover can be programmed and operated using the appropriate packaging menu. The die's lifting and closing mechanism is controlled by pneumatic cylinders that consume low levels of compressed air; it supports rapid die lifting movements and accelerated adjustments to varying thicknesses of packaging materials.
Vacuum pumps
Oil-free pumps reduce contamination risks
Oil-free positive-displacement pumps introduced at Medica by Leybold Vakuum GmbH (Köln, Germany) feature clean evacuation without running the risk of hydrocarbon contamination. According to company spokesman Otmar Reuter, the EcoDry L pumps meets the performance specifications of conventional oil-sealed pumps while eliminating potential contamination of the vacuum system or environment. Because the device does not require periodic changes of pump fluids, traps, or filters, operating costs have been reduced, he adds. Permanently lubricated and sealed bearings located outside of the vacuum unit ensure maintenance-free operation for up to two years. Piston operation was selected because of its mechanical simplicity, reliability, and low cost; the elimination of consumables also contributed to a reduction in operating costs.
EcoDry L pumps also feature high pumping speeds at low pressure, minimal noise and vibration, and a low nominal speed of 1100 rpm. The vacuum pumps are suited for such applications as inspection tools, mass spectrometers, sterilizers, electron microscopes, lighting units, thin-film coaters, transfer chambers, and load-lock chambers. They are also appropriate for use as dry prevacuum pumps in high-vacuum systems.
Servoamplifier
Euro-card-sized unit drives motors up to 500W
Designed to maintain a stable predetermined shaft speed independent of load fluctuations, a four-quadrant servoamplifier drives permanent-magnet dc motors with output power ranging from 80 to 500 W. The ADS_E50/10, which supplies 10-A continuous and 20-A maximum output currents, was exhibited by Interelectric AG (Sachseln, Switzerland) at Medica.
Four operation modes can be selected by means of a dip switch: I x R compensation, dc tachometer control, digital encoder control, and current control. The amplifier is protected against over-current, overtemperature, and short circuits; a wide range of power inputs enable its use with various power supplies. The unit's Euro-card dimensions enable its installation in a 19-in. subrack or plug-in card system.
At the heart of the company's motor systems, notes marketing director Albert Bucheli, is the proprietary moving-coil rotor. Mass inertia is uncharacteristically low thanks to the low-weight rotor, he says, resulting in high acceleration levels. There is no cogging, and electromagnetic interference is minimal.
Motor
Microdrive system developed for miniaturized applications
A microdrive system measuring 1.9-mm-diam was introduced by Dr. Fritz Faulhaber GmbH Company KG and Minimotor S.A. at Medica. The objective in developing this brushless dc motor, according to the company, was to open up new applications that were out of reach because of a lack of suitable subminiature drive components. Application areas include minimally invasive diagnostic instruments, microsensor assemblies, miniature pumps and grippers, and microactuators for measurement and assembly engineering.
The motor operates according to the skew wound-coil principle. The gear head features a reduction ratio of 3.6:1 per gear stage, providing the three-stage gearmotor combination with high torque. Indeed, its torque capability exceeds its own moment of friction. The microdrive is produced under cleanroom conditions.
An external open-loop speed controller operates the microdrive. A three-phase sinusoidal ac signal ensures constant running across the entire speed range up to 100,000 rpm. Operating parameters can be entered via potentiometer and switch or controlled by means of the RS-232 interface.
Scanner
Ultracompact bar code reader attains 500 scans per second
A 50 x 40 x 28-mm bar code scanner is reportedly the smallest of its type. Introduced at Emballage by Datalogic S.p.A. (Bologna, Italy), the DS2200 incorporates a miniaturized optical laser system developed by the company that enables the overall size reduction. Despite its small size, the component achieves 500 scans per second and 0.15-mm resolution, according to marketing coordinator Jennifer L. Smith.
Weighing 170 g, the DS2200 scanner also fea-tures a 50–200-mm reading distance. It is suited for machine vision operations in the pharmaceutical sector and for use in clinical analysis applications.
Rotary printer
Equipment eliminates need for preprinted rollstock
Designed for use with rollstock packaging equipment, a rotary printer can process medical paper, Tyvek, aluminium, and polyamide/polyethylene foil at speeds up to 25 cycles per minute. Amaco GmbH (Dornbirn, Austria) presented the R 400 at Medica.
"The concept," says sales manager Christoph Lajda, "is to use the blank top web for printing and thereby eliminate the need for various preprinted packaging materials. A variety of logos, bar codes, and so forth can be printed simply by changing the photopolymer cliché." Not only does the R 400 speed the printing process while producing opti-mal quality characters, adds Lajda, but it cuts back significantly on waste packaging material.
Sterile packaging
Multilayer film maintains mechanical strength after thermal exposure
Unlike conventional films that may crystallize following exposure to high temperatures dur-ing sealing and sterilization processes, a multilayer film presented by Wipak Medical (Nastola, Finland) at Medica maintains its mechanical strength and provides a clean peel.
Steriking Multi-X film comprises a heat-resistant outer layer of polyester and intermediate and sealing layers of polypropylene that offer advanced sealing and peeling properties. The seal is sufficiently strong to withstand autoclave sterilization processes, yet offers a clean, fibre-free peel. In addition, the film's green tint grows darker when sealed, providing a visual control that the sealing area is free of defects. The packaged item is easily recognizable through the transparent film.
Do you have a Showstopper?
If you will be launching a new product at an upcoming exhibition and would like to be considered for coverage in the Showstoppers section, send a fax to the editor at +1 310 445-4269. You may also mail the information to Showstoppers, EMDM, 11444 W. Olympic Blvd., Ste. 900, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
