Originally Published PMPN March 2001
Desiccant Tablet Helps Streamline Production
Diagnostic test kit manufacturer turns to a beveled-edge desiccant tablet to decrease line downtime.
Quidel Corp. (San Diego) is a manufacturer of a wide range of diagnostic
test kits that specifically address women's health issues. Among
the tests that the company manufactures are those that provide rapid
diagnosis for pregnancy, strep A, influenza, chlamydia, infectious
mononucleosis, and urinalysis, mostly under the Quick Vue brand
name. The kits, which are generally used in clinics, clinical laboratories,
hospitals, wellness centers, and doctors' offices, are comprised
of carefully engineered and packaged strips. Desiccants are required
for such kits to ensure that test strips work effectively. "They
keep moisture out," explains Terry Campbell, director of materials
at Quidel. "These are highly moisture-sensitive tests, so we want
the test strip to stay dry."
Keeping the moisture-sensitivity requirements for such tests
in mind, Quidel turned to Süd-Chemie Performance Packaging
(Belen, NM) for a desiccant that would provide functionality while
reducing production costs. The diagnostic kits are carefully designed so that test strips
are inserted into a plastic housing, with the Tri-Sorb desiccant
tablets placed into a special compartment within the plastic. "The
product's design, which discreetly and automatically places the
desiccant into the housing, eliminated much of the inefficiency,"
Campbell says. The production line at Quidel has little downtime. This was
not always the case. Campbell attributes much of the company's increase
in profits to improved production efficiency. "When we switched
to Tri-Sorb tablets, we began to see additional returns and steadily
decreased downtime. Time spent cleaning desiccant chips and dust
out of our machines was virtually eliminated," says Campbell. Tri-Sorb tablets' beveled edges have helped Quidel reach
its downtime goal. The beveled edges work well with automated insertion
machinery. The custom design allows for quick and easy insertion
into packaging without chipping and without jamming the equipment.
In addition, the tablets' high capacity for water adsorption
has helped reduce downtime. Tri-Sorb molecular sieves originate
from zeolite compounds, which are used for adsorption. Adsorption
occurs when moisture is held inside a desiccant by physical bonds;
no chemical change actually occurs. The tablets adsorb water molecules
easily because they possess a high degree of polarity and have the
proper molecular size for entrance into sieve pores. They have a
uniform pore structure that enables them to separate molecules by
size. Campbell reports that Tri-Sorb tablets have been incorporated
into all Quidel kits that require desiccants. "At this point, it's
a standard part of the kits. The tablets work well protecting against
moisture. Kits also have longer shelf lives," he says. Now that the company uses the tablets the amount of time
the production line runs each year has been decreased by 15%, while
overall production has increased, explains Campbell. "This means
less wear and tear on the machinery and lower labor costs." He adds
that the tablets weigh less than the previously used desiccants,
which makes the diagnostic kits lighter and decreases shipping costs.
Campbell also notes, "Just-in-time delivery of consistent-quality
tablets from Süd-Chemie not only keeps our lines running but
also helps us reduce inventory costs. Süd-Chemie stocks a warehouse
filled with custom-made inventory. We forward a purchase order,
and it's filled within 10 days." Copyright ©2001 Pharmaceutical & Medical Packaging News
Insertion into packaging is convenient with Süd-Chemie's Tri-Sorb tablets.
