Pharmaceutical and Medical Packaging News
Magazine
PMPN Article Index
Originally Published PMPN July 2005
NEWS
Industry Briefs
Hewlett-Packard has opened a Center of Excellence in Puerto Rico to help pharmaceutical firms research anticounterfeiting solutions. The center will enable professionals to try out HP’s Product Tracking and Authentication solution set, which involves security printing and track-and-trace technologies. For more information, visit www.hp.com/go/manufacturing/ PTA.
Schreiner LogiData GmbH & Co. (München, Germany) has converted some of its logistic processes to RFID technology. The conversion was undertaken to automate and optimize the production of insulin. Insulin vials are now equipped with RFID labels that store key manufacturing data. As a result, the company can track and trace all stages of production.
Tagsys (Doylestown, PA) and Cognex Corp. (Natick, MA) have announced that they have joined AIM Global, the association for Automatic Identification and Mobility. As members of AIM Global, Tagsys and Cognex will join other companies that are committed to the growth of automatic identification and mobility solutions through industry standards development, advocacy, and the support of a global channel network. Tagsys offers item-level RFID infrastructure for end-to-end item-level tracking that automates labor-intensive processes, authenticates and safeguards goods, and enables real-time inventory and asset visibility. Cognex Corp. designs, develops, manufactures, and markets machine vision systems and machine vision sensors, or computers that can “see.”
Enercon Industries Corp. (Menomonee Falls, WI) has teamed up with Ciba Specialty Chemicals (Basel, Switzerland) to develop an advanced surface-treatment technology for the optimization of surface effects on films, foils, papers, metals, nonwovens, and textiles. The new technology combines Enercon’s Plasma3 surface-modification process with Ciba’s nano-grafting PrimeIT technique.
Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics (Portage, WI) has settled its patent-infringement suit against Truseal USA Inc. (Dover, NJ). As part of the settlement agreement, Truseal will assign its customer sales and current intellectual property to Saint-Gobain. Truseal’s manufacturing, marketing, and sales activities will be integrated into Saint-Gobain’s Healthcare Market Business Unit. The specific financial terms of the agreement remain confidential and await final approval in a New Jersey bankruptcy court.
A new RFID research center has been established at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. The center is a unit of the university’s Sam M. Walton College of Business and is expected by the university to be an internationally recognized leader in RFID application research and the study of its impact on business and society. The center includes a “live environment” laboratory and will offer product testing. Nineteen sponsoring members will participate in the center’s research activities. Bill Arnold, a spokesperson for sponsor Omron Electronics LLC (Schaumburg, IL), said the company is “delighted to be working alongside such a distinguished group of colleagues to advance not only RFID technology, but also industry and public understanding of the opportunities and challenges [that] deploying the technology presents to us.”
Uhlmann (Towaco, NJ) will host the first annual Blister Roundtable from September 14–15, 2005, at its U.S. headquarters in Towaco. The event, called “The Blister Pack—A Simple Idea With Unlimited Potential,” will cover such topics as child-resistant safety features, anti-counterfeiting measures, patient compliance, online printing, materials options, wallet packaging, in-line leak detection, and more. Uhlmann will also be debuting its fast thermoformer, the B1880, which can output 1300 blisters per minute. It uses a ToolControl identification system for correct selection of tools and format parts, optimizing changeover times. A twin-reel support for the forming film allows preparation for film roll changes without halting production for all common types of forming film. Those interested in attending the roundtable should contact Diane Hands at 973/541-6288 or e-mail info@uhlmann-usa.com.
Cadmus (Charlotte, NC) has ordered a second Gallus KM 510 in-line folding-carton production system for its Whitehall Group location in Charlotte. The new production line will augment a similar Gallus press installed last year. The system’s features include die-cutting, screen printing, foil stamping, film lamination, two-sided flexographic printing, and the ability to use UV and water-based inks and coatings. Its modular design and construction enable it to perform printing, finishing, and processing of complex carton-board packaging jobs in a single pass. The system is scheduled for installation at Cadmus in October.
Copyright ©2005 Pharmaceutical & Medical Packaging News
