Pharmaceutical and Medical Packaging News Magazine
PMPN Article Index

Originally Published January 1998

PRODUCT UPDATE

Saving Money and Resources with Film

Thinner-gauge films are now available for packaging uses.

Many films are losing weight—gauge wise, that is. Either to save clients money or to save the environment, many companies are introducing very thin films for packaging applications. These materials, however, must be as strong and resistant to chemicals as their predecessors.

Specialty packaging film composites can be used to create peelable seals suitable for hard-to-hold chemicals. Films can be tailored to meet any barrier requirement by incorporating one of a variety of foils or clear barrier coated materials. The films are available in rollstock form or in premade pouches, printed or unprinted. Rollprint Packaging Products, Inc., Addison, IL.

Blister packaging films are specially developed for use with pharmaceuticals and medical devices. Materials include vinyl, PETG, PP, and Barex. The company recently introduced Optima, a fully reclaimable vinyl film for pharmaceuticals. Klöckner Pentaplast of America, Inc., Gordonsville, VA.

Noncoated Tyvek films featuring polymeric sealant provide visual transfer and seal verification similar to that of coated Tyvek. The company is also developing PerfecFlex forming webs, which are thinner films that will let users downgauge from currently used films. The films will be clearer, form more easily, and provide greater puncture resistance and package durability than existing forming films. Perfecseal, Philadelphia, PA.

Child-resistant blister foil seals strongly to PVC, PVDC/PVC, Aclar/PVC, and PP. A laminated paper and PET layer forms a child-resistant barrier that easily peels away from a 1-mil-thick aluminum foil. Once the protective layer is removed, tablets can be pushed through the foil, which has been heat sealed to the blister. Using 10-station rotogravure printing capabilities, the firm can print dosage instructions with precise two-sided registration. Hueck Foils LLC, Manasquan, NJ.

Polymer resins can be blended with higher-volume resins to make products with enhanced properties. For instance, the company combines Barex scrap with post-consumer HDPE to produce films with improved stiffness and chemical resistance. Mixed plastic waste is processed to reduce the polymers to their basic monomer building blocks from which virgin polymers can be reassembled. BP Chemicals, Inc., Cleveland, OH.

Clear oriented PP film lamination is designed for use in roll-fed labeling applications. Can Clear 3 is a clear, glossy material that resists acid and oil and is suitable for packaging aerosols. CMS Gilbreth Packaging Systems, Trevose, PA.

A tamper-evident clamshell features perforated buttons that, when locked, close the clamshell securely. When the PETE package opens, the buttons cannot be relocked. The package is designed so that it can hang on a display or stand on a shelf. Plastofilm Industries, Inc., Wheaton, IL.

Flexible packaging film gives graphics and type a translucent look while still protecting the packaged goods. One side of Bicor MLT film has a matte finish while the other is treated oriented PP. Available in a 70-gauge thickness, it can be reverse printed or laminated to the printed surface. Mobil Chemical Co., Pittsford, NY.

Packaging film features a low shrink force, preventing packages from being crushed. XPE-72's seal strength ensures packaging integrity for irregularly shaped, delicate, and compressible products. Intertape Polymer Group, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Laminated films, shrink films, and specialty films are converted, slitted, and imprinted by a Pennsylvania-based company. The company also offers support services for companies packaging products for clinical trials and can perform product and machine validations. H&N Packaging, Inc., Chalfont, PA.

A printable white polyester film is coated with an aggressive, permanent, solvent-based acrylic adhesive that bonds to a wide range of metal and plastic surfaces. Thermlfilm Select 21860 is backed with a roll form release liner that is coated with Quinlon to prevent labels from being picked off. Flexcon Company, Inc., Spencer, MA.

A high-performance, ultrathin shrinkable film is a cost-effective packaging option for products that do not need the bulk of heavy-gauge films. LD-935 is a glossy, clear film that has low shrink energy, allowing products to be shrink-wrapped without buckling or distortion. Cryovac North America, Duncan, SC.

FILMS SOURCE LIST

• BP Chemicals, Inc., Cleveland, OH
• CMS Gilbreth Packaging Systems, Trevose, PA
• Cryovac North America, Duncan, SC
• Flexcon Company, Inc., Spencer, MA
• H&N Packaging, Inc., Chalfont, PA
• Hueck Foils LLC, Manasquan, NJ
• Intertape Polymer Group, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
• Klöckner Pentaplast of America, Inc., Gordonsville, VA
• Mobil Chemical Co., Pittsford, NY
• Perfecseal, Philadelphia, PA
• Plastofilm Industries, Inc., Wheaton, IL
• Primex Plastics Corp., Mesquite, NV
• Rollprint Packaging Products, Inc., Addison, IL
• Tolas Health Care Packaging, Feasterville, PA