Pharmaceutical and Medical Packaging News
Magazine
PMPN Article Index
Originally Published October 1998
PRODUCT UPDATE
Protective Trays
Turn to customized trays to protect and present your delicate medical devices.
Because they are rigid and can be made to conform exactly to products, trays protect delicate devices during shipping, handling, and storage. Tray manufacturers offer a variety of material options and gauges to meet any barrier, weight, strength, sterilization, design, cost, and appearance requirement.
A manufacturer of packaging materials operates custom tray thermoforming operations around the world. Facilities are located in Londonderry, Northern Ireland; Carolina, Puerto Rico; Mankato, MN; and Selangor, Malaysia. Manufacturing its PerfecForm trays close to its customers enables the firm to provide rapid customer service and efficient delivery operations as well as to contain costs. The Mankato facility has expanded operations with a new high-performance custom tray thermoformer. Staff has been added to the computer-aided design (CAD) department in order to support this new production capability. In addition to CAD, the company uses computer-aided machining to refine the design concept to accurately fit close-tolerance tooling and computer numerically controlled milling equipment to fabricate the production tool. Perfecseal, Philadelphia, PA.
A line of sterilizable medical packaging includes trays and surgical kits that protect products against contamination. Among the materials used are PETG, polypropylene, HIPS, PVC, and polysulfone, as well as high-heat Makrofol polycarbonate that can be sterilized by autoclave or dry heat to 270° F. Packaging is formed in a Class 10,000 cleanroom. Merrill's Packaging, Burlingame, CA.
A materials manufacturer supplies PETG copolyester for thermoforming into complex, rigid blisters and trays. Paper or plastic lidstock can be heat sealed to the trays, which can be sterilized by gamma or electron-beam radiation or ethylene oxide with no discoloration or reduction in performance. Eastman Chemical Co., Kingsport, TN.
A thermoformer produces blister, clamshell, trifold, and tray packaging. The firm makes its tooling in-house and uses a combination of computer-aided design and manufacturing and computer numerical control tools. Class 100,000 cleanroom manufacturing is available. Tek Packaging Group, Huntley, IL.
An ISO 9001—certified thermoformer designs and produces custom trays in a variety of shapes, sizes, and materials. Designed to hold a variety of medical devices, the trays can be made from PET, PETG, and HIPS films. The firm also manufactures compatible heat-seal tooling and packaging machines for on-site sealing of medical trays and packaging. Alloyd Medical Products, DeKalb, IL.
