PACKAGING
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Look for a packaging supplier with a solid understanding of the medical device industry.
(Photo courtesy IVERS-LEE) |
Picking the Right Packaging Firm
Quality must be the primary consideration when sourcing a supplier, says Horst Sobek, Managing Director at IL-MedTec AG, Ivers-Lee AG (Burgdorf, Switzerland). “Make sure your partner has a solid understanding of the medical technology business and its requirements,” Sobek advises. “Of course, the necessary certificates for packaging medical products are a must, but there are other important aspects to consider including project management competency and technical developments,” he adds.
Medical device firms should look for packaging companies with long-term business relationships with their customers, says Ronny Debaere, Global Market Development Manager, Healthcare, of Vitalo Packaging (Meulebeke, Belgium). Other considerations to look for in a packaging company include reliable quality-control systems, highly trained personnel, and operating facilities that can handle what you need in terms of design and quantity, advises Peter Buri, Marketing and Sales Manager of Früh Verpackungstechnik AG (Fehraltorf, Switzerland). Buri also recommends working with a company that offers both packaging materials and contract packaging services.
Look for Versatility
Because all packaging solutions are tailor-made according to the specific requirements of the customer, it is helpful to work with a packaging partner with a diverse background, Sobek says. Things to assess when looking for a packaging partner, according to him, include the company’s level of technical proficiency, its tooling, printing capabilities, packaging machinery, certificates, and cleanroom environment.
Have Specifications Ready
As in all outsourcing, it is important to provide your business partner with exact specifications and sample parts or devices. Many projects run into trouble when specifications are sent to a packaging outsourcer before the product’s design has been finalised, “The supplier needs to know specific requirements for packaging including how the product will be transported and secured with the packaging, sterility issues and marketing aspects such as look and feel,” Debaere adds.
Make the Supplier Aware of Sterilisation Issues
If required, sterilisation greatly influences the choice of raw material for packaging. The packaging supplier or contractor should be familiar with sterilisation methods and compatible packaging materials, and should be able to offer several alternatives that can match your needs and budget.
Don’t Forget the Incidentals
Consider how your packaged product will be shipped, stacked and stored. If not addressed at the onset of the packaging process, you could wind up with individually packaged products that are cumbersome to shelve or that do not fit into a shipping carton cost effectively.
If you are assembling in-house, look for materials suited to the particular requirements of manual or automated packaging. When selecting materials, says Debaere, packing and unpacking of the product are other issues to consider. “Important areas that change how you will handle in-house packaging include fixation of the component in the package as well as stacking of the package,” Debaere explains. “The more compact and easy the package is to stack, the less expensive storage and shipping are for the end user.”
