Pharmaceutical companies have long used blister packaging machines to protect products from tampering and contamination, but what is a blister pack exactly?
In this post, we’ll cover the basics of blister packaging, including its uses and benefits. We’ll also explain how a blister packaging machine can help protect your product and increase efficiency in your production process.
Read on to find out more about the benefits of using blister packaging for your pharmaceuticals.
First Things First—What Is Blister Packaging?
A blister pack is a type of packaging that consists of a hard, transparent plastic shell typically made from PVC or polypropylene and filled with product. This type of packaging is ideal for protecting pharmaceutical products, such as tablets and capsules, from contamination, tampering, and moisture damage. Blister packs also allow you to print information about the product on its surface rather than on the product itself.
How Are Blister Packs Made?
Blister packs are made using special blister packaging machines that utilize heat and pressure to form the plastic into a desired shape. These machines can produce various shapes, sizes, thicknesses, and colors, depending on your needs. The packaging process includes creating an air-tight seal around each tablet or capsule to ensure that the product is kept safe until it reaches the end user. Once the packaging is manufactured, the machine fills the blister pack with product before it’s sealed with a backing material, such as aluminum foil or paperboard.
Blister packaging machines typically use a three-step process:
- Forming: A forming mold is used in either the thermoforming or coldforming process to create a tray with cavities or pockets that match your exact product requirements.
- Sealing: Your product is placed inside the cavities. The trays are sealed with pre-cut pieces of your choice of lidding material using knurled or flat heat-sealing plates.
- Perforating and Cutting: The sealed trays are cut and perforated using a precision die cutter. Consider adding perforated brake lines between your blister packs’ pockets before the final perimeter cut.
Types of Products for Blister Packaging
Besides pharmaceuticals, there are many other types of products packaged in blisters, like:
- Nutraceuticals
- Animal health products
- Cannabis
- Medical devices
- Food products
Typically, blister packs are used for solid unit doses of medicines and keep tablets or capsules separate and protected until used.
Blister Packaging Solves Common Obstacles
Blister packaging provides valuable solutions for common packaging challenges like:
- Retaining the medicinal quality of the product
- Newly developed drugs conflicting with packaging material
- Complying with regulatory standards
- Efficiently protecting products from heat, moisture, and contamination
The Many Benefits of Blister Packs
Blister packaging offers numerous benefits:
Protects the Product
Blister packs can help protect pharmaceuticals from contaminants, while providing an easy way to store and transport them securely. If your product is susceptible to deterioration when exposed to the air or water vapor, blister packaging is an ideal packaging solution that can help maintain your product’s integrity until customer use.
Increases Patient Safety
Blister packs are designed with tamper resistance in mind, which can help increase safety for consumers who may not be able to recognize signs of tampering in more traditional forms of packaging.
Easy-to-Read Doses and Serving Sizes
Additionally, blister packs make it easy for customers to take their medication without having to open bulky containers or worry about spills during travel. They’re also designed with well defined dosages that make it simple for the consumer to use the product without measuring or weighing the contents.
Cost Effective
Since they require less material when compared to other forms of packaging, blister packs can help keep your production costs down while still providing effective protection for your products. They also minimize transportation costs due to their low weight and small size.
Multiple Variations
There are a variety of options available when you use blister packaging for your product, from face seal blisters and full face seal blisters to trapped blisters and clamshells. Choosing from multiple variations means you get the proper packaging that meets your product needs.
Child Resistant
Blister packaging can also be designed with child-resistant features, making them difficult to open for children under five but easy to open for adults. Manufacturers use a wide range of materials, such as aluminum, PVC, PVdC, PE, PP, aclar films, and cold form foils, to make blister packs more challenging to open for children.
Product Visibility
Blister packs provide a clear window on the front, meaning that customers can actually see what they’re buying and measure it if they want to. By increasing product visibility, blister packaging can help build trust between your customers and brand. Because blister packs display the product clearly, customers get an accurate idea of the item and its size—meaning they’re more likely to be satisfied with their purchase, so brands can avoid complaints and returns. Additionally, customers may be more likely to make an impulse purchase if they can actually see the product they’re buying, so blister packaging can help increase sales.
Get Quality Packaging Solutions With Our Blister Packaging Machines
Blister packaging is an efficient and cost-effective way to package and distribute your products. At Ascend Packaging Systems, we provide automated and semi-automatic packaging equipment to help you maximize your production and limited space.
We understand that you have unique needs—that’s why we offer packaging solutions tailored to your specific production requirements. Our blister packaging machines are built with precision and care, ensuring that your products are securely sealed in the best possible way. Whether you need high-quality blister packaging for pharmaceuticals, medical devices, or nutraceuticals, we have the perfect solution for you. Contact us today to learn more about our wide range packaging equipment.
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