Pharmaceutical Label Production

Medica Packaging has announced details of its move into the pharmaceutical labels sector with the purchase of a Gallus EM340S printing press with a Scantech VisionTrack rewind and inspection machine for its pharmaceutical-focused business.

The addition of pharmaceutical labelling means that the Medica site is now equipped for the creation of three packaging elements - cartons, patient information leaflets, and labels.

The seven-colour Gallus EM340S UV-flexographic press is capable of a wide range of label production formats, including:

• reverse printing
• printing on adhesive
• edge slit
• in-line die cutting
• unsupported film
• and a wide range of paper substrates
• weights from 25 microns through to 400 microns.

Self-adhesive labels, as well as other applications, can be successfully produced on the new Gallus EM 340S. A state-of-the-art web transport concept utilising servo-drive technology ensures optimal multi substrate flexibility, operational efficiency and excellent printing quality.

Quality Assurance

Quality assurance is a strong focus with the new machinery, and the production system that has been created to support it. Medica Packaging has installed a press comparator system in order to compare a customer approved PDF against the "first off" print production pass, a feature that the company believes to be a first in the UK pharmaceutical label market. A camera system on the press then allows a live visual check for the machine operator of every printed label during the production run.

Pharma Label Inspection

Post-printing, the Scantech rewind machine is equipped with the latest vision inspection technology, providing the ability to check every label 100% of the time. Another innovation of this machine is the re-inspection of pharmaceutical labels through the vision system, helping to ensure that all waste is removed. This unit will have the capability to verify barcodes and consecutively number each label all in one pass.

The label production process will utilise low-odour, Benzophenone free printing inks, which will be suitable for both food and pharmaceutical packaging demands. The expected average production speed of the machine will be in the region of 80 metres per minute. The flexibility of the Gallus press means that other printing processes, including pharmaceutical label formats such as silk screen, foil blocking and "peel 'n' read", can be added to the machine as required.