In order to meet the growing demands of the pharmaceutical industry, pharmaceutical printing companies are increasingly using 100% print inspection systems and other advanced technologies to expedite the process and eliminate human error. These advancements have also made packaging more efficient and effective. Humans cannot increase their speed without increasing the risk of mistakes. With automated packaging processes, pharmaceutical companies can set themselves apart from their competitors and create superior packaging.
Multi-Layer Pharmaceutical Label Printing
The multi-layer pharmaceutical label printing process involves the printing of multiple layers of information on pharmaceutical packaging. These labels include the product's chemical composition as well as instructions for use. This type of label printing is popular with pharmaceutical companies, as it makes compliance with pharmaceutical label regulations much easier. This type of printing also allows for patient-specific label printing.
Pharmacies must comply with strict guidelines when it comes to pharmaceutical label printing. They need to consider factors such as font size and intended meaning. Since pharmaceutical labels must convey an accurate message to potential users, it's important to make sure that they're readable and legible. Fortunately, modern label printing technology has helped manufacturers achieve their goals in this area.
The multi-layer pharmaceutical label printing process can be helpful for many types of products. For instance, a nasal inhaler needs a multi-layer label to indicate the chemical composition of the product. In addition, these labels can also include a short list of instructions. Ultimately, the process has numerous benefits for pharmaceutical companies.
Cost-Effective Label Printing
Multi-layer pharmaceutical label printing is also a cost-effective way to produce pharmaceutical labels. This printing method consists of two or more layers of printed PP or PE films. They are ideal for sticking pharmaceutical products and can contain product names, ingredients, and safety information. This type of label printing can be customized to meet the specific requirements of pharmaceutical companies.
Multi-layer pharmaceutical label printing also protects against counterfeiting and fraud. These labels can be secured using special encoding and anti-counterfeiting technology. As an added security measure, pharmaceutical manufacturers can also incorporate holograms and other security features into their packaging to avoid counterfeiting.
This printing process also ensures traceability, which is essential in the pharmaceutical industry. It allows manufacturers to track the entire production process of their products. For example, US legislation requires that drug packs contain unique coding that identifies the date of manufacture, manufacturer, and batch. This prevents gray market trade. By adding traceability, manufacturers can easily automate order reporting, create digital backups, and improve product quality.
Multi-layer pharmaceutical label printing is a great way to meet regulatory standards and get your labels ready for the market. These labels can be printed on either the inside or outside panel of a bottle or container. This technology also allows for up to eight different colors to be printed on pharmaceutical packaging.
Anti-Counterfeiting Measures
Increasingly, pharmaceutical manufacturers are implementing anti-counterfeiting measures to safeguard their products. These measures, such as tamper-evidence and serialisation, help differentiate real from fake products. Additionally, these measures allow for easy regulatory compliance.
Anti-counterfeiting measures for printing pharmaceutical packaging are designed to reduce the risk of counterfeiting medicines. The level of risk associated with these counterfeits is a critical factor in deciding the type of security measures to be used on pharmaceutical printing packaging. For instance, the World Health Organisation warns that counterfeit medicines pose a high risk to patients and manufacturers. In addition, the Falsified Medicine Directive of the European Commission requires pharmaceutical manufacturers to implement security measures on packaging. In addition to the expiration date, products must also carry a serial number and batch designation. There are also other security features that are only detectable by special laboratory equipment.
Counterfeiting is a major issue for the pharmaceutical industry. Many counterfeiters aim to penetrate the legitimate supply chain and steal genuine shipments to resell for profit. Furthermore, some of these counterfeiters are selling genuine pharmaceutical packaging to other counterfeiters. Therefore, it is essential for pharmaceutical manufacturers to implement anti-counterfeiting measures.
Range of Different Anti-Counterfeiting Technologies
Pharmaceutical manufacturers can use a range of different anti-counterfeiting technologies to ensure their products are authentic. Colour-shift inks, for example, use different combinations of colours to ensure the same product is not counterfeited. These inks are typically printed in larger blocks of colour, making them difficult to replicate. Pfizer, for example, was one of the first pharmaceutical company to use colour-shift ink on their packaging. These features make counterfeit packaging difficult to reproduce, and also help ensure that counterfeit products are easily detected.
Besides the use of biometrics and other anti-counterfeiting methods, pharmaceutical manufacturers can also implement e-labels. These labels can be validated online and offline by smartphone readers. Other security measures include password protection, signatures, and encryption techniques.
Taggant technology is another way to authenticate packaging. This technology uses unique high-end security pigments to print out pharmaceutical products. Taggants are also invisible to the naked eye, making it impossible for counterfeiters to identify them. Pharmaceutical companies can also rely on certified substrates, which help prevent counterfeiting.
Lightweight Paper Used In Pharmaceutical Printing
Lightweight paper is an important factor in pharmaceutical printing packaging. The pharma industry requires special equipment and handling skills to ensure product quality. The Komori printing press lineup is designed to meet the demands of this market. This includes HIPAA-qualified equipment and new folding processes. This allows pharma printers to increase productivity while minimizing waste.
PharmBrite 92 is a high-quality pharmaceutical insert paper that provides excellent printing surfaces, crisp white shade, enhanced opacity and increased strength in low basis weights. This high-grade paper is engineered for performance through a highly-technical cutting process.
The pharmaceutical industry has made environmental and sustainability issues a high priority. This includes a conscious effort to minimize carbon emissions and logistics costs. In addition to avoiding harmful chemicals, the industry uses stretch wrap and elastic film to secure large volumes. Pharmaceutical packaging materials are also more environmentally friendly with vegetable-based inks, which minimize synthetic colorants.
The paper used in pharmaceutical printing packaging is typically non-toxic and odorless. It is also economical and long-lasting. Flexography printing technology allows for high-quality, high-resolution prints. It also offers fast setup time and effortless registration. The process also produces less waste in pharmaceutical packaging.
Automated Inspection Rewinder
An automated inspection rewinder for pharmaceutical printing packaging eliminates the need for human operators to manually inspect each pharmaceutical label. This process can save companies a considerable amount of time and money by detecting critical mistakes prior to printing. Moreover, it can help avoid recalls and legal issues.
A 100% inspection rewinder is an important tool for pharmaceutical printing packaging, since it can detect errors even at the smallest scale. The system uses sophisticated computer systems to detect flaws in labeling, bar code errors, and display panel asterisks. Moreover, the rewinder can be stopped automatically if it detects a defect.
A typical rewinder can process up to 300 feet of material per minute. A typical pharmaceutical label measures 1.5 inches in length, which means the operator will need to inspect 40 labels per second. With only 20 milliseconds to inspect each label, a human inspector may miss several errors if the operator is distracted or fatigued.
Automated packaging inspection can detect errors in copy and code, as well as smears and debris. It can also detect color inconsistencies. It can detect errors in print production that can lead to costly waste of materials. Its high precision can reduce waste and improve the quality of pharmaceutical labels.
A fully integrated solution, the NYSCAN inspection system will stop the rewinder if it detects a defect and will display important information on the screen for the operator. This will allow the press operator to take corrective actions. Although an operator will have to spend more time on the press, this technology allows the operator to make intelligent decisions based on the information that is provided by the NYSCAN inspection system.
A 100% inspection system guarantees constant quality with high throughput rates, which reduces costs. The results are recorded permanently, making them easily available for quick interventions to avoid wasteful materials. Furthermore, the entire inspection process is documented in detail. This information is also accessible for customers' data management systems.
Another type of automated inspection rewinder is the EyeC ProofRunner Web. With an intuitive web interface, the system enables operators to make better decisions and improve print quality.