PACKAGING LINE EFFICIENCY

Perhaps there's no greater asset to a packaging line than productive employees with a strong sense of ownership and purpose. That's the case at Nutrilite's Buena Park, CA, facility, where the company's "K-Line Express" was awarded "Packaging Continuous Improvement Team 2010 team of the year" by Amway for its efficiency improvements. The team implemented 45 employee ideas that led to the line's 2010 run performance, which showed a 167% improvement over 2009. Those gains drove the company's CIT Audit average audit score to 11.3 out of a possible maximum score of 12. On one 2010 shift, those improvements helped the line produce a record 39,000 bottles, more than double the 14,000 that's considered routine. Key to the line is a PE Labelers USA rotary labeler (shown here) supplied by PMC Packaging Machinery Central.The labeler delivered a 38% improvement in uptime compared with the in-line unit it replaced.

Tags: Packaging line efficiency; Labeling; Checkweighing; Metal detection; Tablet counting, weighing and filling Nutraceuticals; PE Labelers USA; PMC Packaging Machinery Central; Berry Plastics; Omega Design; Nova Packaging Systems; Heat and Control; Kaps-All; Pillar; Garvey; Videojet; Mettler-Toledo; Rockwell Automation

There's big money for criminals in trafficking prescription meds such as those used for pain relief, anxiety, and depression. How big? Nearly $1 billion a year, according to a June 1 CNNMoney report that indicates doctors, Medicare fraud, 'skittles parties' all contribute to a growing street market for prescription meds. Read the story and watch a video of the prescription drug scams in Medicare Part D to gain a better understanding of how money is made illegally at various stages of the supply chain.

Tags: FDA; Diversion; Regulatory and Legal; Authentication

Induction sealing is a non-contact process but by no means in the "hands-off" sense, writes Sterling Anthony, a consultant specializing in the strategic use of marketing, logistics, and packaging. To the contrary, he notes, induction sealing requires a high degree of coordination, due to the various suppliers involved and the many associated variables. Induction sealing is used for a wide variety of products across such categories as food, beverage, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and household chemicals. A closure with a composite liner inside is screwed onto a filled container (such as a bottle or jar). The container then travels by conveyor under an induction sealer, which spreads an electromagnetic field that heats the aluminum foil layer of the liner. The heated foil, in turn, causes the heat-seal layer to melt, and the container is thereby sealed.

Tags: Sealing; Rigid containers/bottles; Closures; Flexible films

Enhanced regulations and regulatory guidance on current Good Manufacturing Practices and the trend toward biopharmaceuticals have significantly impacted drug product manufacturing. Early stage guidance from experts with experience in packaging applications and manufacturing practices can help drug manufacturers identify potential hazards associated with packaging materials while a product is still in development. In this story, Frances L. DeGrazio of West Pharmaceutical Services explains that choosing consistent components, mitigating the risk of recalls, and differentiation can provide competitive advantages.

Tags: West Pharmaceutical Services; Biopharmaceuticals; Ampules; Good Manufacturing Practices; Parenterals; Cyclic olefin polymers; Distribution

Danone switched from polystyrene to Ingeo™ PLA from Nature Works for its Activia brand yogurt in Germany, a product said to help regulate the digestive system. The new yogurt pack is the result of a close cooperation between Danone, WWF-Germany, and NatureWorks. The switch to the material will improve the product's packaging carbon footprint by 25% and will use 43% less fossil resources compared to the previous packaging, according to a life-cycle assessment (LCA) study conducted by the Heidelberg-based LCA Institute for Energy and Environmental Research (IFEU). Danone is the first company to switch to PLA packaging for a leading yogurt product in Europe. In October, Stonyfield Farm became the first in the U.S. to introduce a form/fill/seal cup made from PLA for yogurt.

Tags: Sustainability/environmental; NatureWorks; IFEU; Rigid containers

Dennis Martin, regional sales manager, Cozzoli Machine Co., describes the FPS1 vial filling and sealing machine for glass vials. Includes a Banner vision system and works with oxygen, gas, or propane.

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