Pad Printing for Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Christophe Verledens Erik Ottevaere Email: EOttevaere@printinginternatinal.com
|
Biography Christophe Verledens - Graduated in linguistics (Romance languages) in Brussels, followed by a post-university education in business administration (Leuven-Kortrijk). Erik Ottevaere - Master in commercial science, economics and sales at EHSAL in Brussels. Company Profile Printing International NV is a company located in Aalter (between Bruges and Ghent). We develop, design and manufacture machines for the medical and pharmaceutical sector as well as other market segments. Our market is mostly situated in North-America, Europe and Asia. Since 1974 we bring products on the market to respond to the needs of our customers worldwide. With our large experience in printing techniques we develop the technical solution that solves the problems of the printing on surfaces that aren’t easy to print (a silicone pad is adapting to any kind of surface). As a leading market supplier with long standing cooperations in the world of healthcare, Printing International distinguishes itself by its innovative skills. We are structured to provide our customers with guidance at every stage in their project. We specialize in R&D, engineering, manufacturing and service. All our procedures are accredited and audited to ISO 9001:2000 Quality Management Standards. We serve the world of pharma leaders with custom made pad printing machinery to print on tablets, capsules, soft & hard gels, syringes, catheters, inhalers, drug delivery systems, infusion and transfusion sets, automatic injection devices, filters, pumps, bags, pouches, jars, vials, pipettes, caps and closures… If required, Printing International’s machinery is manufactured for clean room environment in accordance with cGMP standards. Full GAMP validation papers can be provided. Machine operational software is also CFR21 part11 compliant. Our wide range of consumables includes a large supply of FDA approved pads and USP class VI inks for all applications.
|
Abstract Pharmaceutical companies can apply edible inks onto their tablets, soft gel capsules or freezedried tablets instead of the classical embossing. Several reasons exist : legislation (South-Korea obliges to print on their tablets) – avoiding medical mistakes by putting colour contrast on the tablet (printing a tablet-specific code) – technical problems that occur while embossing (too small tablets that break, tablets with different layers) – marketing reasons (logo of the company) – and many others… With the printing equipment for solid products, we apply an image (text, logo, combination of both) onto the product with a high resolution and with a precision upto 0,1mm. Due to the horizontal movement of the product on the machine, product damage is excluded. Under the print head the product is immobilized (vacuum system) and with a linear movement the print head comes down on the product: this technique provides a better print quality than for instance a rotational solution where friction between the cylinder and the product create friction. Integrated cameras control the quality of the process. Our internal validation experts make sure that the machine is complying with the highest pharmaceutical requirements.
|