In response to demand, ACG Films – one of the four businesses of ACG Group, the only supplier in the world offering end-to-end manufacturing solutions for the pharmaceutical industry – has invested to expand its series of ultra-high barrier blister films.
The company’s UltraSafe portfolio is now available in three variants of varying thicknesses providing heightened, customisable protection against moisture and oxygen for oral solid dose products. These are: UltraSafe Dupac, which comprises PVC and PVdC, while UltraSafe Tripac is made with these two substrates plus a layer of PE in between. The third product, called Core, consists of a single layer of PVdC sandwiched between two layers of PVC; the symmetry of the sandwiched structure offers higher machinability due to the presence of the same seal surface on both sides of the structure. In each product, the proven barrier properties of Diofan® Super B help ensure long-term safety even in demanding climatic conditions.
Similar in appearance to conventional trilaminate blister packaging films. Ultrasafe films offer exemplary barrier properties and premium machinability. The films are produced by laminating rigid PVC to polyethylene (PE), then coating the substrate with Diofan® Super B. Multiple layers can be applied to generate different coating weights.
The expanded set of UltraSafe blister films offers myriad benefits, including:
Premium barrier protection: In addition to safeguarding against moisture and oxygen, UltraSafe films prevent the loss or unwanted addition of aroma and flavour.
Seal integrity: Ultrasafe films offer strong seal integrity achievable even at high speeds and require no special tooling. The result is a simpler, cost-effective, and robust packaging solution.
Attractive aesthetics: Ultrasafe films yield transparent blisters, enabling easy inspection, encouraging patient adherence to prescription regimens and, in certain pharma niches, helping to build brand differentiation.
Pack size reduction: Compared to cold form blister packs, Ultrasafe films offer the ability to reduce pack sizes or increase pill density without enlarging the package. Blister pack size can be reduced up to 60%, significantly decreasing the amount of packaging material required for both cost savings and improved eco-friendliness.
Production efficiency: Ultrasafe can generate angle cavities that are steeper and deeper than those generated by conventional strip/aluminum blisters. Ultrasafe films also mitigate blister curling issues post-thermoforming, vastly diminishing the need for rib stiffening. UltraSafe’s lower forming temperatures also enable better production control, as does its high levels of elasticity.
No special tooling: Unlike aluminum-based laminates, Ultrasafe films display high flexibility and run well on different types of blister packaging machines. The films can be produced using tools or molds designed for PVC or regular PVDC coated films.
Easy process parameters: Ultrasafe film’s parameters for key production criteria like thermoforming temperature, molding pressure and sealing requirements are the same as regular PVdC-coated films, meaning no special tech training is necessary.
Cost-effective: Competitively-priced, UltraSafe films require no additional investments on customized equipment – a machinability that eliminates the need for specialized infrastructure.
