Automation is a boon for medical device packagers: an interview with Douglas Slomski, director of sales, medical/consumer/industrial division, Multivac Inc - Supplier close-up: people in packaging

Food & Drug Packaging, Sept, 2003

Q: What are the packaging challenges facing the medical device industry?

A: The challenges I see facing the industry today are reducing overall costs, increasing process speed and maintaining package integrity. For all these issues, implementation of the right technology throughout the supply chain is the best solution.

Medical product manufacturers are finding they can reduce the amount of materials consumed while increasing productivity and efficiency. Companies are taking more control of the packaging process to eliminate secondary and non-value add processes.

By bringing the packaging process in-house, companies can eliminate the processes of converting materials, reduce material usage and reduce labor through automation. For most of our customers, it's all about getting to market first, or being able to supply the market more efficiently.

Q: How is Multivac poised to meet these challenges?

A: At Multivac we look to incorporate as much of the filling, packaging, printing, labeling and inspection processes inline to most effectively maximize the horizontal thermoform fill-seal process (TFFS) and provide optimal value.

We've developed technology where, instead of using prefabricated medical packaging that is loaded by hand, the process is incorporated right into the supply chain in a liner fashion. This creates efficient and error-free solutions. We work with our partners to automate most packaging systems that need to produce high volume or complex fill to erasure all processes are met quickly and accurately.

Specifically, Multivac meets these challenges by providing high-quality medical packaging solutions, employing more than 50 nationwide service technicians and design professionals and maintaining a 24-hour turnaround of customer ordered replacement items. Due to our growth, we've also implemented a 24/7 customer assistance service to ensure uptime of our packaging machinery. Because we have built more than 1,100 TFFS machines this year alone, we will continue to invest in the manufacturing facilities and service personnel needed to meet the global demand.

Q: How does medical device packaging equipment differ from food equipment?

A: Mechanically packaging systems are customized to perform differently and the packages have different functional requirements.

On the food side, there are sanitation design requirements and point-of-sale appeal.

Most medical packages, however, must meet complex standards and validation criteria, while providing protection that maintains a sterile barrier.

Medical packaging systems need not only the hardware to form the intricacies of the draw ratios, the depth, the pockets, but the software operating system capable of validating the process. Any sterile barrier that you're trying to accommodate needs to be validated to maintain seal integrity on a pre-and post-sterile basis.