Medicine is often packaged in tiny containers, making labeling difficult. Pharmaceutical companies have to figure out how to fit necessary, detailed information into small labels. In addition to overcoming space constraints, they have to label products quickly and accurately. To address these concerns all at once, two companies have turned to unique labeling systems—with great success.

The first company, Akorn, Inc., was faced with the challenge of applying postage stamp-size labels to ampules as small as 1 mL. The goal was to apply labels at a rate of 135 units per minute. This was met with the installation of a new line at their Illinois labeling plant last June. The new line features an automatic labeler, which prints the expiration dates and lot codes on labels and then affixes the labels on the ampules. In addition, the machine incorporates inspection systems that ensure that label information is correct.

For the second company, Procter & Gamble, space was even tighter when it came to labeling its osteoporosis drug Actonel 5-mg daily dose. The company needed to place a label in the front and one in the back of the oval-shaped Safety-SquEase bottle that held the medicine. Because the labels had to contain a lot of information in an easy-to-read font size, P&G chose a folded design for both. In addition to the content issue, the company also had to make sure that the labels could be processed quickly. To address this, P&G employed a splicing system from Germany called LabelLink so operators could splice new rolls of labels to old rolls in 7 seconds, instead of their prior time of 2-5 minutes.

Design demands also added an extra degree of difficulty at P&G. The front label and back label for its medicine bottle had markedly different design requirements. While the front label was to contain information for the patient, the back label was to hold information for the pharmacist. The front would have to stay on the bottle for the remainder of its life while the back label would be detached before the medicine even got to the patient. That meant that the front would have to be high-quality and easy to open and reseal while the back would have to be removable. The solution: separate formats. The front label was designed as a double-folded booklet while the back, an accordion-folded leaflet. In addition, both labels were made so they could be printed at high speed.

Both companies meet the accuracy challenge through rigorous inspection. At P&G, the labeled bottles enter a starwheel, where two opposed cameras verify that the front and back labels are present by detecting the ultraviolet printing on them. Two additional video cameras confirm that the lot number and expiration date on the front label are correct. They do this by capturing an image of the data, which is then compared by special algorithms to previously inputted information. Meanwhile, at Akorn, the labeler machine is programmed to reject every container unless inspection systems send a signal indicating that it is good. This 'positive accept' mode ensures that faulty bottles will not pass through even if the inspection systems are down. Furthermore, a sensor in the reject bin checks to see that the appropriate container has been set aside. The machine will stop after a predetermined number of consecutive rejects.

The new technologies employed by the companies are also fulfilling their need for speed—sharply reducing machine downtime. At Akorn, the labeler has been dependable and consistent. "The machine has required very little maintenance since we started running it," says Joe Hardy, plant manager. Similarly, at P&G, the new system has not only dramatically reduced splicing time but also eliminated splice breaks—a major cause of downtime. Before using this label splicing technology, operators had to attach a new roll of labels to an old roll using a piece of splice tape, a connection that often broke at the peel plate. In contrast, the new technology utilizes a special adhesive coating that keeps the splice intact.

Indeed, as these examples show, pharmaceutical packaging can be daunting. However, as these two companies have proven, overcoming these challenges can be accomplished through the clever deployment of technology. Through such unique systems, pharmaceutical companies can meet small packaging requirements with speed and accuracy.

Sources: Quick Label Splicing Improves Line Efficiency
Jack Mans
Packaging Digest, Sept. 2002
http://www.packagingdigest.com

Applying Tiny Labels is a Challenge
Jack Mans
Packaging Digest, Sept. 2002
http://www.packagingdigest.com