Blister packaging is as popular today as its clamshell counterpart. From children’s toys to microchips, a large number of items employ blister packing for the market. The food industry is no exception, either. The fact that blister packs make items easier to display in a shop is a bonus that most commercial establishments capitalize on. Moreover, a blister package allows manufacturers to display any intricacies or ornate aspects in the marketed products, thereby imparting a visual appeal to the product. The most frequent usage of blister packaging worldwide, however, is in the pharmaceutical industry. Medicines are easily recognizable in blister packages.
The difference between clamshell and blister packaging is primarily in the fact that blister packaging has a single cup of molded thermoplastic, whereas clamshell packaging has two separate cups that are conjoined. A blister pack primarily consists of two components – a thermally molded plastic cup that acts as the container and a rear sheet made of cardboard or similar material. The two components are conjoined either thermally or using commercial adhesives of high or medium-high strength. Pressure sealing is also employed in blister packaging.
Thermoforming and Machinery
The technology employed in the creation of blister packs is thermoforming. Thermoforming involves the molding of thermal plastic sheets or films at high temperatures over specific molds, using different techniques like twin-sheet forming, pressure forming, drape forming, simple sheet bending, vacuum forming and free blowing. Corresponding kinds of equipment are available for each technique of thermoforming. An example of such equipment is the vacuum/pressure assist thermoforming machine.
Choice of Rear Sheet
The choice of the rear sheet varies. Cardboard sheets are used widely for the purpose. However, the pharmaceutical industry employs different materials for the purpose, including paper and (the most widely used material) tin foil.
Machinery and Manufacturers
Different industries produce thermoforming equipment used in the production of blister packages. MEAF Machines manufactures a number of models including the BMS 500, the CM 420, the PM 420 and the BMS 600. Plastimach and GN Plastics also manufacture thermoforming devices. Readymade blister packages are also available. National Plastics Inc. and Andex are examples of manufacturing industries supplying blister packaging materials. Clients may purchase blister packages from the ranges of pre-existing shapes and moulds or order custom moulds for specific goods.
0 responses so far ↓
There are no comments yet...Kick things off by filling out the form below.
Leave a Comment