Blister packaging is a form of plastic packaging and is used in the pharmaceutical as well as the consumer goods industry. The blister packaging machine is increasingly used in these areas and there are many types of blister packaging that are available in the market.

Pharmaceutical Industry

In the pharmaceutical industry, the blister packaging machine is used as unit-dose packaging. Tablets, lozenges, and capsules are packed using the unit-dose packaging system. These blister packs not only provide a barrier but also help in protecting the shelf life of these products. This type of packaging offers a certain amount of tamper resistance. In the US, all physician samples and over-the-counter drugs use blister packaging. The blister pack is also better known as the Push-Through-Pack in some certain countries across the world. Blister packaging ensures some degree of authenticity and integrity of the product.

How They Work?

The blister packs use the form-fill-seal process, where there are rolls of flat films or sheets that have pharmaceutical products filled in them. The packs are then sealed using the same machine which is termed as blisterline. This is later dispatched from the pharmaceutical companies to the distributors. This is one way of ensuring the safety and authenticity of the product.

Consumer Goods

The blister packaging machine is also used extensively in the consumer goods industry. This type of packaging is used in many consumer goods like toys, pens, electrical and electronic goods, hardware, and many other products. This type of packaging is very useful as the consumer can clearly see what is inside and look at the product without having to open it or tamper with it. It is sealed at the manufacturing unit and hence remains tamperproof. A vacuum formed plastic shell is placed around the mold and hence the product can snugly fit into the packaging. This consists of the paperboard card on one side and the pre-formed plastic on the other side.

The other form of packaging is known as the clamshell, which is a more secure packaging system. This is especially useful in the packaging of electronic items. This consists of 2 pre-formed plastic sheets that are fused together at the edges. This is designed in such a way to discourage tampering and this is an excellent way to package an item and prevent duplication. You will need a sharp object such as a knife to open this packaging.

Medical Blister Trays

These differ from the pharmaceutical blister packs as they are not the push-through packs. Here, a thicker plastic is used and this forms a solid tray. There is a peel open feature and these are generally used to package medical devices that are used in the hospitals.

The blister packaging machine has many uses in all these areas of manufacturing and it ensures that the products are tamper-proof to some extent. There are various methods that are used during the manufacturing such as cold forming and thermoforming. Even the materials used in blister packaging can vary.