Trendgineering
Child-proof packaging for medical cannabis
| Petra Rehmet
CX series convinces with its precise plasticizing unit at the customer Sanner
What's the most important thing about packagings for medicines? Children must not be able to open them. However, they must be easy to use for adults, protect the product and, of course, also be attractively presented. Sanner GmbH, the specialist for pharmaceutical packaging solutions, has developed a new patented tablet dispenser. It is manufactured on a injection molding machine CX 160 from KraussMaffei.
Press both sides, push the lid up, take a tablet, close the lid and put the narrow container back in your shirt or trouser pocket. People who are chronically sick and are prescribed medical cannabis will be pleased that taking the medicine is as easy as chewing gum. Sanner GmbH (Bensheim) has made full use of its development competence with the new TabTec CR tablet container.
The container is made of polypropylene and is manufactured with its lid in a small-series mold. The shot weight is 12.8 grams with a cycle time of 20 seconds. The process also includes the container lid, which must be formed while still warm, before the tablet dispenser falls freely out of the mold. Otherwise, the plastic could warp, which would affect the tightness, as the lid closes the container via an edge thickening with press fit.
Absolutely child-proof in smart design:
The new TabTec CR patented tablet dispenser from Sanner for medical cannabis.
Sophisticated lid
Especially the thin arms of the lid, which end in the two child-proofing press buttons, are tricky to manufacture; they must be charged with extreme precision in order to achieve the desired press resistance for opening. The result is a defined "force window", within which the container is securely closed, but is easy to open. For this purpose, tight tolerances are necessary and the design is accordingly demanding. Precision is also required for the film hinge of the lid. It must withstand 150 opening/closing cycles without breaking. From the injection point in the lower container area, the melt is pressed through the narrowing of the hinge.
Here, the precise plasticizing unit of the KraussMaffei machines proves itself. In addition, the hydraulic CX series convinces with its compact 2-platen design and yet large clamping area for molds. In the initial phase, the new TabTec CR tablet dispenser is produced on a CX 160-750. A CX 200 is planned for future large-series application.
Hubert Mathes, Head of Technical Operations at Sanner, emphasizes: "KraussMaffei has been our reliable partner in the field of injection molding machines for many years. Above all, we appreciate the competent support with process engineering design and the commissioning of machines."
Ready for large-series production
In the small-series phase, the tablet dispenser is produced on a CX 160-750. A CX 200 is planned for future large-series application.
Sanner is the market leader for the packaging of effervescent tablets, and launched the first desiccant seal on the market already in the 1960s. A dry substance, silica or molecular sieve, is included in the TabTec CR, which prevents the tablets sticking together or losing their coating as a result of moisture. In an independent consumer study, the newly developed container was given excellent marks compared with child-proof blister packs. The participants in the study rated the criteria "child-proof opening mechanism", "hygienic removal", "reliable tablet packaging" and "easy portability".
Appealing design
The TabTec CR also looks good. The container is of modern design, which also saves the need for secondary packaging in box form, because important information is included in a booklet label, so there is no package insert to get lost. A sticker affixed over the lid can serve as a tamper-evident closure.
As cannabis therapy is still in its early days in Germany and Europe, especially in comparison with the USA, the need for packagings for the various dosage forms will certainly increase.
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