Sumitomo (SHI) Demag UK’s lead packaging expert, Kevin Heap, has revealed how the injection moulding company is working to improve accessibility to packaging.
Bottle caps and pack wraps that are difficult to open prevent customers with musculo-skeletal disabilities, such as arthritis, multiple sclerosis or muscular dystrophies from opening seals. However, strong pack closures are needed to keep products fresh and untampered.
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Selective-focus image of Arthritic/Senior Adult Hands opening a pill bottle
Kevin Heap, packaging expert at Sumitomo (SHI) Demag UK, has been working on moulding solutions to provide safe and easy opening packaging: “As well as introducing complex security measures and child resistance closures, injection moulders serving the packaging sector need to offer packaging functionality for target consumers.”
Child resistant packaging has sophisticated opening mechanisms, such as flip top lids that can be opened one-handed or packs that need pressure on to two points. Other recent examples involve developing a two-piece combination tamper evident closure for pharmaceutical syrups, and lockable flip tops.
Heap said: “Players within the pharmaceutical and life sciences industries are rapidly getting to grips with the impact of mandatory safety features. We have observed a number of moulding companies using the latest precision moulding techniques to address counterfeiting and product security. At the same time they are taking the opportunity to consider future packaging designs, without stereotyping older generations.”
One concept being widely deployed for counteracting counterfeiting and product tampering are caps containing sophisticated valve technology. Used by premium drink and pharmaceutical manufacturers, this technology can control the dispensing of product, while also preventing containers being refilled.
A recent example developed on a Sumitomo (SHI) Demag IntElect system was a combination aluminium and plastic tamper evident snap-on security closure. Comprising a non-refillable valve for high-risk markets, it also includes an innovative tamper evidence mechanism that provides an irreversible opening event to leave permanent evidence of initial opening. The cap is produced in high volumes and is modular by design, so that trade customers can adapt it to different brands.
This cap works by releasing a plastic part when each bottle is opened. It is impossible to reinsert this part back into the cap’s neck and when it drops down it reveals a highlighted ring to indicate that the bottle has been opened.
“As we look to the future and changing demographics, it’s important to balance product security with easy opening packaging. It’s also critical to remember that young people are just as likely to experience the challenges of difficult to open packaging as older generations. Thanks to our innovative injection moulding community, the UK is at the forefront of combatting packaging cap and wrap rage,” Heap concludes.