Pharmaceutical printing requires a high level of quality and consistency. An incorrectly printed prescription label can lead to overdose or even the loss of a license. Managed print services can ensure that data on pharmaceutical labels is legible and accurate, helping the pharmaceutical industry stay compliant and competitive. High volumes of printing in this industry are challenging, but managed print services can solve those issues and keep your pharmaceutical company on top of their game.
Ink-Jet Printing
Ink-Jet printing is an excellent way to produce pharmaceutical packaging. It provides pharmaceutical companies with superior printouts, greater logo protection, and improved legibility. Inkjet printing also allows for multiple colour sets for branding and colour consistency. In addition, it is cost-effective, eliminating ink consumption and handling issues.
This technology is also ideal for packaging made of flexible plastics, such as salad dressing bags. Since ink-jet printing is solvent-based, it is a safe solution for printing on challenging materials such as flexible plastic packaging. The inks are food-safe once they are completely dry, so pharmaceutical companies can rest assured that their products will be safe.
Another application for ink-jet printing is the production of free-standing tablets. This technology does not require toxic solvents, which are dangerous to humans. Moreover, it offers a general strategy for tablet production using suitable ink. This strategy can be used for any type of drug formulation.
Variety of Materials
Ink-jet printers are also versatile, able to print on non-porous and porous substrates. Moreover, they can print on curved surfaces. Ink-Jet printers are also capable of printing on a variety of materials, including cylinders, vials, and bottles. They also have the capability to print on glass, plastic, and foil pouches.
Another application for ink-jet printing is in the manufacturing of co-crystals. Ink-jet printing allows pharmaceutical manufacturers to produce co-crystals very quickly. These co-crystals can be dissolved in water/ethanol solutions. The process also reduces printing errors by reducing the possibility of sticking and picking.
Incorporation of Pharmacological Agents
Another application for ink-jet printing in the pharmaceutical industry is in the incorporation of pharmacological agents into medical devices. For example, inkjet printing has been used to create miconazole-loaded microneedles using visible light dynamic mask micro-stereolithography and micromolding. The printed miconazole microneedles exhibit antifungal activity. These ink-jet-printed pharmacologic agents are being evaluated in several universities to improve their biological functionality.
Pharmaceutical printing is an ideal application for ink-jet technology. Ink-jet printing offers a variety of advantages over conventional liquid deposition methods, including low processing costs, high processing rates, and minimal waste. It also has the flexibility to process structures directly from CAD data, while generating minimal contamination.
UV Inkjet Printing
Pharmaceutical printing requires high-quality printing. This type of printing protects patients from counterfeit drugs and prevents economic losses for the pharmaceutical industry. UV inkjet printing produces excellent legibility and contrast, and is perfect for pharmaceutical printing. UV inkjet printers are very efficient and ensure consistent print quality. They are also used to print serialized DataMatrix codes that prevent the sale of fake drugs.
The pharmaceutical industry has specific standards for printing date/lot codes, product information, and barcodes. It also utilizes horizontal packaging equipment. Greydon has pharmaceutical printing solutions that meet these standards and provide high-quality printing and meet FDA and DSCSA compliance. These printing systems print onto a variety of materials, including flexible packaging. They also enable printing variable data and are suitable for a wide range of pharmaceutical applications.
Pharmaceutical Environments
Ink-jet printing for pharmaceuticals is highly effective, as it provides full-colour swatches. In addition, it is ideal for colouring markings, warning labels, and hazard labels. These printing systems are also suitable for pharmaceutical environments, and can be integrated into most packaging machines.
UV inkjet printing is an excellent choice for pharmaceutical printing because it is versatile, scalable, and inexpensive. It can print on many different materials, including banner material and calendered vinyl. It is also highly durable, which makes it the perfect choice for pharmaceutical printing. In addition to pharmaceuticals, UV inkjet printing is also popular in the cosmetics and electronic industries.
Advantages of UV Inkjet Printing
One of the main advantages of UV inkjet printing for pharmaceuticals is that it is environmentally friendly. No solvent is required for its use. It can also reduce the amount of pollution emitted into the atmosphere. Additionally, UV inks have very low viscosity, so they are more easily penetrated. This also means faster turnaround times.
Inkjet printing is a non-contact process that allows for the dispersion of one to 100-pl droplets of liquid. These droplets are generated by a micrometer-scale nozzle that heats up the liquid. The droplets can travel a distance of up to 20 ms. This technique is also known as “toolless” printing.
SLS Printing
One of the most promising advances in pharmaceutical printing is the use of SLS printing. SLS is a solvent-free process that can create bespoke drug products. The process has numerous advantages, including the possibility of developing personalized medicine. Moreover, it uses FDA-approved thermoplastic polymers, which eliminates the need for post-processing.
There are two main types of SLS printers. One is the NILS 480 industry-grade printer, while the other is a small-scale compact machine known as Lisa PRO or Lisa X. The difference is in their mechanical properties and how they are used. A conventional SLS printer has a bed, which spreads a thin layer of powder. The printer sinters the layers based on a 3D model file.
The benefits of SLS printing over other additive manufacturing techniques include its ability to create printlets with customized properties. For example, the process does not require post-processing, meaning printlets can be immediately dispensed or consumed. Another advantage of SLS printing is that it does not require a liquid binder or a filament form of raw material. However, it does require that all formulation components be thermoplastic, biocompatible, and GRAS-listed.
Manufacturing For Certain Medicines
While 3D printing is unlikely to replace mass manufacturing for certain medicines, the use of SLS for pharmaceutical printing is still an interesting option for patients that need specialized medications. Using this process allows patients to customize a dose based on specific needs. For example, SLS can print printlets with Braille or moon patterns on them, enabling visually impaired patients to identify the medication. Another advantage of SLS is that it can print printlets with different shapes, which can provide additional information to patients.
With SLS printing, drug manufacturers can create orodispersible tablets in any shape they want. They can choose a tablet shape that will fit the dosage requirements of the patient. Another advantage of SLS is that the print nozzle can be adjusted according to the dose requirements. As an example, FabRx used SLS printing to produce an orodispersible tablet with Moon patterns.
SLS printing also allows for a more environmentally friendly method of manufacturing medicines. It can be used to produce formulations with low drug and excipient waste, which helps reduce costs, especially when manufacturing expensive medicines. This printing method can also reduce the number of waste-laden packaging materials.
Ink-jet Printing with Inspection Rewinder
A 13-inch-wide flytec 2010 slitter inspection rewinder has been installed at Gintzler Graphics in Williamsville, NY. The machine features a fully automatic inspection process and includes a built-in sensor for missing labels. It can also be configured with a video camera for advanced print inspection.
The Markoprint 2580 ink is a solvent-based ink that’s ideal for printing on challenging materials, including flexible plastic packaging. These packaging materials are commonly used for food products and pharmaceutical products. The ink’s solvent-based nature ensures that no harmful chemical compounds will leak into the product’s inner contents. For example, the ‘best-before’ date of a salad dressing can be printed on the bag.
Manufacturing Pharmaceutical Products
Inkjet printing is another method of manufacturing pharmaceutical products. Solvent inkjet printing can produce free-standing tablets and is also effective in avoiding toxic solvents. A general strategy for manufacturing tablets using a suitable ink provides a framework for formulation of any drug.
UV inkjet printing is another option. UV inkjet printers have high contrast and good legibility, making them ideal for pharmaceutical printing. In addition to this, they are capable of producing DataMatrix codes, which contain more information than typical barcodes. UV inkjet printing also produces durable, long-lasting prints and helps ensure consistency in print quality.
The new technology has become widely available and affordable, allowing printing services companies to take advantage of the benefits of inkjet technology. This high-speed process allows them to print variable data in large quantities and save on environmental costs. The technology also enables a number of applications, including labeling and packaging.
