Bundled competence at interpack 2023: With its Packaging Competence Consulting, Uhlmann Pac-Systeme presents a holistic approach to the development of sustainable packaging solutions. In this context, the Uhlmann specialists support customers along the entire value chain – from analysis and testing to implementation in production.

"Sustainability is changing pharmaceutical packaging and thus creating new challenges for our customers,” says Matthias Kaiser, Vice President Global Sales & Marketing at Uhlmann Pac-Systeme. “Specifically, it is about recyclable packaging materials – these are a sustainability requirement in the area of CO2 neutrality, which is directly derived from the sustainability strategies of the companies. With our new consulting service, we support customers in their transformation to recyclable alternatives. This includes a structured process that addresses all possible issues, starting with material selection based on the specific pharmaceutical and sustainable properties, the optimal product design and the necessary process optimization on the plants. Customers thus have direct access to our expertise and that of our partners in the materials sector. With our support, we relieve the customer's productive infrastructure by carrying out test runs on our equipment. A strong network of partners from the packaging materials sector supports our approach. At the end of the holistic consulting, there is then a process that can be implemented directly at the customer's site and is quickly productive."
 
Holistic advice on packaging materials, machines and processes

The increased requirements for sustainable packaging solutions pose a challenge for many pharmaceutical manufacturers. Patient safety, as well as process-safe and efficient processing of the new materials, play a central role. Uhlmann's Packaging Competence offers a holistic approach to support customers throughout all phases in the development of sustainable packaging concepts: from the analysis of different packaging to the test phase and implementation in production. By means of prototyping, blisters and folding boxes are made tangible as samples. This allows customers to get a comprehensive, realistic impression of their new packaging solution at an early stage.

Life cycle assessment for demonstrably sustainable packaging solutions

The demand for sustainable packaging made from renewable raw materials is growing rapidly – and with it the need for pharmaceutical companies to account for their environmental and climate impact. For this purpose, Uhlmann uses the established methodology of Life Cycle Assessment. This enables a reliable and well-founded analysis of the environmental impact and energy balance of new packaging solutions over their entire life cycle at the beginning of the design process. This provides customers with a standardized assessment of which packaging concept is best suited for a specific product and its strategic orientation. Likewise, different solutions can be compared to make a fully informed decision when choosing a packaging solution.

Extensive testing capabilities without interfering with ongoing production

Whether the new packaging concept actually delivers what it promises will be determined in a comprehensive test under realistic conditions. However, taking a line out of running production leads to economic losses and the loss of validation. To avoid this, Uhlmann offers the possibility of carrying out tests on equivalent machines in the Uhlmann Test Center. All relevant machine types of the last 30 years are available customers. Either Uhlmann's own format sets or those manufactured by Uhlmann are used. In addition to process tests, leakage tests are also carried out and the final product is made available for stability tests.

Format sets for higher productivity and overall equipment efficiency

The production of pharmaceutical packaging requires simple format sets that can be set up quickly and deliver precise and consistent results over a long service life. This is where Uhlmann comes in with its Packaging Competence Consulting. Together with the customer, specific requirements and the desired product geometry are analyzed in detail in order to deliver a precisely fitting and reliable tool for optimally economical production. In addition, the Uhlmann experts show how a modular format concept and the harmonization of format sets can reduce set-up times and simplify warehousing.