| bpi.films, the UK’s leading manufacturer of shrink, stretch and converter films, has launched a new range of products purposely designed to meet the challenges of medical packaging. The new range - which consists of two films, Gradis and Gradis+ - takes into account and addresses the need for exceptional reliability, traceability and hygiene levels in this particular market sector.
Mark Vernon, Commercial Director at bpi.films, explains: “All packaging areas have their challenges, however arguably none more so than medical packaging. Those of us involved in this specialist area face the usual pressures such as the need to reduce costs and waste without compromising on product quality, but the demands certainly don’t end there.
“By its very nature, medical packaging entails especially stringent standards and legislation. There’s also an additional requirement for the utmost in reliability. A loss of pack integrity or contamination in, for example, food packaging can be expensive, messy or detrimental to customer loyalty. In medical packaging, it can be dangerous - or even deadly.”
Considering this need for total reassurance in terms of packaging performance and characteristics, bpi.films developed Gradis and Gradis+ as truly fit-for-purpose solutions.
Both products employ polymers and masterbatches carefully chosen for low gel count and consistent properties. In the case of Gradis+, these polymers are also pharmacopoeia approved.
In addition, production of both grades is planned to minimise any risk of cross contamination, whilst even the films’ own packaging uses materials sensitive to the hygiene and other challenges of the sector.
These factors are further supported by bpi.films’ own rigorous internal control systems, including the use of digital film inspection, and by the kind of working practices and quality control procedures that have led to the firm’s Sevenoaks site (where Gradis and Gradis+ are produced) holding ADAS Elite Hygiene Accreditation for the last 10 years.
The net result is a range that users can rely on to offer the level of film consistency required for print, conversion and lamination in the healthcare and medical markets.
Summing up, Mark Vernon adds: “As a market leader and a part of BPI, Europe’s largest producer of polythene films, bags and sacks, bpi.films has a strong commitment to developing new products for niche applications. Gradis and Gradis+ are just the latest examples of this. They give medical packaging producers the reassurance of using a product, which right from the word go, has been created specifically to meet their needs.”
|
