Marking, Coding and Labeling Technologies Abound at InterPhex
On the show floor at InterPhex '98 in Philadelphia, I was struck by the number of exhibitors offering various marking, coding, and labeling technologies for pharmaceutical manufacturers. Actually, the numbers didn't surprise me as much as the innovation that went into some of these products and the strategies manufacturers are using to compete in a crowded marketplace.
Firms specializing in coding and labeling have to strike the right balance between utility - how much and what kind of information goes into their product - and regulatory requirements for tracking, safety, and patient information.
Lumonics exhibited the latest generation of its popular Xymark laser (inkless) system for coding parts on the fly. According to Gary Smith, Lumonics' Market Sales Director for Coding, the industry is moving away from ink-based marking systems, especially for "outside" packaging, such as boxes, which are easy to tamper with.
Capable of operating at up to 650 characters per second, the new air cooled Xymark is the first laser marking system to provide up to four lines of text in various dot matrix font formats. Enhanced software control coupled with large graphics capability produces crate codes up to 34 dots high for logos, and special marks for enhanced coding legibility.
Another new launch at InterPhex was the Eclipse print and apply labeling system for outer case, sack, and tray coding. The Eclipse prints high quality text and bar code labels and applies them to the side or around the trailing edge of a corrugated case, allowing barcode scanning from two aspects. Also on display at the Alpha Dot booth was the company's small character product coder, Cypher-Jet, which prints one line of text between 1/16 and 1/8 inch high. This low-cost, versatile printer is suitable for pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and toiletry industries.
During the show, I had the pleasure of speaking with Tom Flottman, President of Flottman Co., which produces package inserts ("Full Prescribing Information") and specialty drug package printing. According to Flottman, because of regulations and a desire to inform end-users, companies are seeking to put more information than ever on drug packages. Flottman has innovated the use of patient-oriented package inserts, with user-friendly information covering dosage, administration, drug interactions, and side effects. Getting all that information, plus the traditional required insert, into small package boxes isn't easy. Flottman uses a patent-pending folding and pasting process that binds the Full Prescribing Information to the patient information insert in a package no larger than a traditional insert.
For more information, contact: Gary Smith, Market Sales Director for Coding, Lumonics Oxnard Operations, PO Box 9010, Oxnard, CA 93031. Phone: 805-485-5559. Theresa Grove, Alpha Dot, Unit 4, Bldg. 4, Stryker Lane, Belle Meade, NJ 08502. Phone: 908-904-4181. Tom Flottman, President, Flottman Co. Phone: 1-888-797-5448.