A COMPAMED classic: packaging for the medical sector
Another focus at COMPAMED will be packaging for medical devices which place particularly high demands on the relevant machine manufacturers. Again this year, MULTIVAC will exhibit innovative, sustainable packaging solutions for the medical devices industry. The centerpiece of its trade fair presentation will be a fully automated packaging line for the production of medical combination packs, which will include loading and unloading robots and using sustainable monofilm. The core element of this line is a thermoformed packaging machine enclosed in glass. An integrated SCARA robot will be responsible for automated precision-loading of the individual products into the pre-formed cavities. Before sealing with the base film, the top film is printed in-line in multicolor using a digital printer with UDI-compliant data. An optical inspection system then visually inspects the printed image. Thanks to comprehensive sensor technology and continuous process monitoring, the RX 4.0 thermoformed packaging machine offers high process accuracy and reproducibility. “We provide medical organizations with a diverse range of innovative inspection solutions for labelling and product control. Various components such as cameras, code readers or sensors are used depending on the task at hand. The result is a solution with components ideally suited for one another and a consistent operating concept,” explained Thomas Große, sales project manager at MULTIVAC Marking & Inspection.
Innovative materials and coatings
One of the most popular topics at COMPAMED are always innovations from the field of material developments and coatings. U.S. based Specialty Coating Systems (SCS) is one of the world’s leading providers of services and solutions for conformal coatings, including parylene, liquid and ALD coatings, as well as multilayer coating technologies. Atomic layer deposition (ALD) is a process for depositing ultra-thin layers – down to atomic mono-layers - on a base material. The conformal coatings from SCS create bio-compatible surfaces with high lubricity and offer excellent barrier properties against moisture, chemicals and dielectric effects for applications including medical equipment. Dexter Magnetic Technologies takes a different approach: The company is developing next-generation magnetic solutions. Permanent magnets of this type are currently used for cell separation, pacemakers, lasers, implantable valves and detectors. They are also used in cardiac support systems, pacemakers and many other medical solutions. The company’s expertise in magnets’ performance under extreme conditions and their compatibility helps customers achieve solutions that meet the strictest requirements for FDA or CE approval.
