Package and Product Integrity Blog

Cryopak’s TimeSaver72™ pre-qualified shipper was submitted for a Greener Package Award because all of the materials used are fully recyclable. The TimeSaver72 offers clients an option to select the design & service features to create the smallest, lightest, and most cost efficient approach to match their shipping lane requirements.

“The TimeSaver72™ consists of an outer box, insulating material, and refrigerants,” Anthony Alleva, Technical Services Manager at Cryopak, explains. “Each component has a set of options offering the ability for client’s to specify their requirements based on environmental conditions, cost value and their company’s preference on green initiatives while also keeping the requirements of the specific application.”

The EPS insulating material specified uses recycled pharmaceutical grade material ranging from 0 percent to 20 percent regrind content with no degradation of performance. Engineered Phase 5™ phase change material is used as the core refrigerant because it reduces the overall size and weight of the package while also increasing the range of performance time. The conditioning methods reduce energy requirements because of the fact that the PCM doesn’t need to be pre-conditioned in a refrigerator or freezer, therefore, reducing the energy requirements to prepare the package.

The second-annual Greener Package Awards competition recognizes innovations in five categories that significantly reduce packaging’s environmental footprint. The categories included; Food & Pharmaceutical Packaging, Personal Care/Cosmetics Packaging, Non-Food Primary Packaging, Secondary/Large-Format Packaging, Beyond the Package Award. An award was also given out for the Innovator of the Year.

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ASTM has recently issued a new standard which tests the mechanical seal strength for round cups and bowl containers with flexible peel-able lids.  This test provides measured values for average seal strength, work and maximum seal strength when using a universal tester to separate the entire lid (cover/membrane) from a rigid or semi-rigid round container.

While the standard is specifically for round containers; oval, rectangular and circular containers with single or multiple cavities can be tested.  The test applies to various industries including food, chemical and pharmaceutical.   This test allows manufacturers of these containers to compare adhesives, seal methods and the affects of post sealing treatments such as aging or sterilization.

ASTM F2824 cites ASTM F88 which many of our customers are familiar with.  F88 tests a portion of a seal and provides an actual seal strength picture of the portion of the seal under test.  F2824 tests the entire seal by pulling the lid off at a rate of twelve (12) inches per minute while maintaining a peel angle of 45 degrees throughout the pull.

The 45 degree angle requires the test specimen to move during the test and in some cases requires a custom fixture to hold the container.  DDL is equipped to carry out this test and has several methods to create custom test fixtures for the best test results possible.

“A good example that helps people envision this test is peeling the foil lid off of a yogurt container” says Al Gale, Sales Engineer for DDL’s Product & Material Division.  “When you perform that simple act you can feel that the initial portion of the pull is harder than when you are in the middle of your pull and the pull gets harder again at the end.  This is exactly what our universal test sees and records during the test.”

Bill Hingle from TCP Reliable shows off a lightweight insulated shipping container and explains the different options for pack out configurations. Lightweight insulated shipping containers are used for the transportation of high value pharmaceutical products to ensure that during transportation, the drugs maintain their product integrity.