Uhlmann Packaging Systems LP (uhlmannpackaging.com), a worldwide leader in pharmaceutical packaging, has introduced the Blister Express Center (BEC) 700, a combination blister and cartoning module that can produce up to 700 blisters and 500 cartons per minute. The new blister line can operate on as many as three lanes, and its cartoner module offers two output categories: cartons up to 105x105x155mm can be processed at 300 per minute, while formats up to 80x90x155 mm can be produced at 500 per minute.

The BEC 700 is the latest in Uhlmann’s widely successful Blister Express Center range, which includes the BEC 300 and BEC 500 blister lines. With each machine in the BEC Series, key benefits derive from the relatively small number of format parts – allowing for tool-free changeovers in just 30 minutes – and a compact, easy-to-clean design. Still, the BEC 700 is the “biggest sister” of the trio, promising 40 percent higher output compared to the BEC 500 primarily due to an additional operating lane. The BEC 700’s modular design also allows for a broader selection of configurations: users can choose between three types of feeders and two sealing principles – continuous motion rotary or intermittent motion platen.

The BEC 700 is also exceedingly easy to use. Its SmartControl operating system employs the “touch & teach” principle whereby operators are guided through processes via the touchscreen interface. Electronic production assistants ensure that procedures such as product changeover are standardized, helping to ensure efficient, optimized workflow.

Testament to the system’s versatility, the BEC 700 can achieve full output capacity with all traditional forming materials, solid dose products, cartons and pack inserts. The machine’s SimTap simultaneous tablet placement feature reliably places even complex solid dose products into blister pockets, and both top forming and sealing quality are consistently high regardless of the number of cycles performed. Supplementary line extensions such as end-of-line packaging machines or inspection systems can be easily incorporated, and integration of track-and-trace systems in compliance with existing and pending serialization mandates is hassle-free.

“The Blister Express Center 700 is Uhlmann’s most impressive blister line to date, and addresses our customers’ needs for expedited yet exacting manufacturing that meets reduced order timelines,” says Sabri Demirel, sales manager for Uhlmann Packaging Systems. “The higher output and abbreviated downtimes achieved by the BEC 700 also help our customers reduce costs and increase profits by opening up additional scopes of production.”