Packaging
New Hapa EASYFLEX Delivers High Quality & Cost-Effective Just-In-Time Pack Printing for Pharma – World Premiere at Pack Expo
Thursday 13. November 2008 - Hapa AG, world leader in just-in-time pack printing solutions, will use Pack Expo International to premiere its new low-cost solution for inline printing of pharmaceutical blister foils. With a price tag of $69,500 - the lowest on the market - the debut of EasyFlex by Hapa means that the markets best and most proven flexo technology for foils is now available for every user.
Hapa pioneered inline printing of blister foils back in the 1970s with its HAPAMATIC system, which was superseded by the Hapa 200 UV in the early 1990s. Combined sales of these two ranges have more than 6,000 units worldwide. Now, with the addition of EasyFlex, Hapa is responding to the efficiency and environmental demands that are impacting every branch of pharma – ethical, generic, OTC and contract.
With a web width of 260mm (10.2″), Easyflex is suitable for installation on all small- and mid-sized blister machines, whether intermittent or continuous motion. EasyFlex by Hapa combines the core functionality and quality of the Hapa 200 series with a budget-friendly price tag of $69,500. The printer boasts the lowest total cost of ownership on the market, thanks in part to the complete absence of format parts: most significantly, and unlike competing systems, EasyFlex incorporates a format-free print cylinder, meaning that a single universal cylinder can be used for every job, irrespective of indexing length.
Other attributes of the system include the simplest installation, operation, service and support routines. Print start/stop is a one-touch operation, while environment-friendly UV inks have a viscous consistency to ease replenishment and eliminate spillage.
Christoph Staub, Commercial Director at Hapa, explains the rationale for the new product: “When Hapa first brought inline foil printing to the pharma sector, the technology applied to a very specific section of the market. Dedicated lines were common, so that our traditional market base was defined as the fairly limited number of producers and packers who were running short batches of multiple products on the same lines.”
“The pressure to make resources work hard, work smart that first began to exert itself on pharma in the early 1990s has continued to grow, such that today, there are very few applications where inline printing doesnt offer benefits,” says Staub. “Todays market is typified by customers ordering to demand rather than to stock, short lead times and great variation in the customer- and market-specific data to be applied to products – all of which are indicators for inline printing. Add to these factors the wider issues of operational streamlining and environmental responsibility that now occupy the entire manufacturing sector and the case is stronger still.”
Just-in-time printing of foils allows cost-effective handling of batches with multiple variants and frequent changeovers. Time to market is massively reduced, as are costs associated with minimum order quantities for pre-printed foils. Foil waste through over-ordering and obsolescence is virtually eliminated, stockholding is streamlined and simplified, while compliance is enhanced through improved packaging security and straightforward reconciliation procedures.
EasyFlex by Hapa is an off-the-shelf product designed for basic blister foil printing in a single color. This is reflected in the price, which has been achieved by a combination of value-engineering, batch manufacturing and complete standardization. Validation documentation and services are standardized and pre- and after-sales support is optimized to market needs.
Requirements beyond this scope of application are addressed by the extensive Hapa 200 series, which offers a choice of web widths, higher throughput speeds and multi-color printing. The hard- and software customization and configuration possibilities for the Hapa 200 are numerous and it is also available in an offline version, designed for in-house printing of foils for multiple blister lines. Hapa 200 sales are packaged with a full range of validation, consultancy, and engineering support services.
“In EasyFlex, were confident that were offering the best total cost of ownership and the best price/performance ratio on the market,” declares Christoph Staub. “For pharma packagers who need no frills inline printing, this is the ideal solution. “The fact that its available from stock on a self-install and just-in time basis, could also help our customers in the contract sector to win time-sensitive competitive tenders, something were all in favor of.” And the best thing about EasyFlex? “It includes the essential Hapa component – consistently high and non-negotiable print quality.”
At Pack Expo International, Hapa – which will be co-located with Coesia Group sister companies ACMA, Laetus and Volpak – marks its 75th anniversary year with a demonstration of world-leading competence in flexo, digital Drop On Demand (DOD) inkjet and flexo/digital hybrid printers that deliver quality print, ease of use and huge strides in operational efficiency across a wide range of packaging formats and materials.