Packaging, supply & logistics
Flexible, sterile and durable – it makes sense that plastic is used in packaging such as blister packs.
All without extensive physical prototyping, which can create further waste products.
Greener futures
The industry appears to be with Hunt. Since the mid-2010s, AstraZeneca has moved from physical prototyping to using 3D simulation to look at 360º mock-ups. This brings benefits for speed-to-market and, of course, curtails use of physical prototypes that are less environmentally friendly.
Bausch + Stroebel, serving packaging production needs for multiple pharmaceutical businesses, also moved from physical prototyping of production lines and packaging processes to simulation a decade ago. Not only does this promote sustainability but, as the German-headquartered firm claims, has boosted customer satisfaction: 98% of its clients claim simulation is a better approach than having physical mock-ups. Elsewhere, according to Visual Components, a company that develops simulation software for pharmaceutical clients, design mistakes can be costly as pharmaceutical packaging plants rely on quick process times and high yields. The Finnish designers claim that with pre-made components in their simulation libraries, mistakes can be avoided – all while boosting efficiency, too. Yet simulation technology is still advancing. Building on data from previous designs, Enkbridge says her business is looking at AI-based tools to “further categorise, learn and develop our system”. It’s an AI-enabled approach to simulation that is claimed can further speed up processes, so designers don’t have to start from scratch when changing variants while mock-ups for any change can be
delivered within seconds. Dassault Systèmes, which provides such virtual tools for firms such as packaging giant RETAL and cosmetics and well-being brand L’Oreal, is already championing this approach. At Envirotainer, the move towards AI in simulation fits with their expansion of R&D efforts to deliver improved reliability and assess how packaging performs in more “extreme conditions”. This is especially important in our changing world, not least in meeting evolving sustainability regulations. “An increasing focus on sustainability in the industry in recent years means we take it into consideration when developing our solutions,” says Enkbridge. But even as it’s used today, simulation can drive clear results. One example is Envirotainer’s Releve product, which is packaging that maintains a specific temperature for a sustained period of time and was designed to be used multiple times. During the design phase, simulation analysis helped the team to make it lighter and more volume efficient. And ultimately, the resulting product was more sustainable. However, reliability and meeting both regulatory and client needs factor in, too: green success metrics must sit alongside those for cost and usability. And Envirotainer has indicated that these factors don’t have to be mutually exclusive. Last year, the firm won awards for providing the most diverse range of packaging while sales turnover doubled from 2017 to 2023. In 2022, while shipping 19% more medicines than in the previous year, the firm claims to have added no extra CO2
emissions. As Enkbridge says:
“[If the] packaging solution can have an impact on sustainability goals… that with cost, efficiency and protecting patient safety really can go hand in hand.” Results that, truly, can’t be simulated. ●
Medical Device Developments /
www.medicaldevice-developments.com
36%
The percentage of healthcare waste from plastic use across Europe.
Healthcare Without Harm 87
Taras Grebinets/
Shutterstock.com
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