FEATURE PLASTICS & INJECTION MOULDING


Sonoco TEQ’s international growth means it can now offer a total solution approach in healthcare


With production in full flow, TEQ was in


a position to provide a shorter supply chain, with all packaging products coming from its state-of-the-art cleanrooms based in both the UK and Poznan in Poland. “We have been proud to play a key role


in making sure essential medical products reach the market in these uncertain times,” explains Anne-Sophie Belamine, TEQ’s European sales director. “Our production facilities in the UK and


Europe have worked around the clock to ensure we support our customers close to home, many of which have been manufacturing life-saving medical supplies and technologies as we respond to this global pandemic.”


After the recent acquisition of TEQ, Sonoco has now emerged as a leading global player to provide a range of cleanroom manufactured thermoformed and injection moulded packaging and devices to the pharmaceutical and medical sectors


T


EQ delivers innovative and sustainable design, engineering and manufacturing


solutions to the medical and commercial markets for thermoformed packages and specialty products. Sonoco Plastics BV - based near Rotterdam, Netherlands - produces millions of injection moulded parts with high optical properties for use in Diagnostic and Clinical Chemistry instruments. With 75 years of combined experience -


and operating more than 30 thermoforming lines - TEQ’s facilities operate Class 7 and 8 cleanrooms across locations in the US and Europe, including its UK headquarters in Hucknall, near Nottingham. All cleanrooms offer in-house design


and tooling services. Packaging solutions provided include: Trays, Clamshells, Medical device packaging, Pharmaceutical packaging, Procedure trays and Dosage cups Sonoco’s injection moulding facility


holds a world class cleanroom that provides advanced capabilities for packaging highly sensitive products. It also allows them to offer packaging solutions for Class 3 medical devices such as bio-absorbable orthopaedic implants, devices for brain surgery and innovative


20 SEPTEMBER 2020 | IRISH MANUFACTURING


biopsy instruments. The company develop and produce


customized precision plastic medical devices from large and small production runs as well as complete assemblies. More than 20 different thermoplastics are processed, and they are a recognized specialist in high-temperature, chemical-resistant and biodegradable plastics. Product development, engineering, manufacturing, printing, welding, assembly and packaging, are all located under one roof. Additionally, as an OEM partner, components are developed and produced for manufacturers of diagnostic and clinical chemistry instruments all in high volume and by fully automated processes.


HOW TEQ STEPPED UP TO THE MARK TO PLAY A VITAL ROLE DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC TEQ reacted quickly to continue delivering a range of medical packaging solutions for customers working to address critical health needs related to COVID-19. Many of TEQ’s medical technology


customers were allocated ‘Essential Business’ status and have played a key role in responding to the crisis.


TEQ www.teqnow.eu


Clean room at TEQ


PACKAGING A MEDICAL DEVICE BY THERMOFORMING COMES WITH A RANGE OF BENEFITS With many ways to package a medical device, it may be hard to decide which route to take. But packaging a medical device with a thermoformed package can have the following advantages: • Product Orientation: A nurse may need to quickly confirm a product’s orientation and how to grab it. With a thermoformed tray, a nurse can be sure that the medical device stays securely in place in the intended location so he/she can remove it swiftly and confidently. • Handling Assurance: To make ensure a device doesn’t compromise sterility, a nurse needs to control the movement of a device as its package is opened. A thermoformed package is more likely to ensure there is no unnecessary rotation or accidental removal. • Clarity: A nurse can find it beneficial to see and identify the product clearly so he/she can better present the device or see any potential defects. • Consistent Opening Experience: Incorporating a good peal area in the package design can allow a nurse an easy access point for pealing the lidding back from the package. • Additional protection: With rigid plastic, a medical device is protected in sensitive device areas. For example, a package can be designed so a syringe will not get depressed. • More ergonomic: A pouch can require both wrists to twist to open, putting repetitive strain on both of the nurse’s wrists. With a sealed thermoformed tray, only one hand is opening the seal while the other is holding the tray in place.


/ IRISHMANUFACTURING


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