Clamshell Design Wins US Institute of Packaging Professionals Ameristar Award
US medical packaging thermoforming company Barger has won an award from the US Institute of Packaging Professionals (IoPP) for a medical clamshell packaging design.
The award was made on June 19, 2013, at the EastPack packaging trade show in Philadelphia, co-located with the Medical Design and Manufacturing (MD&M) East event.
Barger collaborated with US manufacturer of orthopaedic implants Wright Medical to develop and manufacture the product, a unique small rigid thermoformed clamshell said to provide "high product protection and equally strong end-user satisfaction".
Key aspects of the design which caught the judges' attention include the following.
- Securely fits approximately 350 SKUs which include Wright Medical’s small parts, screws and plates.
- Barger utilised a technique more often seen in the plastic injection moulding industry – instead of thermoforming the clamshell’s hinge in a “W” shape, whereby the hinge is cut on a plane, the hinge instead was coined.
- The only potentially sharp areas on the clamshells were on the corners of the hinge. To assure pouches were protected from this potential area of concern, 2 rounded “wings” were designed on either side of the package to push the poly bag out and away from the hinge corners when the clamshell is closed.
Simple in its design, the 2.5” long x 1.5” wide clamshell has a consistent footprint for easy validation, and can be used in both sterile and non-sterile presentations. The product is suitable for EtO, gamma, gas plasma, e-beam and other sterilisation techniques. It is free from sharp edges that come into contact with primary packaging material, ensuring no punctures or pin-holes to the bags while in transit or during storage and handling.
Scott Duehmig, director of sales, custom and medical divisions at Barger, said: “This is a great example of how collaborating with our customers can lead to exceeding expectations with a design that is simplistic, not only filling today’s requirements but with added flexibility for future products.”