Nelipak enters agreement with Optel over seal inspection technology

Nelipak Healthcare Packaging, a provider of custom thermoformed packaging that provides protection for medical devices and pharmaceuticals, has entered into an agreement of intent with Optel Group, a provider of vision inspection and traceability systems, to explore commercial opportunities to bring a new seal inspection technology to the medical device market.

Using Optel’s technology and Nelipak’s understanding of the healthcare packaging market’s sealing needs, the two companies are pursuing commercialisation of a solution that will allow the quality of a seal to be verified in real time, controlled environments while detecting contaminants and other anomalies such as creases.

Michael Butler, senior account director at Optel said: “Foreign-body contaminants or poorly sealed vacuum-formed trays can create major setbacks for getting a product to market or cause time-consuming and costly product recalls. The market stands to benefit significantly from a more precise and consistent method of inspecting and validating seal quality using algorithms preconfigured to a company’s exact specifications.

Seán Egan, director of global marketing at Nelipak, added: “We are solely focused on understanding the specific needs and stringent requirements of the healthcare packaging market in the design and manufacture of rigid trays sealed on Nelipak heat tray sealers and other platforms. We’re pleased to apply our deep understanding of sealing processes and challenges to working with Optel to bring to market a highly efficient and effective way to ensure seal quality.”

Both companies will be exhibiting at MedtecLive May 21-23, 2019 in Nuremberg, Germany. Nelipak will be showcasing its end-to-end capabilities for the design and development of customised thermoformed packaging in Hall 9/9-303, as well as its custom-built cleanroom sealing machines for medical device and pharmaceutical thermoformed blisters and trays. Optel will be providing a European preview of the ISO 7-compliant seal inspection technology in Hall 9/9-649.