Platinum Press, Inc. (PPI) – a leading provider of healthcare packaging solutions for the pharmaceutical, medical device and animal care sectors specializing in labels, folding cartons (including secondary blister packaging), inserts/outserts and medication guides – has significantly upgraded its serialization capabilities for pharmaceutical industry packaging with the addition of TTM Coding & Serializing Stations from equipment manufacturer G&K-Vijuk.  Platinum Press is utilizing the new modular systems to print unique codes on outserts for track & trace capabilities.

By adding the serializing units, Platinum Press has taken a sizable step toward helping pharmaceutical companies comply with the Drug Supply Chain Security Act’s (DSCSA) current and approaching serialization mandates, including meeting aggregation guidelines. Aggregation adds a level of hierarchy into serialization by creating “child-parent” relationships between individual units and packaging groups, such as bundles, cases or pallets.

At Platinum Press’ Oakland, NJ production facility, the TTM Coding & Serializing Stations have been outfitted to a newly-purchased MV-11 Triple Knife Outsert System, which produces right-turn-angle (RTA) cross-folded outserts with as many as 294 panels – the highest currently possible.  One of only three such machines in the country, it allows Platinum Press to produce outserts that are as small as 1-1/8” X 1-1/8”, and an average of 20% thinner than those folded on previous models.  The result is easier handling and storage, as well as lower shipping costs.

The new TTM stations align outserts with a jogging device, and print a unique code or serial number on each outsert with an inkjet printhead. A built-in camera verifies the printed code and checks print quality – clarity, contrast, alignment – for readability throughout the track and trace process.  An ejection device casts out any outsert whose code is missing, misprinted, unreadable or below defined quality specifications.

Ruben Luviano, Production Manager for the Platinum Press facility in New Jersey, discusses the benefits of these new processes. “The TTM Coding units allow us to be on the cutting edge of today’s serialization requirements,” he said. “The addition of the coding stations lets us provide customers with ‘parent –child aggregation’ well ahead of the 2023 Federal mandates for that level of specificity.”