There are several common types of plastic that are used to manufacture plastic bottles for the pharmaceutical industry:
- HDPE (high density polyethylene)
- LDPE (low density polyethylene)
- PP (polypropylene)
- PET (polyethylene terephthalate)
Each type of plastic bottle has unique characteristics and properties that work for different types of pharmaceutical products, such as tablets, liquids, creams, sprays, etc. When it comes to selecting the right type of plastic, it’s not only important to choose the correct material, it is also important to know how to identify the types of defects that can occur during the bottle manufacturing process. Plastic bottle defects can compromise your product and your profitability. At Drug Plastics, we want to help you understand how to identify these defects so you can avoid downstream problems and keep your business running smoothly.
Identify the Most Common Defects in Plastic Packaging
Left: Uneven sealing surface results in poor closure seal and increased risk of contamination. Right: Our bottle with an even sealing surface ensures a perfect closure seal and product protection.
Uneven Sealing Surface: One of the most important parts of a packaging system is the top area where the bottle is sealed. If the bottle top is unevenly manufactured, it can result in an improper seal and increase the chance of product contamination.
An uneven seal will also undermine the perception of your brand to consumers; no one would purchase a product if the seal is compromised or the top of the bottle is defective.
At Drug Plastics, we ensure that the closure and bottle work together properly, so you have peace of mind that your product will be safe and secure. We manufacture our own bottles and closures so you can rest easy knowing that they will work together as a system no matter what type of product goes inside.
In addition, individual states are putting more emphasis on child-resistant packaging for many healthcare, wellness and lifestyle products. Get ahead of these regulations with child resistant packaging from Drug Plastics – our products will increase the security of your product and instill customer trust in your brand.
Left: Raised mold seam results in abrasion that makes labels illegible. Right: Our bottle with a smooth mold seam ensures labels are easy to read and look great.
Raised Mold Seams: In today’s market, knowing what ingredients a product contains is essential information consumers use to make buying decisions. If labels are illegible, consumers cannot find the necessary information they need to make educated choices, compare products, or understand proper dosages. This undermines brand loyalty and many consumers will choose a different product.
More and more information is required to be present on a label, while the print is getting smaller. This trend makes it all the more important for your labels to lay flat on pharmaceutical and nutraceutical packaging. Raised mold seams (or parting lines), can cause labels to be Illegible.
Drug Plastics manufactures all of our plastic bottles to have smooth seams, ensuring that labels are easy to read and look great. Our state-of-the-art machinery, software and production processes ensure that our products are consistently manufactured – every time. Your labels will lay flat, be even, unwrinkled and readable, making your product stand out and look professional to consumers.
Left: Excess flashing not removed from the bottom resulting in unstable bottles. Right: Our bottle with no bottom flash ensures a stable bottle, quality printing surface, and a superior brand impression.
Excess Bottom Flash: Bottles that don’t stand up properly can cause big problems for your brand. Imagine bottles displayed on retail shelves that are tilting, uneven or falling over. Even worse is when the bottles are not stable for consumers to store at home.
This issue can be caused by excess bottom flash that is not removed during the manufacturing process. If this excess material isn’t removed properly, bottles will be unstable and not stand straight. In addition, excess flash can also result in a poor printing surface and a mediocre brand impression.
At Drug Plastics, our bottles are manufactured to ensure stable bottoms, a quality print surface, and will leave a superior brand impression with your customers.
Left: Uneven sides result in uneven labels that are wrinkled and illegible. Right: Our bottle with even sides ensures labels lie flat, are easy to read, and look perfect.
Uneven Sides: Crooked and wrinkled labels that decrease copy readability and look unprofessional can result from bottles that are manufactured with uneven sides. As we discussed, labels are a vehicle to complement your brand, showcase information about your product, and help instill consumer confidence. A label also has to include all of the required regulatory information for your industry.
Our bottles are manufactured with even sides, ensuring that labels lie flat, evenly wrap around the bottle, and look professional. Defect-producing issues have been engineered out of our manufacturing processes, producing bottles and closures that are virtually perfect each time.
Left: Trapped material can cause bottles to look dirty. Right: Our bottles look crisp and clean, every time.
Foreign Material: When your plastic bottles look cloudy or dirty, consumers will lose trust and confidence in your brand. It also impacts the perceived safety of your products—no one wants to purchase a product that has a dirty container. A dirty or cloudy appearance can be caused from carbonized resin or trapped material inside the resin during the manufacturing process.
Our bottles are rigorously inspected to ensure that foreign material stays out of our raw materials and out of our manufacturing processes. Our bottles look crisp and clean. Every time.
Left: Improperly spec’d bottle looks deformed and can lead to lost sales. Right: Our correctly spec’d bottle ensures bottle integrity.
Improperly Spec’d Material: This defect is caused by selecting the wrong type of material for the intended package. In simple terms, the type of plastic packaging being used is not meant for the type of product it contains, or it is not the correct weight. The bottle could also be the wrong size or strength.
When bottle material isn’t properly spec’d, or if the wrong size bottle is spec’d, it results in deformities or degradation of the bottle. To consumers, the packaging you use represents your brand —if it looks deformed, this can lead to reduced consumer confidence and lost sales.
At Drug Plastics, we carefully spec the correct material for each and every job, ensuring that the bottle integrity is maintained and the packaging is aesthetically pleasing, and won’t appear damaged or unstable to consumers.
The Bottom Line
It’s important to recognize defects when selecting plastic packaging for your pharmaceutical products. Perfection isn’t easy, but at Drug Plastics, we have engineered our manufacturing processes to focus on the highest quality requirements for each and every bottle and closure we make. When you work with us, we can help you select the perfect packaging for your product that is defect-free, and made to fit all of your specifications. We can help increase your profitability, reduce your risk of product recalls, and reinforce the quality of your brand.
Are you looking for a better packaging solution for your pharmaceutical product? Reach out to one of our knowledgeable team members online or speak with someone immediately by calling 610-367-5000.