Smith & Nephew newly designed the outer package for the flat handle, adding a protective spiral to its PETG tray to make metal products safer.
There are many types of flat handles used in surgical operations. In order to enable the product to be seated, the dimensions of the outer packaging should also be different. This poses some problems for the design of the outer packaging, and Smith & Nephew's Orthopedic Department faces these problems.
Smith & Nephew, based in Memphis, Tunisia, produces outer packagings for various models of flat handles under the brands Spectron®, Synergy, Conquest FXTM and EchelonTM. As the number of new varieties and packages continues to increase, the total amount of pallets required increases.
The design of the reinforced tray was the work of Randy Althouse in late 1998. He is a senior packaging design engineer in the Department of Plastic Surgery. He co-developed designs with one or two threads in a tray with other partners. The trays are thermoformed from PETG polyester copolymers. The inside tray has five parts:
· Thermoformed trays for fixed bagged flat handles;
· Cross-linked polyethylene foam liners for fixing the handle neck;
• Anastomosed, cross-linked PE foam inserts for reducing the pressure on the tapered ends of the handles;
· Thermoformed lid that can grip the neck of the handle;
· Pre-printed, heat-sealable cover material;
The inner tray cleverly conforms to the same thermoplastic shape on the outside and is also sealed with a lid material. The carton wrapped by the shrink film makes the new package more perfect.
This packaging model can be used for 13 of the company's 15 types of handles and was awarded the "universal handle package." In the past, the company’s seven internal trays and four types of external trays have become obsolete, including some expensive designs. Mr Althouse further explained that “This new packaging design can be used for a variety of product projects.†It also eliminates the need for A layer of cardboard outside.
How to combine bagged handles with foam packaging into 11" x 4" inner trays. But first, the cross-linked PE foam liner provided by Advanced Materials Inc. was placed in the bottom of a 1.5-inch tray with the handle's neck in this position.
The tray cover that hangs at one corner provides a hand-held part that can be easily peeled off. Althouse pointed out that this design was welcomed by the test packaging nurse. The addition of spine or side ribs in the inner and outer trays increases the strength of the package and makes the tray easier to hold.
The most ingenious point in the interior tray design is the position of the handle neck.
“We need to place the product firmly in the inner tray, the product is heavy, and the surface is rough,†Althouse explained. “In early model tests, the handles became loose and damaged during transportation and sales. Packing lid." Heavy handles made of metal are about a pound multiple, which is about the same as putting a metal rod on a plastic tray.
Althouse said that we tested the safety of the handle in many ways, but all failed in the sales test. Later, the internal tray with the bottom mold solves this problem, so that the asymmetrical handle neck can be fixed at a certain angle in a fixed position to ensure the safety during transportation. Althouse described it as "rotational insertion."
"This is indeed a breakthrough," he stressed, stressing that operators can quickly master new technologies after training. Previously, only the thug was placed in the tray and the tray was protected by a PE foam pad.
The smart solution, the second major challenge faced by Smith & Nephew in the second part, corresponds to the front of the handle. Althouse said that they tried a variety of different plastic and foam insertion devices before they thought of making packages using a custom foam pad. The foam pad is cut to a suitable size and shape. The worker simply cuts and removes the unwanted part and the handle can be inserted into the remaining part.
"I see the use of this fit-and-cut method in pharmaceutical packaging, a method that does not change the length of the product. The operator simply takes a 4.5-inch foam pad and removes the unwanted part. ."
The match-cut foam pad provided by Orbis fits tightly into the tray, and the hollowed out part of the cushion wraps the end of the base. This mat is also made of cross-linked PE foam.
Once the bagged flat handles and liners are in place, the operator can quickly place the gloves, also made of a PETG thermoformed plastic. The size of the lid is approximately 5.5" x 3" x 1/2". A portion will extend downward and secure the handle's neck.
Although the company had previously used a lid, Althouse said, but now the lid of the raw material saving design is less than 1/2 of the original length, and the original lid is about the same length as the tray.
After all parts are in place, the internal and external trays are bonded together with DuPont's Tyvek® high density PE cap material. Both internal and two external (internal trays that have been sealed inside) trays are sealed at the same time using Alloy's button-type seals. According to the measurement, the external tray size is 12.75" x 5" x 0.25" deep. This type of sealing cap is machined using a new type of heat-sealing device that is turned on.
After sealing the large sets of small trays, they were hand-packed. The 22-pound SBS carton has been double-printed on a McCowat-Mercer Press. The entire interior of the carton is pre-adhered with cardboard to make a small compartment so that the tray fits inside. This carton is an improvement in the design of the front without spacers. In contrast, a protective cardboard tray must be used simultaneously with PETG trays.
Before the carton is sealed, a product information and a set of stickers for medical personnel must be added. A postmark is sealed at one end of the board, and the other end is a distinctly different stamp. The cardboard is compressed and sent for sterilization. The product is then sent back to Smith & Nephew for sale.
Reductions and Rewards The company still continues to use the original packaging, but has gradually transitioned to the new packaging. The new packaging began to be launched in June 2000. Althouse said that it reduced packaging costs by 60%, with a 50% reduction in PETG materials. The conversion of packaging has won praise in the industry, including the AmeriStar Award from the American Professional Packaging Association and the WorldStar Award from the World Packaging Association.
In the future, it is also planned to produce larger trays for packaging the largest model handles, as well as small trays for packaging the smallest size products. There are three basic types of packaging for such trays: trumpet, medium and large. The current one-step approach does not apply to all flat handles and post-processed packaging, so Smith & Nephew will continue to improve subsequent packaging.