The inherent value of blister machines in pharmaceutical and consumer packaging is embodied in the technical merit of high speed and accurate sealing. To exemplify with production speed, for instance, the automatic blister machine has a production capacity of 300-600 plates/minute, over 20 times more than that of manual packaging, and the annual production capacity of a single machine can range from 120 million to 250 million drugs. As a multinational pharmaceutical enterprise introduced high-speed blister machine in 2022, the packaging cost fell from 0.08 yuan/board to 0.035 yuan/board, and the annual cost savings exceeded 12 million yuan. In terms of energy consumption, the new blister machine uses servo drive technology, and the power consumption is only 4-6 kW, 30% lower than the previous model. The waste rate is maintained at 0.5% -1.2%, which is in line with the EU “packaging waste Directive” **≤1.5%** environmental standard.
In terms of quality control, the blister machine’s heat sealing strength can be 12-25 N/15mm, and the aluminum-plastic blister cap sealing qualification rate is as high as 99.6%, much greater than the 85% of manual operation. For example, a generic pharma firm extended the product shelf life from 18 months to 24 months with the help of blister machines, as oxygen transmission was enhanced from 0.05 cm³/(m²·day) to 0.01 cm³/(m²·day). In terms of compliance, 90% of blister machines are GMP and ISO 15378 certified, while manual packaging increases the risk of batch recall by 3-5 times due to human error. According to FDA data for 2021, the median nonconforming product rate of companies with automated blister machines is only 0.3%, while that of the semi-automated production line is 1.8%.
In terms of market demand, the global blister machine market will be 4.7 billion US dollars in 2023, with a growth rate of 6.7% per year, of which more than 65% is in the pharmaceutical industry. For example, after five blister machines were purchased by an Indian pharmaceutical company, the production per month increased from 8 million to 22 million boards, and the delivery cycle was shortened by 40%. Regarding flexibility, the blister is flexible in blister size of 10-200 mm, the mold switching time is only 10-15 minutes, and multi-material combination of PVC, aluminum foil and cold stamping is possible. A manufacturer of health care devices used modular blister devices to reduce new product time to market from 90 days to 45 days, reducing research and development costs by 25%.
Reliability and maintenance are also key metrics. The mean time between failures (MTBF) of the blisters is 4000-6000 hours, and the maintenance expense is 10%-15% of the equipment life cycle cost, much less than manual packaging’s hidden manpower fluctuation risk. For example, after the use of the blister machine at a Chinese pharmaceutical plant, annual production loss due to equipment failure dropped from 500,000 yuan to 80,000 yuan, while the utilization rate of the equipment climbed to 92%. Additionally, the intelligent blister machine is equipped with a visual inspection system, the defect detection accuracy rate is **≥99.9%, and the missed detection rate is less than 0.01%**, which perfectly complies with the mandatory demands of FDA “21 CFR Part 11” for electronic record and traceability. Combining efficiency, compliance and cost, blister machine has become an essential standardized solution for pharmaceutical and FMCG industries.