Interlocking blister packaging reduces material use
IMA enables manufacturers to reduce packaging material and emissions through interlocking blister technology integrated into high-speed production lines.
ima.it
In the pharmaceutical and healthcare packaging industry, manufacturers are under increasing pressure to reduce material consumption and support decarbonisation targets while maintaining high production efficiency.
Blister packaging lines, particularly at industrial scale, often face limitations in packaging optimisation. Conventional configurations can lead to inefficient use of carton volume, increasing material consumption and transport requirements. This results in higher resource use and avoidable CO₂ emissions across the packaging lifecycle.
To address these challenges, manufacturers require solutions that improve material efficiency, logistics performance, and sustainability outcomes, without compromising throughput or requiring major redesign of existing packaging formats.
Solution: Interlocking Technology Integrated into Production Lines
IMA Group developed an interlocking solution integrated into its high-speed blister packaging systems, specifically through a new connection between the GIANT1 blister machine and downstream cartoning equipment.
While interlocking as a concept already exists, its implementation within industrial-speed machines represents a technical advancement. The system incorporates a blister overturning module directly into the production line, enabling mechanical nesting of blisters before cartoning.
This configuration allows operators to activate or bypass the interlocking function depending on production needs, ensuring flexibility without affecting line performance. The solution is designed to operate within existing production constraints, avoiding the need for dedicated blister redesign.
Deployment: Flexible Integration with Existing Packaging Lines
The interlocking module is integrated as part of a standard connection between blister production and cartoning stages. This enables seamless incorporation into existing high-speed lines while maintaining operational continuity.
The system improves how blisters are arranged within cartons. By reducing stacking height through mechanical nesting, manufacturers can either reduce carton size or increase the number of blisters per carton.
To support implementation, IMA provides a proprietary calculation model based on customer-specific production data. This tool enables manufacturers to evaluate the impact of adopting interlocking configurations across key parameters such as material use, transport requirements, and associated emissions.
The assessment methodology follows the Greenhouse Gas Protocol and focuses on selected lifecycle stages, from material sourcing to distribution.
Results: Improved Material Efficiency and Reduced Emissions
At process level, the interlocking configuration improves the ratio between product and packaging material by optimising carton volume utilisation. This reduces excess space often referred to as “air transport” and enhances logistics efficiency.
Under comparable conditions, the solution enables significant material savings and associated CO₂-equivalent emission reductions, with potential reductions approaching 50% for the same number of packaged blisters.
These improvements are achieved without compromising production speed or requiring changes to blister design, allowing manufacturers to implement sustainability measures within existing operational frameworks.
In addition to material reduction, the optimisation of packaging density can contribute to lower storage and transport requirements, further supporting decarbonisation strategies.
Conclusion
By integrating interlocking functionality into high-speed blister packaging lines, IMA provides a practical engineering solution to improve resource efficiency at process level. The combination of flexible machine design and data-driven evaluation tools enables manufacturers to reduce material use and emissions while maintaining production performance.
Edited by an industrial journalist Sucithra Mani with AI assistance.
www.imagroup.com
