Packaging machinery manufacturer Sepha has reported record sales of its recently extended range of non-destructive leak testing equipment for the world’s pharmaceutical packaging industry. With demand up across all major markets, the company says the increase will fund future R&D and enable it to bring forward future innovations aimed at reducing costs and driving quality for pharmaceutical manufacturers and contract packers.
Sepha exports from its base in Northern Ireland to 60 countries across the globe. The company says its success has been due to a customer-driven strategy in response to changes in market requirements. "When the recession hit the global pharmaceuticals market we responded to the challenges our customers were facing," explains head of sales and marketing, Paul Kelly.
The company believes its new product range is a much better fit for the future requirements of pharmaceutical customers. Sepha has introduced three new machines over the past two years and made further refinements to existing products. Visionscan uses hi-resolution imaging technology to test for leaks in the packaging of pharmaceuticals, which the firm says has given it the ability to offer customers a lower cost entry-point into non-destructive leak testing which is more reliable than older methods of testing on the market.
"At a time when the industry is looking to drive up quality and reduce production costs, Visionscan does both. It is a tool-less leak testing device. The flexibility we have designed into this machine is ideal for contract packers operating in the growing non-branded drug or ‘generics’ market where there is a need to switch production quickly from one drug to another," continues Paul Kelly.
Mediscan was launched alongside Visionscan but for testing leaks in single non-porous pouches, medical device packaging and sachets. The third new machine, EZ Blister II, is a compact blister-packing machine for clinical trial laboratories and R&D facilities. This has proved very popular with customers who need a low-volume packaging solution.
Sepha is now about to embark on a customer roadshow across Europe, Asia and the US that will see the company bring its new leak testing machines directly to the doors of its customers. For more information visit Sepha’s website.