6061 T6 is the type of aluminum that is typically used for heating plates and the coating that gives the best clarity when forming PET is a green spray-on Teflon coating with a clear coat over the top of it. A hard anodized coating will perform and be more durable but the heat transfer is typically not as good and the roughness of the texture transfers to the package, marring the package surface.

Going to an in-line thermoforming process and eliminating preformed trays helps to reduce costs considerably. The in-line process eliminates the need to store and inventory a large quantity of trays since the trays are manufactured on demand. This type of system also lends itself to being automatically loaded more so than the individual preformed trays that need to be handled various times in the manufacturing process.

In-line printing in a cleanroom environment is very common and there are various methods available to accomplish this depending on the amount  of text and symbology required. Thermal-transfer or ink-jet technology would be the best two options available. The printing can be done while the inner tray is in place in the primary package or it can be done prior to being placed into the primary package.

Although the camera technology is very advanced and the high-definition cameras could detect particles as small as 0.0050 in., it would be virtually impossible to look through a formed package with its variance in optical clarity and isolate a particle that small in a repetitive and consistent manner.

We have not received any requests for antimicrobial packaging solutions. Sterilization is the preferred method that guarantees package integrity and sterility. When creating an antimicrobial package, the challenge would be to find the right chemical solution that would target all potential germ growth and have the long-term effect of keeping the contamination controlled for an extended period of time.

Bubbles that are seen during the forming process are typically created by either excessive heat being applied during the preheat cycle or trapped air between the heating plate and the material.

The solution for the excess heat scenario is to use multiple heating stages and bring the temperature of the material up to the required set point slowly and consistently.

The trapped air can be eliminated by using vacuum assist to pull the material onto the heating plates as well as air pressure to press the material simultaneously.  Also using the appropriate coating on the heating surfaces influences the amount of residual air that is trapped.

Flexographic printing is the most economical method of printing on a FFS line when you need to print all of the graphics on a package. With the enhancements to the flexographic printer systems over the past few years, these systems are now more reliable than ever. The consumables used for flexo-graphic printing are the least expensive compared to other forms of printing.

The types of tooling updates that can lead to increased productivity and fast cycle times are things such as:

1. Installing more accurate temperature control systems. This type of system recovers the heat loss quickly and allows you to operate at high speed rates.
2. Adding heating zones, which allows you to process the materials faster since you are decreasing the time that it takes to process the materials by driving more heat into the material in less time.
3. Modifying the tool for optimum flow rates of vacuum and pressure, again leading to fast cycle times.

The approach to cost cutting is not purely downgauging of material but looking for alternative state-of-the-art materials that are stronger, thinner, and more economical.  This sometimes requires updating the packaging equipment to enable these types of materials to be processed on the older equipment.

The major potential issue to be aware of is the degradation of material thickness in critical areas of the package such as the corners. Downgauging material thickness most of the time requires upgrading the equipment to a different type of forming system that will enable you to better control the forming process. One such system uses a male plug to help distribute the material more uniformly throughout the package.

When working on a project to reduce material cost, one important element is that the equipment supplier have the ability to do prototype testing of the specific package. It is very important that the new materials be proven prior to making a large investment in either new tooling for your existing equipment or purchasing new equipment.