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The pharmaceutical industries must combine, more and more, the technical perfection of bottles and containers with functional design that meets the new packaging needs of health products. These products must be child-proof, senior friendly and, when requested, have a special and recognisable look. Thus, safety and ergonomics are required as well as, in some cases (for example, over-the-counter and self-medication products), being eye-catching.
Bormioli Rocco is one of the few companies in the world that, besides type II and type III glass, offers type I glass (borosilicate), the most chemically stable glass that exists, according to the specifications laid down by International Pharmacopoeia.
In carrying out its business activities, the company keeps a close eye on market evolution and on environmental problems, promoting constant product innovation and working with the principal Associations involved in recycling
 Neutral glass type I - U.S.P. e F.E.
Bormioli’s type I glass is defined as a borosilicate glass with a high degree of hydrolytic stability due to its chemical composition.
Type I glass is suited to containers for preparations both for parental and other use. Injectible products with acid, neutral or slightly alkaline pH can be packaged in this type of glass.
The containers may be sterilized before and after filling and provide mechanical resistance to sudden changes in temperature better than type II and III sodium-calcium glass.
Glass type II - U.S.P. e F.E.
Bormioli Rocco type II glass is a sodium-calcium glass which, with proper treatment of the surfaces, achieves the hydrolytic stability of type I glass. Type II glass containers are suited for holding acid and neutral preparations both for parental and other use.
Glass Type III - U.S.P. e F.E.
Type III glass is a sodium-calcium glass with a low alkaline content and high hydrolytic resistance.
Results for hydrolytic resistance and resistance to sudden temperature changes are better than for glass not intended for pharmaceutical use.
Type III glass is generally suited to packages for non-aqueous preparations or in powder for parental use, excluding freeze-dried medicines, and for non-parental preparations.
Type III glass containers are normally dry sterilized before being filled.
Yellow Amber Glass
The use of yellow amber glass of the types required by pharmaceutical standards is recommended for preparations sensitive to ultraviolet rays.
Adding colouring oxide agents makes this type of glass suited to protecting contents while maintaining high transparency.
Pharmaceutical standards prescribe that the transmission of light must be below 10% of the incident radiation of each wavelength between 290/450 mµ.
Interior and exterior treatments
Silicon-based interior treatment applied to amber or transparent glass bottles, normally of type III glass, makes them highly water repellent. As such, powder preparations, which tend to stick to the glass surface, can be easily and completely removed.
Upon request, all glass containers may be treated on the exterior surface as well, without contaminating the interior, using special lubricating products to reduce friction, improve resistance to shock and flow on the packaging lines.
Sanitation and Environment
We have always paid special attention to sanitation and environmental issues with protective systems, the development of production awareness, training and personnel policies, defining and respecting environmental procedures, and installing increasingly efficient, advanced control machines.
Environmental protection systems:
Clean room
In the mid-1980s a “protected environment” became an important issue. Bormioli Rocco addressed the problem innovatively by installing Clean Rooms with “Class 100,000” air filters positioned along the route that the container takes from the annealing oven to the packing area.
- Line cover
This device covers the line with special transparent plastic (Plexiglas) carters from the end of the annealing tunnel to the bundling machine.
- Inverters
We can guarantee the elimination of particles by blowing, inverting and suctioning the bottles in a protected environment.
The inverters have a vertical wheel that turns the bottles upside down and inserts them in the nozzles to send compressed air (purified by an absolute filter) inside the containers. Blowing removes impurities which are immediately removed by the suction unit positioned inside the structure.
Packing
The Bormioli Rocco group has equipped its packaging lines with automated packing systems, meeting industry requirements to prevent all direct contact with the product. The system of shrink-wrapped bundles can be used for all types of containers, from small to large capacity, complete with process controls and automatic checks that ensure its shape and features, preventing any impact from use at the client’s facilities. Other forms (trays and layered palletization), are provided as requested, choosing the best material to combat the presence of any particles from packing. |
