Medical supplies have garnered the attention of both the government and the public in recent months, especially around manufacturing, distribution and management. In fact, the public has gained important insights about the different types of packaging solutions and features the industry has to offer.
WHY PLASTIC MATTERS TO THE HEALTHCARE SECTOR
Plastic is a watertight, flexible, transparent, light and resistant material which is retortable. These characteristics, among others, offer optimal safety for medical supplies. In the last year, we have seen the key role that plastic has played in the production of protective shields, screens, lab coats and gloves.
At SP Group, we strive to be an industry leader in the development of innovative plastic medical-supply packaging solutions. We design solutions that translate into superior products that do not only benefit the healthcare sector but also civil society.
We have proven to be nimble and effective in meeting the ever-changing needs brought upon by these periods of great uncertainty. When the healthcare crisis began, we quickly pivoted our operations to satisfy these new pressing needs by developing new materials for this key sector.
We invest heavily in R&D+i because we firmly believe it is the only way to remain on the cutting edge. Read on to discover some of our top packaging solutions for medical supplies, including gauze and sterile products, which are a testament to our industry know-how.
PLASTIC STRUCTURES FOR MEDICAL SUPPLIES
We offer a wide range of structures, including peelable polyethylene coextrusions and polypropylene-based structures for vacuum packs. All our structures:
- provide robust barriers; and
- can withstand retort processes.
We class our materials into the following five categories that ensure the integrity of medical supplies:
- semi-rigid coextruded materials;
- aluminium laminates;
- metallic laminates;
- other laminates; and
- rigid thermoformable materials.
SP MEDICAL SUPPLY PACKAGING SOLUTIONS
- RCP: RCP is perfect if you are in the market for a vacuum-packing solution (e.g., for syringes). It may be used as a top film and/or base web. It is peelable and has excellent gas and water vapour barriers. RCP can be sterilised and pasteurised which makes it the ideal material to protect your most sensitive material.
- PA PP: This double, flexible, highly tear- and puncture-resistant material is ideal for vacuum packing. PA PP also boasts above par water vapour, aroma and oxygen barriers. This material is especially pertinent as a packaging solution for gauze and syringes as it offers optimal watertight properties.
- PET
- ALU PE: PET ALU PE is a triple-layer, aluminium-based material that welds to PE. It is used in stand-up pouches, sachets and pre-formed pouches. It can also withstand pasteurisation processes to create vacuum-closed packaging solutions.
Our plastic-based medical-supply packaging solutions are highly resistant and retortable, thus ensuring the integrity and safety of delicate essential products.
THE PLASTIC SECTOR, SPEARHEADING INNOVATION
Plastic and innovation go hand-in-hand because R&D leads to the creation and development of ingenious materials that change people’s lives. Not only do we research new and exciting packaging solutions, but we also research how we can develop more sustainable products without compromising on quality.
The objective behind this research is to devise new medical-supply materials that will improve our overall health and wellbeing. The breadth of research opportunities are endless, but here are the three key research areas we decided to focus on:
- anti-microbial resistant plastics which can be used on hospital surfaces and instruments;
- polymers which imitate the basic structure of living things – the cell. We are studying how polymers could be used to deliver treatments directly to parts of the body that most need it;
- the development of artificial plastic-based blood equipped with structures similar to red blood cells. This blood would remain in our bodies for specific periods of time.
It should come as no surprise to see these solutions materialise in the not-so-distant future, leading to significant changes to our lives. And while we wait for this changes to upend our lives, we will continue to be visionaries and drive innovation to the next level.
