Harpak-ULMA, a leading provider of smart, connected packaging solutions, has introduced the ARTIC SS Chevron, an advanced horizontal flow wrap machine designed specifically for medical and pharmaceutical packaging applications. This innovative system minimizes film usage without compromising sterility or easy-open features to redefine packaging efficiency. By dramatically reducing material waste, the ARTIC SS Chevron helps producers achieve sustainability goals while lowering operational costs.

Unlike traditional thermoforming solutions that require two films, the ARTIC SS Chevron uses a single roll of film, folded to create a secure, aseptic seal. This design eliminates the need for premade bags, reducing costs and giving producers greater control over their packaging process. The solution is well-suited for low-height medical devices such as bandages, gel pads or wound care products.

The ARTIC SS Chevron eliminates the need for dual films, simplifying the overall packaging process while enabling quick and easy format or appearance changes to enhance operational versatility. The machine’s quick changeover capability, achieved with a simple wheel adjustment, drastically reduces downtime and boosts productivity to offer a distinct advantage over similar solutions. Its single-film design reduces required materials inventory and associated costs. More importantly, in medical applications, where material validation is costly and time-consuming, the ARTIC SS Chevron eliminates the need to validate a second film.

Seal options include Chevron, Sine Wave and Straight-pack styles. The ARTIC SS Chevron employs integrated Tyvek® webbing instead of an entire sheet, providing a cost-effective, environmentally friendly sterilization solution. Tyvek® allows for common sterilization methods such as ETO or Gamma Radiation, while maintaining barrier properties. The package's offset edge design ensures easy separation for quick, aseptic access — a critical requirement in medical environments.

"Right-sized packaging" is a key focus in today’s medical packaging market, emphasizes Nick Kirichkow, Product Manager at ULMA Packaging. “When people think of sustainability, they usually focus on ‘recycling’ – but that’s just part of the story. Reducing waste throughout the production process by using as little material as possible – including essentially right-sizing the package design - can dramatically impact a producer’s ability to achieve sustainability goals.”

The ARTIC SS Chevron is a game-changer in a market historically reliant on preformed packages and high-changeover machines. By forming packs in-house with less material and lower cost, producers can improve control of their processes while reducing validation hurdles.

The ARTIC SS Chevron, along with ULMA’s TFS 300 with vision inspection capabilities, will be showcased at the Sustainable Manufacturing Expo 2025 in Anaheim from February 4 to 6, 2025. Visit booth 901 to experience the innovative ARTIC SS Chevron in action and see its advanced use of single film with seamless Tyvek strip welding, perforation for gas sterilization, and its smart-connected design.

For more information, visit https://www.harpak-ulma.com/medical-packaging-machines/.