Small faults in the manufacture of Pharmaceutical cartons can have dangerous consequences. A Braille dot which is too small or not of sufficient height can cause confusing or incorrect medicine and dosage information.

To eliminate faults packaging manufacturers must implement thorough quality control procedures. As the recommended Braille font dot height of 0.2mm is indiscernable to untrained fingers mechanical inspection systems are used to assess the tactile quality of the dots. This is done by measuring the dot height with a fine micrometer. However this method is time consuming and mechanical contact with the micrometer can damage the Braille dots, leading to inaccurate measurements. There are alternative solutions involving Braille reading quality control personnel or manual inspection using test films. But these methods cannot be adequately documented and often prove to be too slow in a production environment.

in-situ GmbH, a Munich based specialist for vision and sensor systems, has developed the DotScan optical inspection system to reliably recognise Braille dots and evaluate their tactile quality. Testing is non-contact using an industrial camera based vision system. The camera captures 2D images and the height information is then calculated using a shape-from-shading algorithm. To obtain accurate results the Braille dots are illuminated from four directions to ensure the 3D shape of a raised dot can be accurately scanned. As there is no contact with the board surface the physical integrity of the dots is not affected during testing. 

The production workflow is simple: After the Pharmaceutical carton is embossed with Braille and die-cut, the box is assembled and glued. Braille inspection is performed by sampling. Each sample is folded flat and positioned on a drawer in the unit. The camera scans at a resolution of 1.3 megapixels and the system captures 25 frames per second at full resolution, which allows for very fast inspection.

The system checks not only if the raised dots have the correct shape and Marburg Medium Braille font proportions, but also if the information given in the Braille meets the specifications. So the system gives visually impaired patients the peace of mind that they can safely identify their medication and confidence that the correct dosage is taken.

The AccuBraille production module from the BOBST Group enables Braille to be embossed at the optimum stage of the production process—the folding-glueing stage—thus lowering costs. This BOBST Group innovation, integrated in a carton folding and glueing machine, embosses Braille dots with significantly improved dot height over it’s rival embossing solutions.

Compared to the Braille embossing of cartons at the cutting and creasing stage (as most competing embossing methods do) AccuBraille brings advantages that enable converters to cope in a highly efficient and cost-effective manner, while meeting European and North American standards for Braille on pharmaceutical packages.

Applying Braille later makes cost savings

Braille embossing creates various production challenges. When applied at the stage of die-cutting, it induces costs caused by the requirement to purchase as many embossing tools as there are cartons on a stepped-up printed sheet. However, the folder-gluer takes cartons one at a time. So, unlike embossing in the diecutter, the AccuBraille system uses only one male die, custom made for the order, and a single universal female tool. No matching counters are required and the tooling costs are a fraction of traditional dies. Make-ready takes place off-line and set-up of the device can be accomplished in less than five-minutes.

The AccuBraille module removes the need to emboss on the die-cutter and brings several further benefits:

• Significant dot height improvement providing easier reading for end-users.
• The make-ready time of the die-cutter is faster (no set-up of embossing tools).
• The die-cutter will have fewer stops (less cleaning of embossing tools).
• Fewer challenges on the folder-gluer because the boxes are embossed in the section following its feeder, and therefore improved run-ability of the gluer as the AccuBraille module is mounted after the feeder (no blanks stuck together).
• The set-up of tools takes less than five minutes and no additional staffing is required.

New Design Possibilities for Braille

AccuBraille brings with it the possibility of applying embossing very close to the cut or creased edges and, therefore, more interesting design possibilities. Crucially, none of this added functionality has effected productivity—it functions at normal speed for pharmaceutical boxes (75,000 boxes/hour). The system works according to the Marburg Medium standard, with a maximum of four lines, and handles materials ranging from 200 to 500gsm.

Medica Packaging—the UK AccuBraille Pioneers

Medica Packaging, part of the Benson Group, is the first plant in the UK to install BOBST’s AccuBraille system for the Braille embossing of pharma cartons.

Mark Kerridge, Managing Director of Benson Group, of which Medica is a part, said, “The main benefits to us of the AccuBraille unit are that it will further shorten the supply time to get cartons to our customers, and it will make it easier to maintain the quality of our Braille embossing”.

With all pharmaceutical packaging destined for EU use required to have information in Braille by 2010, AccuBraille represents a quick and easy route to compliance.

“There has been lots of interest from our customers in the AccuBraille system and we are certainly leading the way on this. We’re actively working through change procedures with key customers to bring it on stream for them,” said Mark Kerridge.

After seeing Atlantic Zeiser’s Braillejet digital printing solution for Braille in action I must admit to being very impressed. Braillejet’s radical new micro valve technology, developed by the Swiss supplier Gyger, stands out from embossing and screen printing because the printing system enables Braille letters to be printed with an UV curable high-viscosity ink to achieve immediate fixation of the dots. One print head prints two Marburg Medium Standard Braille lines simultaneously and it is possible to increase the print width by seamless stitching of additional heads. The result is optimum readability and exceptional dot clarity with print speeds of up to 36m/min or up to 118f/min.

The technical challenges of printing and personalizing packaging with Braille is an important industry issue – by October 2010 all medicines sold through retailers in the European Union must have Braille marking on the packaging to accommodate the needs of the visually impaired.

Ralf Hipp, Vice President Digital Printing & Coding Solutions, comments: “At trade shows and industry events, we receive a lot of queries from labeling companies, package printers and product marketing people who are struggling to find the right solution to meet these requirements. Their concerns are not only technical, but also cost, ease of use and flexibility. Our response is to provide a compact-sized, full-featured solution that covers all the bases, while providing the option to integrate the latest technologies, such as Braille Vision.”

The Braillejet solution is completed by Braille Vision, a new inline camera control system. This latest advancement enables Braillejet to provide a complete and innovative digital printing solution for Braille.

Braillejet and Braille Vision set new standard

The Braillejet innovative digital inkjet printing solution offers a number of significant advancements over technologies previously reserved to produce Braille for commercial or industrial applications. Problems with silkscreen printing, like expensive setup costs, or the need for a dryer and lack of transparency with the ink, are eliminated. Relief embossing is limited only to carton and new embossing tools are required for each job, increasing time and cost.

“There are too many ‘no’s’ with traditional technologies,” says Thomas Stenkamp, Product Manager Digital Printing & Coding Solutions. “Atlantic Zeiser offers a solution that says ‘yes’ to what producers are asking for in today’s challenging market conditions – superior print quality while efficiently saving both time and money. Braillejet delivers the freedom and flexibility to produce small batches or do speedy job change-overs, along with the ability to easily work with variable data.”

Stenkamp notes that flexibility is of paramount importance. “Braillejet is supplied as a complete flexible system solution that includes the printing module and UV dryer. Best of all, it offers an excellent value as well as a compact design that fits into most existing production environments. Braille Vision, can be easily integrated for inline production process monitoring and is our answer to our customers’ demands for 100% quality control.”