Tamper-evident labeling

From February 2019, all pharmaceutical packaging of prescription medicines in the EU must include a tamper-evident closure as a security feature. This is stipulated by the EU Directive 2011/62/EU adopted in 2011. In order to continue to use the existing folding boxes, the use of sealing labels is of particular interest in terms of cost-effectiveness. These labels firmly connect the insertable tags to the body of the package. The most practical labels from an economic and technical point of view are completely conventional rectangular or round labels. These labels may even include a security perforation. The essential factor for their use is the pressure-sensitive adhesive. It must be highly resistant to water, hot air and various solvents. This is the only way to guarantee that the label cannot be peeled off even heavily coated folding boxes without visibly destroying either the label or the box. The same type of sealing label can therefore be used for a variety of packaging materials and for a variety of surfaces – even hot melt-sealed boxes can be protected against tampering using this method.

The use of tamper-evident labels requires a high degree of precision. This is because the labels, which are usually very small, must be applied laterally to the insertable tags in such a way that around 50 percent of the label protrudes above and below the body of the folding box. A mechanical folding bar then irons the two protruding parts of the label by 90 degrees. Spring-loaded foam rollers press the labels so that the insertable tags are firmly connected to the body of the box. The best possible way to ensure the presence of the anti-manipulation feature is to use two monitoring units. One light barrier on each side of the folding box checks for the presence of a protruding label part. A second pair of light barriers checks whether the label still protrudes after ironing or if the ironing was successful. If there is an error, a slider will inevitably expel the package in question.