As a leading supplier of professional pharmaceutical packaging and solutions, Gerresheimer also specializes in manufacturing pharmaceutical containers made of type II glass. The special internal surface treatment process allows the production of very small injection bottles as well as large-capacity typical infusion bottles. Ensuring the quality and hydrolysis resistance of Type II glass is the top priority here. The company will demonstrate Type II glass packaging solutions at Pharmapack in Paris in October and CphI Worldwide in Milan in November.
"Our customers need us to provide safe and perfect products. Therefore, we need to ensure that we have the best production process, even before handling the interior of Type II glass, by constantly monitoring the situation and intervening when needed," Pharmaceuticals, Said Silvio Carriço, senior product manager for the food and food industry. drinks.
A center of excellence focused on manufacturing Type II glass
For many years, Gerresheimer has been producing vials made of type II glass for parenteral administration by injection or infusion. After overhauling and upgrading the transparent glass melting furnace in Essen, two new production lines were opened, mainly for manufacturing Type II glass, and directly connected to the newly expanded clean room. As the Type II glass center of excellence for the entire Gerresheimer Group, the plant will focus on further increasing its production capacity and expertise, supplemented by substantial investment in the most advanced self-taught test lines, etc. Therefore, Gerresheimer consolidates its use as a parenteral solution The position of an innovative supplier.
Type II glass-ideal for parenteral applications
Type II glass is a form of soda lime glass, also known as soda lime silica glass, which is by far the most common type in industrial production. As the name suggests, its main ingredients are not only sand, but also soda (sodium carbonate) and lime (calcium oxide). Type II glass undergoes a special internal surface treatment process to make the surface difficult to be leached by alkaline solutions (called "dealkalization". This is the best choice for most parenteral drugs.
Primary packaging made of molded glass has always been the container of choice for liquid and solid medicines. Type II glass is soda-lime glass, which has undergone a special internal surface treatment to significantly improve its hydrolysis resistance. Therefore, primary packaging for such applications must meet particularly stringent requirements for glass and its processing methods.
Prevention is better than cure
At Gerresheimer, the focus is on preventing errors—not on finding them later. Specific requirements are considered in the early stages of glass melting. This process uses special materials, such as fused alumina blocks. Among other things, these guarantees can reliably meet the stringent quality requirements for glass. Automatically monitor gob formation, insert controlled tools and ensure end-to-end control of the glass manufacturing process.
Extra security and better recovery
The internal coating can further support the improved recovery rate of the filling product. Gerresheimer has developed a process to apply a fine silicone layer on the inner wall of a glass bottle after cleaning. The silica gel is fixed on the glass by heating and passes through the annealing furnace. Silicone supports reducing the variability of hydrolysis resistance and provides an additional protective layer for product contact with glass. Therefore, the filling medicine can be further protected throughout the life cycle.
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