Pack Expo 2026: IWK to expand pharma cartoner for autoinjector pens

IWK Packaging Systems is presenting its CH 4 Horizontal Cartoner, a cartoning machine for pharmaceutical and medical-device packaging, at Pack Expo 2026, Chicago, US (October 18–21). 

Specifically, IWK will provide live demonstrations of the system’s expanded viability for autoinjector pens — tapping into patient-centric drug delivery solution trends. At the show, the machine will run a paper tray loaded via an Omron robot with a Ypsomed injection pen. The folding carton and tray are supplied by the manufacturer Kartonveredelung Knapp. 

“As drug formats diversify and treatments become ever more sophisticated, demand for flexible, efficient secondary packaging solutions for medical devices and drug containers continues to climb,” says Dana Austin, general manager for North America at IWK.

The machine can run continuously or intermittently, with a flexible carton opening. It is powered by servo motors and produces up to 120 cartons per minute, depending on box size and insert parameters.

Machine capacity

The CH 4 Horizontal Cartoner can form and fill cartons from 50–230 mm in length, 15–160 mm in width, and 15–100 mm in height.

“The CH 4 Horizontal Cartoner was designed as a multifunctional end-of-line solution for brand owners and contract manufacturers, and its new ability to handle autoinjector pens makes it even more versatile — all while ensuring high throughput, gentle handling, and energy efficiency,” continues Austin.

The company adds that the solution is adaptable to a “wide range of applications and cartoning specifications” and builds upon IWK’s reputation for “current Good Manufacturing Practice-guaranteed, floorspace-conscious equipment.”

IWK highlights that timing belts and “precise” four-level positioning help ensure scratch-free, undamaged packaging.

Pharma’s PPWR overhaul

Pharmaceutical packaging companies are reassessing materials, structures, and formats in response to the EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), which began applying last month.

“Detailed design-for-recycling criteria and the methodology for assessing whether packaging is recycled at scale will shape many future compliance obligations, making it important for packaging manufacturers to stay engaged as the regulatory framework evolves,” Paige Greenberg, sustainable packaging engineer at Plastic Ingenuity, told Packaging Insights.

Meanwhile, Schreiner MediPharm developed a functional label for SHL Medical’s Quanta weight-loss pen that features a near-field communication chip and anti-slip varnish for safe grip and handling.

Südpack Medica opened its expanded plant in Coulmer, France, which aims to deliver enhanced capacity for the production of high-quality primary packaging for pharmaceuticals.

Bobst supplied Shanxi Ruixing Printing and Packaging, a Chinese company specializing in pharmaceutical packaging, with its SP 106 Evo ER die-cutter, aiming to eliminate labor-intensive manual waste stripping and improve production capacity for pharmaceutical packaging.