SmartSkin launches Seal Assurance to ensure pharma container integrity

SmartSkin Technologies, a specialist in manufacturing intelligence, has introduced SmartSkin Seal Assurance to provide pharmaceutical packaging companies with real-time information about seal tightness. The technology is said to improve the container closure integrity of the vial and cartridge capping.

SmartSkin will debut its SmartSkin Seal Assurance at the upcoming 2025 ISPE Pharma 4.0 trade show in Barcelona, Spain, December 9–10.

“Despite the critical importance of seal quality for sterile products, translating the mechanical settings of capping equipment into the physical seal characteristics needed for container-closure performance has not been possible until now,” says Dr. Mihaela Simianu, scientific advisor at SmartSkin.

“SmartSkin’s Seal Assurance opens possibilities to proactively build container closure integrity assurance into the aseptic process design, creating new possibilities to enhance equipment and process performance in measurable, controllable, and reliable ways.”

The company adds that the solutions can provide per-head, real-time feedback on sealing performance by measuring and visualizing forces during capping.

Smart pharma packaging

SmartSkin Seal Assurance’s real force-profile data is said to help manufacturers validate consistency and prevent defects.Each “event,” part of the monitoring process, generates a digital signature, creating auditable proof that every capper head is configured and operating within specification. This method of recording is said to help confirm the quality and consistency of pharmaceutical products during setup.

The SmartSkin Seal Assurance is compatible with single and multihead systems. SmartSkin says that it complements Residual Seal Force (RSF) testing by confirming that sealing conditions measured in RSF are established from the start. This testing finishes the process of container closure integrity assurance.

According to SmartSeal, one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical manufacturers tested and demonstrated the ability of the SmartSkin Seal Assurance to detect inconsistencies and identify optimal capping parameters. The company notes that this validates the role of its solution in controlling and enhancing quality and efficiency. 

Packaging Insights recently spoke with Coveris, TekniPlex Healthcare, UPM Adhesive Materials, and Alplapharma about the regulatory environment and consumer demand driving the transformation of pharmaceutical packaging.