We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Machinery

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What Is a Blister Machine?

By Jeremy Laukkonen
Updated: May 17, 2024
Views: 9,458
Share

A blister machine is a piece of equipment capable of creating preformed packages that can be used to seal items such as food, medicine and various consumer products. There are two primary methods a blister machine can use to accomplish this: thermoforming and cold forming. Some machines are only capable of using one of these methods, while others are multipurpose devices. Most blister machines use polyvinyl chloride (PVC) to form the packaging, though other materials can also be used. Blister machines are also capable of creating slightly different types of packaging, such as pharmaceutical blister packs with push-through backs and clamshell cases used to hold consumer goods.

There are two main ways a blister machine can form sheets of material into packaging. Thermoforming is a technique that involves heating sheets of PVC prior to insertion into a blister machine. This is typically achieved by passing the sheets between upper and lower heating plates. When a sheet enters a thermoforming blister machine, it is soft and pliable and can be forced to take on the shape of a mold through the application of pressure. In some cases, a mechanical stamp will be used in addition to the application of pressure, particularly when the shape of the mold is difficult or complex.

The type of packaging created by thermoforming can be used in many different applications. Some blister machines that use this technique are designed to create pharmaceutical blister packs. This type of packaging typically contains separate blisters for each pill and has push-through foil or paper on the back side.

Other blister machines are designed to create the type of clamshell packaging often used to hold consumer goods. These machines will typically press out each side of the clamshell individually, after which they can be thermally sealed. A thermoforming blister machine can also create one-sided blister packs that are then attached to paperboard cards.

Cold forming is a technique that does not involve any application of heat. Unlike the thermoforming method that uses clear PVC, this technique uses thin sheets of laminate film that contain aluminum. In order to create packaging out of these sheets, a blister machine will typically use a stamp to force it into a form. The aluminum-based film will tend to stretch and retain the shape after the stamp has been removed. This type of blister pack is typically used to contain pharmaceuticals, since the aluminum-based film tends to prevent moisture from entering the packaging.

Share
About Mechanics is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Discussion Comments
Share
https://www.aboutmechanics.com/what-is-a-blister-machine.htm
Copy this link
About Mechanics, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

About Mechanics, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.