Wrong products, real danger - the key to greater safety

„Security is the result of an overall concept,“ says Klaus Blessing, Senior Security Packaging Expert at rlc | packaging group. According to him, the key to this lies in the combination of secure processes, brand and product understanding, production expertise and high-tech solutions.

Counterfeiters and product pirates no longer stop at almost any industry. Effective Security concepts must therefore holistic thinking and integrate protective measures along the entire value chain with an eye for detail. Packaging has a special role to play here: as part of such a security concept, it becomes an effective protector for valuable content and therefore for the brand it represents.

Requirements for security concepts

Counterfeiting has long since ceased to be a niche problem, as almost everything is counterfeited: from expensive perfumes and medicines to spare parts for machines. The demands on security concepts are constantly increasing. Staying ahead in the eternal neck-and-neck race is increasingly becoming an economic necessity: the Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce (DIHK), for example, estimates the economic damage caused by product and brand piracy in Germany alone at 30 billion euros a year.

„Ideally, secure processes apply along all steps of the value chain from the first design draft of packaging. In addition to a consistent and secure workflow, these include, for example, collaboration with certified suppliers for packaging materials and technologies, as well as continuous, in some cases fully automated quality control along the production process,“ explains Klaus Blessing, Senior Security Packaging Expert of the rlc | packaging group.

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Artwork Lifecycle Management System

When it comes to the reliable handling of the necessary packaging Workflow steps If you are working with a large number of products, the use of an artwork lifecycle management system such as PAS Media is also recommended. The web-based software has been GMP-validated since 2006, which means it complies with the guidelines of „good manufacturing practice“ and is therefore also suitable for the pharmaceutical/healthcare industry. The combination of automated sub-processes and complete documentation of all changes means that PAS Media offers a particularly high level of security in the artwork process.

Focus on brand needs

Counterfeiters are increasingly targeting everyday products. System providers are therefore incorporating innovative printing and finishing technologies and utilising a wide range of expertise in the field of counterfeiting. Product protection as measures in holistic safety concepts. All measures must meet the needs of the respective brand and be tailored to the product from the very first design idea: For example, do legal guidelines need to be observed, as is the case with the security of pharmaceutical products, or is it an exclusive beauty product for which counterfeit protection should be reliable but preferably invisible?

Securely protect brands and products

For manufacturers of major brands, the increasing threat from counterfeiters and product pirates exists on several levels: In addition to the economic loss due to loss of sales, there is always the threat of Loss of image, which is difficult to remedy. The threat posed to consumers by certain counterfeit products must not be forgotten.

Numerous countries have already taken up the fight against pharmaceutical crime. For example, the European Union Directive 2011/62/EU lays down rules that are intended to achieve greater safety for pharmaceutical products within the EU and for products from third countries. One example is the clear Serialisation, which labels each individual pharmaceutical package and thus makes it clear which routes it has taken along its distribution chain.

Serialisation as a service

For the consistent management of serial numbers, pharmaceutical manufacturers must develop strategies that are compatible with their existing production processes and high process speeds. As different serialisation systems are used in different markets, globally active companies are forced to adapt their already complex packaging processes for all internationally required codes. This is associated with high investments in technology and expertise, as installing coding units in all packaging lines is complex and demanding.

„The expenses and investments for the Serialisation of pharmaceutical packaging can be outsourced cost-effectively and reliably in collaboration with an appropriately organised packaging service provider,“ explains Blessing. „By supplying fully serialised folding cartons, the pharmaceutical manufacturer not only saves on investment costs, but can also maintain its line speed and increase its flexibility.“

rlc currently produces folding cartons, leaflets and labels in two modern pharmaceutical packaging centres and assembles pharmaceuticals in accordance with Section 13 (1) of the German Medicines Act.

Flexible and efficient coding

In 2014, rlc put a specially configured coding line into operation at the PHARMACENTER in Rüdersdorf near Berlin. „Equipped with two different print modules and a camera control system, the system can implement all traceability systems that are currently either already in use or planned,“ says Blessing.

The folding boxes can be coded both flat and glued. The label dispenser applies up to 600 labels per minute. Depending on the desired code quality (grading), the coding line works with different print heads and speeds. The machine has both a thermal and a high-resolution UV inkjet printing module. The packaging can also be printed with barcodes and product content information. Finally, an inspection system checks the Labelling of each individual unit on correct data content and readability. Poor quality units are ejected directly. At the same time, the system stores all data generated during labelling and inspection in real time in a database.

The decisive step ahead

New technologies such as Signoptic are also making life increasingly difficult for counterfeiters across all sectors: thanks to sophisticated IT and scanner systems, it is possible to capture the unique surface structure of a product or its packaging, i.e. the fibre structure in the case of cardboard packaging. An optical scan recognises the characteristics of the material and processes them into a unmistakable, „natural“ signature. This is stored in the customer's database. During an authenticity check, the system compares a second scan with the existing data. If the result matches, the authenticity of the product is confirmed with absolute certainty, as an object can never be copied with all its „naturally“ occurring random structures. The surface of the packaging or product is not changed. This is useful, for example, if a particularly eye-catching look or a defined brand design of a packaging is to be retained without restriction. Counterfeiters are also unable to recognise whether a signature is present for comparison.

Technology helps, but on its own it is no guarantee that brands and their products will be reliably protected from damage caused by counterfeiting. Only the combination of secure processes, reliable product protection and knowledge of brand requirements can create packaging solutions that are a decisive step ahead of counterfeiters.