Every model is conceived as Industry 4.0‑native: real-time data streams support remote diagnostics and predictive maintenance, safeguarding overall equipment effectiveness (OEE). Electronic batch records are fully compliant with 21 CFR Part 11, meeting FDA requirements. A modular, hygienic design enables a single line to process powders, liquids and creams interchangeably. Energy‑efficient drives and low‑temperature sealing technologies further reduce operating costs. Within the in‑house Universal Laboratory, dosing, sealing and cutting parameters are meticulously optimized for each product–film combination. The result is equipment in which sustainability, digital connectivity and pharmaceutical‑grade precision converge.
What’s new at Universal Pack? Which machines are in the spotlight?
“Our customers are asking for ever‑greater flexibility,” Simone Marzi (Sales Director Pharma Division) begins. “We have therefore boosted the performance of our flexible stick‑pack machine, capable of dosing both liquids and powders, while simultaneously developing multi‑product sachet machines. A recent project packages powders, liquids, creams and even capsules on a single line and delivers lightning‑fast changeovers. Every solution is configured after extensive testing in our laboratory to guarantee the perfect match to customer requirements.”
What are the latest technical improvements?
“Lately, we have been designing customized dosing systems after conducting several scientific research on the products of our customers. This scientific study of the physical characteristics of the different products helps us develop extremely accurate fillers based on our customers’ needs. The scientific research conducted into the Universal Laboratory is extended to different laminates as well. We are designing more and more machines with the new sealing system that guarantees a longer dwell time of the sealing unit with the heated surfaces of the laminate. This allows us to increase productivity by maintaining lower temperatures in the sealing unit. Moreover, it is suitable to work with thicker and sustainable laminates, guaranteeing a better quality of the packages”
Simone Marzi explains that: “the collaboration with trusted suppliers has extremely improved the quality control provided on our packaging lines for the pharmaceutical industry. We have been installing more and more innovative variable printed data vision systems, inline checkweighers of all produced sachets and sticks with automatic rejection of off-weight packages, pharma code and data matrix camera verification. Serialization and aggregation processes are essential to allow uninterrupted tracking and identification of each unit along the entire production chain.”
What drives demand for stick packs in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals?
Still growing after 60 years. (video: Universal Pack)
“The rise of stick packs in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals can be attributed to several factors that make them convenient and beneficial for both consumers and manufacturers. For consumers, they offer unbeatable convenience: perfect for travel and on-the-go use, they take up minimal space and ensure hygiene with single-serve packages. Precise dosing is another benefit, reducing waste and guaranteeing the right amount of product, especially important for pharmaceuticals.
We recorded a significant rise in demand for peg/macrogol in stick-packs (and sachets, as well) and we’ve responded by producing a wide range of packaging lines in recent years.
Stick packs have become increasingly popular in the pharmaceutical industry in recent years, especially for those pharmaceuticals intended for oral consumption. This trend isn’t just in pharmaceuticals, though – the food and cosmetics industries are also seeing a rise in stick pack use.
We have two main families of stick pack machines, one for high productivity, the other for high flexibility. In the last years we pushed on ergonomic design, technological improvements such as predictive maintenance, 4.0 integration, digital twin, total process automation”.
How are packaging films evolving?
“Traditional laminates were made by two, three or four layers of materials,” Simone Marzi explains. “The eco-friendly revolution brought us to develop ad hoc solutions to manage monomaterials on our machines, maintaining performance and reliability. Our machine can work with sustainable laminates (compostable, bio-based, recyclable, recycled). In the last years we built strong partnerships with film suppliers, customers, research centers, to be ready for the new era of packaging”.
Additional benefits: energy savings and quality assurance
“Since most of our customers are multinationals, we pay particular attention to quality control issues. We implement our lines with printing systems with OCR, stick pack quality check, carton pharma code printing and check, leaflet insertion and check, labelling, tamper evident. Moreover, we equip our machines with low energy consumption motors, single lane checkweighers, automatic doser feedback”.
What fuels growth in dietary food and supplements?
“We think the growth of dietary/food supplement market is since a frenetic lifestyle asks for quick and easy-to-get food and dietary supplements. These products are often sold in single dose packaging which means more requests for stick pack machines. In recent years we have certainly recorded a growth in sticks in pharmacies (but also in general for the food industry and cosmetics), especially for products that are taken orally”.
Has this trend triggered investment in new forms and machines?
“Yes”, concludes Simone Marzi. “Our customers ask for more flexible and specific machines and dosing systems. We also developed a flexible stick pack machine that can dose both liquids and powders. We recorded a great increase in requests for peg/macrogol, for which we produced many lines in recent years. Growth was recorded either for powders or the liquids. Depending on the kind of product we do research in our internal laboratory to build the better machine configuration to fit customers’ needs”.
