HP ink creates competitive advantage for pharmaceutical industry and packagers

HP Specialty Printing Systems (SPS) division has launched its HP Pharma Black CB935A Inkjet Print Cartridge in Europe.

HP Pharma Black ink is designed to allow individual tablets and capsules to be marked with branding, dosage or security information. It complements HP SPS's existing thermal inkjet technologies, which are part of a comprehensive range of supply chain management solutions.

"With more than 20 years of digital printing to HP's credit, our inkjet expertise enables us to break new ground in tablet and capsule imprinting," said Kathy Tobin, vice president and general manager, HP SPS. "With this solution, HP sets a new standard by reducing costs, meeting expanding market needs and enabling solutions that exceed heightened security requirements."

The cartridge, which comes in a 20cc size, offers production advantages over traditional contact-printing on pills and tablets, including:

• Reduced breakage and contamination with non-contact printing
• Increased efficiency and reliability, with reduced maintenance intervention and downtime
• Serialisation for product tracking, anti-counterfeiting and prescription/dosage accuracy
• Compliance with California 2009 "ePedigree" pharmaceutical requirements when used with the HP Product Tracking and Authentication Solution
• Self-contained cartridges for cleaner maintenance and replacement
• Printing speeds of up to 500 feet per minute at 150 dots per inch (dpi)
• High-quality 600 dpi imaging for precise, uniform printing of variable data, barcodes and logos on a variety of dosage-form shapes
• Ready-to-use formulation with no solvents to mix or handle.