Choosing the Right Aluminum Seal Supplier for Pharmaceutical Packaging

Proper packaging of vials is essential for pharmaceuticals to ensure patient safety. All seals should be suitably placed on the glass vials so that they ensure the retention of therapeutic effectiveness from the time of production until the time they are consumed by the patient. When selecting parenteral packaging components, it is often talked about vials and stoppers, while aluminum seals can often end up being the aftermath.

Although the aluminum seal is considered secondary packaging, the selection of an aluminum seal supplier is essential for all pharmaceuticals that want to have quality assurance while staying within compliance. In this article, we will guide you in detail on how to select a trusted supplier for aluminum seals.

 How to Pick the Right Supplier of Aluminum Seal 

Any pharmaceutical approach to ensure vial container closure integrity (CCI) should include the following steps:

1. Choosing qualified container closure components
2. A proper process setup
3. Applicable testing methods such as a container closure integrity test (CCIT)

To fulfill the first step, choosing qualified container closure components, one of the most essential factors is to have reliable suppliers. Below, we will list steps to take when choosing a supplier for aluminum seals.

Choose a Supplier with Production Qualifications and Wide Product Range 

To meet your demand, you need to work with a supplier with the right production capacity. The production strength and product range are a good first indication of the supplier's qualifications. When researching suppliers, there are certain criteria that should be fulfilled:

• Usage of high-quality machinery,
• Following strict manufacturing processes and meeting cleanliness requirements
• Recognized business qualifications such as cGMP procedures, ISO15378 professional certificate, etc.
• Container closure integrity is ensured by testing and quality assurances.

When opting for the right industrial aluminum seal supplier, you not only enhance the product quality and shelf life, but you also avoid any potential cross-contamination. Make sure that the supplier can produce a high-quality seal component in the amount demanded and that they can demonstrate high mechanical performance and chemical resistance.

 Decide on the Attributes of the Aluminum Seal 

When you have bid on your supplier, you will need to align the attributes of the product you are looking for. Aluminum seals have a wide range of architectural, structural, and fabrication applications. For instance, for aluminum seals there are several types that fulfill different purposes, including:

• Center hole cap which provides immediate access to the injection site of the sealed stopper through a hole in the center of the cap
• Center tap cap which has a removable aluminum tab that protects the injection site of the stopper
• Complete tear-off cap which is meant to be completely removed.

When choosing your supplier, you want to make sure that the supplier offers each design of the aluminum in different diameters and colors to ensure best practices. Some manufacturers will also offer your alternative products. For example, some suppliers will propose push-off caps (also referred to as crimp caps) which are a combination of an aluminum cap with a polypropylene lid. The push-off caps increase tamper evidence, ease of use, and enhanced safety.

Conduct Test Runs 

Once you have established your supplier and product, you can communicate with the manufacturer for samples and test runs. Normally, manufacturers will provide a certain amount of samples and testing which is free of charge. This will give you assurances regarding quality and customer satisfaction.

 Consider Internal Policies and Practices of the Supplier 

Before entering a partnership with a new manufacturer, you want to identify their internal practices such as safety practices, marketing, sustainability policies, etc. to make sure that they align with yours. Simply having an aligned and trusted partnership can help you minimize costs through enhanced communication and transparency.

 Customer satisfaction 

Not only is the quality of the aluminum seal essential, but the fit with the supplier can heavily rely on the professionalism and knowledge of the workers. A customer-centric supplier that provides agility and flexibility will more likely listen and adapt to your business needs and special requests. With that in mind, you want to consider choosing a supplier that values customer relationships and has a customer-centered mindset.

 Sustainability

Sustainability should also play an important role in your decision-making as more regulators require industry-specific sustainability requirements for the packaging of all products, including pharmaceutical packaging and seals. In many cases, consumers are willing to pay more for products that have been produced sustainably. When researching different suppliers, look for signs of ESG ambitions and CSR commitments in order to find sustainable suppliers.

Location 

In many cases, the convenience and availability of the supplier will affect the choice of supplier as well. It is harder to understand the policies and practices if the material is being manufactured overseas. Culture can play a role when working with foreign suppliers, which is also an essential factor that is often neglected.