Engineering sustainable packaging

In May 2023, Beckman Coulter Diagnostics, a global leader in clinical diagnostics, unveiled its DxI 9000 Access Immunoassay (IA) Analyzer, a next-generation analyzer that addresses clinical laboratories’ need for analytical speed, reliability, reproducibility, quality, and menu expansion. Everything on this new instrument was engineered with the most advanced technologies to maximise performance and optimise resources, including the packaging of the DxI 9000 analyzer’s related consumable products. 

A critical single-use consumable product for the DxI 9000 analyzer is the highly sensitive polypropylene (PP) pipette tip. This pipette collects a patient’s sample from a test tube and dispenses it into the analyzer. This critical step requires pipettes to remain undamaged to ensure the quality of the analysis. The Beckman Coulter Diagnostics Global Plastics Team needed a packaging solution seamlessly integrated with the DxI 9000 IA analyzer, minimising material content and capitalising on recycling opportunities.
Beckman Coulter approached Plastic Ingenuity (P.I.) to partner on designing a custom thermoformed package to hold and protect 520 pipette tips in four rigid polystyrene trays

Thermoforming process – overcoming the design challenge
The thermoforming process differs from the injection moulding process. It is a manufacturing process where a plastic sheet or film is heated in an oven to a high enough temperature so that it can be stretched into a mould that is formed and cooled to a specific finished shape in a mould (or die) and trimmed to create a usable product. Thin-gauge thermoforming (Fig. 2) is primarily used to manufacture containers, lids, trays, blisters, and clamshells for the food, medical, and general retail industries. To protect the highly sensitive pipette tips from handling damage, P.I. designed a unique cover and base tray to be as robust as possible yet remain a viable thermoformed PET part.

First, a prototype tool was built for the initial fit, form, and functionality trials. To optimize the design and instead of simply adding material, P.I. initiated a DFM approach and focused on design features such as adding ribs, flutes, and structure to both the cover and base trays that increased the overall package strength without compromising the design intent. Subsequently, a production thermoforming tool was designed and built for production purposes incorporating the lessons learned from the prototype tool. In discussions with Beckman Coulter’s Global Plastics Team, the P.I. team incorporated a cut-out feature to the package’s base tray, allowing laboratory techs and operators to easily reach inside the package when loading the individual pipette trays into the instrument. These design and process improvements resulted in successful test results and the passing of the thermoformed mould validation requirements (the IQ/OQ/PQ phases).

Sustainability – Recycling of PET Packaging Material
PET is the most widely used and recycled packaging material in the world. It serves to protect its contents and is lightweight, has excellent clarity, and has outstanding chemical resistance/wear properties. And the best part about PET plastic is that it can be recycled into the production of new PET packaging and other products such as PET bottles. This specific application utilises regrind PET material for the thermoformed packaging of the consumables used in the recently launched DxI 9000 IA analyzer and perfectly suits our environmental sustainability strategy to recycle and reduce waste generation. The #1 Resin ID Code for PET can be seen in the top corner of the Cover (Fig. 3).

Sustainability – Recycling of PET Packaging Material

PET is the most widely used and recycled packaging material in the world. It serves to protect its contents and is lightweight, has excellent clarity, and has outstanding chemical resistance/wear properties. And the best part about PET plastic is that it can be recycled into the production of new PET packaging and other products such as PET bottles. This specific application utilises regrind PET material for the thermoformed packaging of the consumables used in the recently launched DxI 9000 IA analyzer and perfectly suits our environmental sustainability strategy to recycle and reduce waste generation. The #1 Resin ID Code for PET can be seen in the top corner of the Cover (Fig. 3).
In summary, the primary goals of product protection, material minimization, and design for recycling improvements were achieved with improved tray handling and suitable for all shipping conditions.
Additionally, compared to traditional packaging production, the DxI 9000 analyzer pipette kit packaging uses 58% less plastic. Like the analyzer itself, the packaging innovation is a win for Beckman Coulter’s customers.