ACG expands pharma packaging portfolio with alu-based films and foils

At the launch, SR Shivshankar, chief executive officer, ACG Films & Foils said, “Our Shirwal facility is now a one-stop solution for pharma companies when it comes to a packaging material for capsules and tablets. The launch of our new facility has further strengthened our product portfolio.”

The new line comprising of Nordmeccanica’s thin foil laminator and Titan slitting machine was commissioned last year and went into production in September 2017. With this “significant investment”, ACG can now manufacture cold form laminates, blister lid foils and a wide range of speciality aluminium laminates.

The 1300mm wide laminator runs at a maximum speed of 450 metres per minute producing 800 to 1,000 tonnes per month depending upon the product mix.

Shivshankar added, “What is unique about ACG Films & Foils is that we offer the widest range of barrier packaging in the world. We have PVC-based products on the one hand and cold-form foils on the other. There are 40 different variants of cold-form foils to offer depending on the degree of advancement of the product – child-resistant, senior-friendly, peel-push etc.”

ACG Group, comprising of four business units – ACG Capsules, ACG Films & Foils, ACG Engineering and ACG Inspection, specialises in pharma packaging. With the new investment, ACG claims to have become India’s first in-house complete packaging solution provider for oral solid dosage formulation for the healthcare sector. “The Shirwal facility can manufacture primary packaging material from basic raw material (resin) to the finished films and similarly from raw aluminium foil to the final laminate,” added Shivshankar.

Talking about changing packaging needs of pharma companies, Shivshankar said, “The demands for the pharmaceutical companies in terms of technological innovations are rising in the sense of better barrier properties; anti-counterfeiting solutions; and shorter lead times. The most significant challenge that we are addressing today is innovative solutions for dispensing the product.”

In order to meet specialised requirements of pharma companies, ACG’s innovation lab has developed advanced films such as Alukbliss, aluminium look-alike thermoformable PVC film and Brandshield anti-counterfeit film.

ACG manufactures over 38,000 tonnes of films and foils annually. Over the last decade, the company has been clocking a CAGR of 15%. Last year, ACG acquired Nova Nordeplast, a Brazilian company that makes films and foils so as to strengthen its position in the Latin America market.