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News Release from: Artwork Systems | Subject: PA:CT certified PDF system
Edited by the Printingtalk Editorial
Team on 13 April 2007
PDF System Ensures Security For Pharma
Pack Firm
Two years after Artwork Systems launched its certified PDF system for packaging - PA:CT - its benefits have been consistently gathered by Alliance Copapharm Europe SCRL.
Alliance Copapharm Europe SCRL implemented PA:CT ascross its member companies in Europe following successful initial trials at August Faller in Waldkirch with a limited number of customers From that initial introduction PA:CT has been gradually adopted by other companies in the printed packaging, including designers, pre-press houses, printers, packaging companies, manufacturers and retailers
This article was originally published on Printingtalk on 25 Apr 2005 at 8.00am (UK)
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Artwork Systems said that today PA:CT is used in sectors ranging from pharmaceutical and food packaging to fast rotating consumer goods.
Most of the companies in the Copapharm alliance have now implemented PA:CT.
Copapharm's members include August Faller in Germany, Icesa, Pans and Cartonplex in Spain, Packart and Rotanotice in France, Palladio/Zannini in Italy, Storey Evans in the UK and Goldprint in Belgium.
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Sylvia Wieloch, marketing and sales coordinator at Copapharm Europe in Brussels (Belgium) explained: "With the implementation of PA:CT at Copapharm Europe we aim to meet several key requirements in the pharmaceutical pre-press packaging workflow.
These include providing security with a a secure data process and traceability of all processes in the workflow.
The use of extended pre-flighting enables us to achieve greater quality assurance and the increased level of automation possible with PA:CT reduces errors.
Of course, cost-effectiveness is also an important requirement." She added: "We want to have this technology in all our European production sites to provide the best service to our customers, who include leading names within the pharmaceutical industry." The feature that now exists in Copapharm's pre-press workflow is the facility for complete traceability of work.
Certified PDF technology is used in many different workflows from a variety of vendors but only with Artwork Systems' Artpro and Nexus applications, in combination with PA:CT, is complete traceability possible.
It is the ability to have total traceability that has attracted the attention of so many companies involved in producing packaging for the pharmaceutical industry, added Artwork Systems.
The company added that for the chain to work the creator of the artwork needs to have Enfocus Pitstop and Instant PDF software, whilst the packaging printer will require PA:CT.
Both will need trained personnel and clearly defined processes in each element of the production cycle to create a workflow with complete security and traceability.
PDFs created in that way, which have been certified and pre-flighted with an agreed standard profile, will guarantee the quality required for printing and generate a 'print-ready' file.
A free Artwork Systems plug-in called Statuscheck is all that is required to confirm if a PDF can be used for production.
From the creation process through the validation phase by the brand owner, to the pre-press and printing stage, every action is logged in a complete audit trail, said Artwork Systems.
All the information that is required by the brand owner to ensure a secure and safe production process is readily available, such as date and timestamps, an overview of each action, job information, comments, hardware data and a quality report.
Artwork Systems claimed that facility is unique and it is important in the pharmaceutical industry.
In the general packaging sector the losses encountered because of errors, in terms of cost, materials and time, is phenomenal.
Opportunities are missed because products cannot be provided to the market when required and the strain on loyalty can be immense, particularly when mistakes lead to disputes over who pays for corrections.
Reprinting work in different countries and languages accounts for around 60 per cent of all packaging jobs, said Artwork Systems.
However, ensuring that the correct images, for instance, are used is a major headache, particularly when the job incorporates languages that of which the pre-press operators have no knowledge.
By the end of 2006 Artwork Systems had helped the implementation of PA:CT at customer sites across Europe in a range of packaging sectors.
The company said it has been involved with people at every stage in the production chain, from the designer to the brand owner, because everyone in that cycle has to understand the process and agree to it for PA:CT to succeed.
Thomas Wahl, who is a pre-press specialist at August Faller and who attended the launch of PA:CT two years ago was sufficiently convinced by the concept to push for a trial, which he has been instrumental in overseeing.
Wahl commented: "PA:CT has broken down the boundaries between design and production and created a controlled and consistent workflow.
We are now able to optimise and secure the entire pre-press process for us, our suppliers and the brand owners.
According to our customers, who include the largest pharmaceutical brand owners in the world, this enhanced security and traceability aspect is key to the relationship and the choice of Copapharm as a preferred supplier.
This choice becomes even more important in an industry where errors could have life or death consequences.".
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