News

HP has launched a new form of secure packaging for the pharmaceutical industry that uses the variable data printing (VDP) capabilities of its Indigo digital presses.

The technology has been designed to help pharmaceutical groups trace and authenticate their packaged products across the supply chain by using security and authentication firm Prooftag's Bubble Tag technology.

The VDP technology can be used in conjunction with HP's WS4500 and WS6000 Indigo digital presses to print unique, verifiable labels and packaging, which can include information such as batch numbers and bar codes.

The Prooftag Bubble Tag is formed using chaotic self-generation of bubbles within a transparent polymer.

HP clams that no technology on the market is able to reproduce - and hence counterfeit - the identity bubbles, as it is "impossible to generate vacuums with identical shapes, sizes and positions within a solidified material".

Each of the bubbles is recorded in an independent reference database and a certificate of authenticity is then created. The certificates are accessible and controllable by anyone authorised to monitor product authenticity.

François Martin, marketing director of graphic solutions at HP, said: "The need for secure packaging has increased in the past few years and will continue to grow.

"At HP, we were able to collaborate with Prooftag to provide a unique and comprehensive solution, combining highly-effective traceability options using VDP on HP Indigo digital presses wtih authentication technology from Prooftag."

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