Glass vials need to stay upright and separated between the filling line and the point of use, and a carton alone cannot do that. A custom vial carton pairs reverse tuck end construction with a die-cut paperboard platform insert that locates each vial in its own cell, so no vial rests on another vial or on the carton wall.
The platform is cut from a board in the same family as the carton body and sits on the carton's own scores without adhesive, which keeps glue away from the vial zone. The carton body runs on Solid Bleached Sulfate 16-18 pt; the platform runs at 300 gsm and above so the cells hold their shape when a vial is pushed in.
Hole diameter, hole pitch and vial height come from your vial drawing, and the platform sits below the crimp so the closure is not loaded. Single-vial and multi-vial formats use the same construction with a different platform cut, and the insert ships as a separate flat part so the two components can be stocked apart.
- Vials stay separated in transit, because each vial sits in its own die-cut cell and the platform sits on the carton's own scores without adhesive.
- No glue line next to the glass, because the platform is friction-located rather than bonded into the carton.
- Print version control and change notification: every artwork revision is version-locked and released against a signed proof, so a superseded print cannot reach your line.
- Batch traceability with retained samples: each lot is recorded against its board reel and print run, and a retained sample is held so any question can be resolved against the actual production piece.
- Written quality agreement and open audit: we sign the quality agreement and open the production floor to your audit team, including artwork, printing and packing areas.
- 2R to 30R glass vials for injectable medicine products
- Lyophilized powder and diluent vial pairs
- Multi-vial hospital packs and floor stock cartons
- Biologic and biosimilar vials requiring cold-chain handling
- Stability and physician sample vials
Is the platform insert glued into the carton?
No. The platform is die-cut and friction-fit against the carton walls. It is supplied as a separate flat part and placed before vial loading, so there is no adhesive in the vial zone.
Can one platform hold vials of two different diameters?
Yes. Hole diameters are cut per position on the same platform drawing, which is how diluent and vials of different sizes share one carton. Hole pitch is set by the carton footprint, not by the vial size.
Is a folding carton treated as primary packaging if it touches the vial directly?
Where a carton's inner surface comes into direct contact with the medicine product, that SKU is treated as primary packaging and specified accordingly. The determining factor is direct contact, not the substrate.
How is crimp and stopper height accommodated?
Vial height is taken from your vial drawing including crimp and stopper, and the platform sits below the crimp so the closure carries no load. A height change is a platform die change, not a carton change.
How do you prevent a superseded artwork version from being printed on our next run?
Artwork is version-locked at release. Every revision is registered against a version number and released against a signed proof, and the superseded plate is withdrawn from the press area, so the file on our system and the file on your line carry the same version. A written change notification is issued before the next run starts.
What happens if a defect is found after our lot has shipped?
Your lot number resolves to the board reel and print run that produced it, and a retained sample from that lot is held on file. We pull the retained sample and the inspection record for the batch, compare them against the signed proof, and report what the production piece actually looked like.
