I Holland showcases new tool coating for the first time at Interphex Japan

PharmaCote ECxtra eliminates problems encountered during the hard chromium coating process.

Alex Bunting, I Holland Marketing Manager said: “This is the first time we will be presenting PharmaCote ECxtra to the Japanese market. We are looking forward to receiving feedback from visitors to the show and explaining the benefits of this advanced coating. It is not only beneficial in production with many major issues like sticking being addressed, but unlike traditional hard chromium, the most commonly used tooling form, it is applied by an advanced spluttering method, rather than electro-plating. This means we can eliminate problems encountered during the hard chromium coating process like hydrogen penetration and micro-cracking both of which significantly reduce tooling life.

“Due to the technique in which PharmaCote ECxtra is applied, we also avoid the environmental problems associated with the plating process of hard chromium, which produces a waste product containing hexavalent chromium, and has significant implications to worker safety and on the environment.  PharmaCote ECxtra is beneficial not only to tooling life and the bottom line, but it is also a relatively ‘green’ product.”

Together with the new coating, I Holland will be presenting a number of other innovative products including IH-TMS, a Tool Management System that ensures the proactive monitoring of tool rotations, tooling inventory and maintenance. It also has the capability to archive tool images and drawings. The 21-CFR part 11 compliant system will also keep a complete audit trail and record of tablet quantities by number of tablets, work order or batch information. The IH-TMS is easy to use with a simple touch-screen interface that alerts the user if there is over compression, tooling replacements or scheduled maintenance required.