Specialist UK-based carton and leaflet manufacturer and contract packer Chester Medical Solutions has installed the first digital carton printer for Braille in the UK.

The £150,000 investment allows the printing of Braille dots onto a carton without the need for special tooling, which makes it suitable for short runs and digitally printed cartons.

The system uses a polymer ‘drop on demand’ nozzle to apply the Braille, which is then UV cured. After application, a vision verification system checks each carton for dot presence, height and circumference, and translates the Braille into human readable text for operators to check.

The company says print quality and resolution are excellent and the height of the dot meets all international requirements. Equally important, adherence of the dots to the carton is excellent and transit trials carried out by Smithers Pira have confirmed the robustness of the Braille.

The Braille typeface used is Marburg Medium, which is recommended by relevant European and North American standards for pharmaceutical packaging.

Chester Medical has installed the printer in its PS9000 certified digital production suite at its carton and leaflet manufacturing facility in Deeside, Flintshire.

Chester Medical’s Managing Director David Patterson said: "This major innovation places us at the forefront of digital carton manufacture for pharmaceutical applications. It provides the final link in the production chain and further enhances our ability to offer a fast response and flexible service in the creation of packs that meet all international standards."