Nexus Dx recognizes Robinson Printing as a certified supplier, plans for growth

Nexus Dx Inc., a subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., markets lateral-flow blood diagnostic kits for near-patient applications. The company is preparing for growth, with Samsung having forged a partnership last year with Thermo Fisher Scientific for international distribution, reports Spencer Baker, Operations Supervisor.

Helping support such growth is Robinson Printing Inc., which was recently awarded certified supplier status from Nexus Dx for providing instruction-for-use (IFU) booklets and cartons. Robinson Printing’s solutions along with its consistency in production have helped increase efficiency for Nexus Dx.

In order to qualify for Nexus Dx’s certified status, a supplier must achieve “100% inspection over six months, or six consecutive lots (whichever is greater),” reports Baker. “Robinson Printing has provided far greater than six conforming lots since the summer of 2012, with zero non-conformances.”

Robinson Printing’s SOPs, Quality Management System, ISO 9001 certification, and cGMP compliance have all contributed to such a recognition. “Robinson Printing is really thorough with its own inspections, and we’ve found everything to spec,” says Baker. “Given its certified supplier status, we don’t do any inspections internally. We are very confident in their ability and their history of no nonconformances, and we trust their due diligence.” According to Nexus Dx, this helps the company save production costs, enhance lean manufacturing practices, and expedite order fulfillment.

“We are honored to have received this prestigious ranking and take the trust invested in us very seriously,” says Dave Robinson, president of Robinson Printing, in a statement. “Robinson Printing’s talented employees are the secret to our commitment to excellence and they deserve major kudos for this recognition. Nexus Dx is a valued customer that provides important advanced diagnostics to patients and doctors and we are pleased to play a very small part in their supply chain process.” 

Nexus Dx packages its devices in unit-of-use foil pouches and packs them 10 to a carton. Robinson Printing provides the boxes and multiple-language IFU booklets. For the boxes, Baker was looking for a solution that would help save labor during assembly. “I wanted an autoclose bottom, which automatically closes with little effort,” says Baker.

The boxes are designed so that “when you square up the sides, the bottom forms automatically, easing the assembly process,” explains Lori Robinson, marketing coordinator for Robinson Printing.

Made from a sturdy 24-pt boxboard, the boxes “provide significant product protection without having to go with a corrugated stock,” she says.

The IFU is a relatively thick booklet, ranging from 80 to 108 pages, with six different languages. With so many pages required for the multiple languages, Robinson Printing suggested a very thin, 30# paper stock to Nexus Dx. “With the thinner paper, we’ve been able to reduce the overall weight and thickness of the booklet. It is common for us to use 40#, 30#, and even a very thin 27# paper for our customers’ IFU booklets, map-folds, and mini-folds. With significant content, these lighter weights allow for much more information and ensure less impact on the product it accompanies,” she adds. At the customer’s request, Robinson Printing will often provide samples of an IFU on varied paper thicknesses to show the difference a thinner paper can make in weight and volume, the company reports.

Because Nexus Dx stores its products under refrigeration, a few years ago the company noticed some rust developing on the booklets’ staples. Robinson Printing consulted its production and regulation team, and they suggested testing and validating a galvanized wire for stitching and stapling. This material passed all the internal moisture tests. “We suggested the change to Nexus Dx as a solution,” she says. “Now it is standard for all our booklet wiring.”

The two companies are now planning for growth. “We plan to grow, quickly,” Baker says. “We will ramp up in the future, and Robinson says it is ready to go whenever we are.”

Robinson Printing will be exhibiting November 4-5 at MD&M Minneapolis Booth #219 and December 2-3 at BioMedDevice Booth #932 in San Jose.