PA Cuthbert - Pacco

PA Cuthbert - Pacco PA Cuthbert supplies packaging & processing equipment, excipients, & colour dispersions for the pharmaceutical & nutraceutical industries.

We partner with top-tier global suppliers to deliver high-quality solutions. Trusted across South Africa. What began in 1946 as the first agency business in South Africa soon expanded into a specialized supplier of packaging and processing equipment to the industry, sourced from the UK, Europe, USA and Taiwan. Today we are fabricating stainless steel into world class processing equipment under th

e PACCO brand. Each piece of equipment is customized to suit the customers' needs. We provide documentation with our locally manufactured equipment including F.A.T, IQ, OQ and if required, PQ documentation. We are the specialist in film coating systems in Africa. We specialize in local manufacturing of film coating pans and have R&D facilities for coating trials using the UK based Colorcon coating systems.

When powder escapes control, consistency usually does too.Fine powders do not only create housekeeping problems. In phar...
29/05/2026

When powder escapes control, consistency usually does too.

Fine powders do not only create housekeeping problems. In pharmaceutical processing, they affect containment, operator safety, product loss, equipment cleanliness, and overall process stability. Once powder movement is no longer properly controlled, the impact is rarely limited to appearance alone.

Dust generation at transfer points, during feeding, or between stages can influence both the manufacturing environment and the reliability of the process itself. It can lead to unnecessary product loss, create challenges in maintaining hygienic conditions, and increase the difficulty of keeping operations stable from one batch to the next.

That is why dust control should be viewed as part of process control. Containment, extraction, material transfer design, and handling practices all play a role in protecting both the product and the people working around it.

In powder processing, control is not only about what moves through the system. It is also about what should not escape it.

Equipment performance does not usually fail overnight. More often, it drifts over time.In manufacturing, inconsistency i...
22/05/2026

Equipment performance does not usually fail overnight. More often, it drifts over time.

In manufacturing, inconsistency is often associated with obvious problems, breakdowns, stoppages, or equipment failure. But in many cases, performance changes begin much earlier and much more subtly. Small shifts caused by wear, missed calibration, reduced accuracy, or gradual component degradation can begin to affect output long before a major fault appears.

That is why preventive maintenance matters. It is not only about keeping equipment running. It is about protecting process stability, preserving repeatability, and identifying drift before it begins to influence product consistency in a meaningful way.

Routine inspection, calibration, wear monitoring, and timely intervention all contribute to stronger manufacturing control. Stable equipment supports stable output, and stable output is what reliable production depends on.

Preventive maintenance is not only a technical discipline. It is part of quality protection.

Production efficiency does not start when the machine starts.In pharmaceutical manufacturing, efficiency is often measur...
19/05/2026

Production efficiency does not start when the machine starts.

In pharmaceutical manufacturing, efficiency is often measured by throughput, output, or run speed. But one of the most overlooked contributors to overall performance is what happens between batches. Changeover time has a direct impact on line availability, production planning, labour use, and the ability to keep operations moving consistently.

A line that takes too long to reset between products or batches can quietly reduce productivity, even when the main equipment performs well during the run itself. Cleaning, inspection, verification, setup, and readiness all influence how quickly the next batch can begin, and how reliably it can begin without introducing unnecessary risk.

In regulated environments, changeovers are not only about speed. They are also about control. A well-managed reset process supports both compliance and operational efficiency.

Strong production performance depends on more than what happens during the batch. It also depends on how well the line is prepared for the next one.

In pharmaceutical manufacturing, the batch record tells the real production story.Documentation is often viewed as an ad...
19/05/2026

In pharmaceutical manufacturing, the batch record tells the real production story.

Documentation is often viewed as an administrative requirement sitting alongside the process. In reality, it forms part of the process itself. Batch records provide traceability, confirm what occurred during production, capture critical parameters, and create a reliable reference point for review, repeatability, and accountability.

When records are completed clearly and accurately, they support much more than compliance. They make it easier to investigate deviations, identify trends, strengthen consistency between runs, and improve decision-making over time. They also help ensure that process knowledge is retained rather than lost between operators, teams, or production cycles.

In regulated manufacturing, the value of documentation is not only in proving that something happened. It is in showing how it happened, when it happened, and whether it happened the way it was intended to.

Good batch records do not sit outside quality. They support it directly.

Good equipment design should support cleaning, not complicate it.In regulated manufacturing environments, cleanability i...
18/05/2026

Good equipment design should support cleaning, not complicate it.

In regulated manufacturing environments, cleanability is not a secondary consideration added after equipment selection. It is a practical requirement that affects hygiene, inspection, turnaround time, and overall process reliability. The easier a system is to clean and inspect properly, the easier it becomes to return it to service with confidence.

Design details matter. Surface finishes, access points, geometry, material contact areas, and the reduction of residue traps all influence how effectively a system can be cleaned. Where design is poor, cleaning becomes more difficult, inspection takes longer, and the risk of inconsistency increases. Where design is thoughtful, routine cleaning supports both compliance and productivity.

In pharmaceutical environments, hygienic design is closely connected to operational performance. Cleanability should not be treated as a maintenance issue or a procedural burden. It should be considered part of how equipment performs in daily use.

Good design supports the process long after installation.

04/05/2026

Fluid bed drying is about more than moisture removal. It is about control.

In pharmaceutical and powder processing, drying plays a direct role in how a product behaves in the next stage of production. Moisture levels, airflow, temperature consistency, and particle movement all influence whether a material will flow, blend, compress, or coat as expected.

A fluid bed dryer allows manufacturers to dry materials efficiently while maintaining closer control over process conditions. By suspending particles in a stream of controlled air, drying becomes more uniform and better suited to products that require consistency across the batch.

When drying is properly managed, it supports more than the immediate process step. It helps protect product quality, improves downstream performance, and contributes to more reliable manufacturing overall.

In processing, drying is not just a finishing stage. It is a performance variable.

Not every product behaves the way it is expected to once it enters real processing equipment.A formulation may look prom...
01/05/2026

Not every product behaves the way it is expected to once it enters real processing equipment.

A formulation may look promising on paper. A prototype may perform well in a controlled environment. But once that product is exposed to real manufacturing conditions, the process often reveals things that development alone cannot. Flow characteristics, moisture response, coating behaviour, particle changes, handling challenges, and equipment interaction all become clearer when the product is tested under actual process conditions.

That is why PACCO offers manufacturers the opportunity to test their product in its lab and testing facilities before making larger production decisions.

Whether the product is a powder, granule, blend, coated product, or another manufactured material, testing provides valuable insight into how it behaves during mixing, drying, milling, coating, or handling. It is not only about identifying problems. It is about reducing uncertainty, improving process understanding, and making better decisions before time and resources are committed at scale.

The earlier a product is properly tested, the easier it becomes to plan with confidence.

27/04/2026

The people behind the process matter just as much as the machines themselves.

Mandel Richards has been with PACCO for 10 years, working across multiple stages of the manufacturing process. From welding to cutting and drilling, he plays a role in assembling the machinery from start to finish.

That hands-on involvement gives him a strong understanding of how each machine comes together - and how it performs in real applications.

In this video, Mandel introduces the drum blender and shares insight into how it’s used within processing environments.

Building machinery isn’t just about the final product; it’s about the skill and attention behind every step.

Manufacturing performance is shaped not only by formulations, but by the equipment used to process them.Mixing systems, ...
24/04/2026

Manufacturing performance is shaped not only by formulations, but by the equipment used to process them.

Mixing systems, mills, coating equipment, and drying technologies each influence how materials move, interact, and transform during production.

Selecting the right processing equipment allows manufacturers to control particle behaviour, product uniformity, and production efficiency.

Engineering decisions at the equipment level often determine how successfully a process performs at scale.

Processing equipment traditionally used in pharmaceutical environments is increasingly applied to other product categori...
20/04/2026

Processing equipment traditionally used in pharmaceutical environments is increasingly applied to other product categories.

Products such as hand cleansers, creams, and specialty formulations require controlled blending, consistent texture, and stable material distribution.

Understanding how different materials behave during mixing or processing ensures product consistency and manufacturing efficiency.

Modern processing facilities must support a wide range of material types, from fine powders to viscous formulations.

Versatility in equipment and expertise enables manufacturers to adapt to changing markets.

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Modderfontein
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