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Flower Type Flip Off Seal: The Petalled FlipTop® Optima Design

Flower Type Flip Off Seal | FlipTop® Optima | Autofits

The flower type flip off seal is the petalled top design in the FlipTop® Optima range: an AA8011 aluminium shell crimped over the rubber stopper, with the aluminium around the polypropylene button formed into a petalled, flower-shaped pattern. It opens like every flip-off seal, flip the button up to expose a central injection point, but the petalled top gives the closure a distinct look and feel that differentiates it from the bridge and button designs on the same line or shelf.

This page gives packaging engineers, formulators and sourcing managers the design explanation, how it differs from the other Optima designs, the sizes and controlled dimensions, materials, quality position, applications and ordering. For the full range, see the FlipTop® Optima product page.

Key takeaways

  • The flower type is the petalled top variant in the FlipTop® Optima design set: the aluminium around the button is formed into a flower-shaped, petalled pattern.
  • It opens as a standard flip-off: flip the button, expose the central injection point, the aluminium stays crimped and seal integrity is preserved.
  • Offered across the Optima size range: 13, 20, 28, 32 and 34 mm, matched to vial necks per ISO 8362-1.
  • Maximum opening force: 30 N (13 mm), 35 N (20 and 28 mm), 65 N (32 mm); the 34 mm value is available on request.
  • Materials: AA8011 aluminium with epoxy lacquer and a polypropylene button moulded in-house on Toyo machines.
  • Made under ISO 15378, ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 with a Drug Master File, assembled in an ISO Class 8 cleanroom, 100% camera inspected.

What is a flower type flip off seal?

The flower type is a flip-off seal whose top is formed into a petalled, flower-shaped pattern around the button, instead of the plain disc-and-bridges top of the standard bridge design. Underneath, the construction is the same proven Optima aluminium-plastic combination: a deep-drawn aluminium shell crimps under the vial neck flange to compress the rubber stopper against the glass, and the moulded polypropylene button is flipped up at point of use to expose a small central area of the stopper for the needle. The crimped aluminium stays in place throughout, so the sterile barrier is untouched until the needle enters. The general flip-off action is described on the flip-off seal glossary page.

The petalled top is primarily a visual and tactile differentiator. Products that share a line, a tray or a pharmacy shelf are easier to tell apart when the closure shape itself differs, not just the colour; combining the flower top with colour coding gives two independent visual cues. The flower profile also appears elsewhere in the wider FlipTop range, for example on the 32 mm Pull Ring, so a flower-topped presentation can be kept consistent across different opening mechanisms in the same product family.

How it differs from the other Optima designs

The Optima top comes in four design variants, all on the same aluminium-plastic construction:

  • Flower type (this page): the petalled, flower-shaped top around the button.
  • Bridge type with groove: the standard tapered-bridge flip-off top with a groove feature that aids a clean crimp and clean button release.
  • Bridge type without groove: the same tapered-bridge top in the plain crown profile.
  • Button type: carries intrinsic tamper evidence, with a 12-stem flower formed under the button disc so the opened state is visibly distinct.

Note the naming: the flower type’s petalled pattern is the visible top shape, while the button type’s “12-stem flower” is a tamper-evidence feature hidden under the button disc until opening. If your requirement is intrinsic tamper evidence rather than a differentiated look, specify the button type.

Sizes and specifications

The flower type follows the controlled Optima dimensions for each neck size, taken from the Autofits engineering drawings. Opening force varies with the number of bridges in the design.

Size Inner Ø alu seal (D1, mm) Outer Ø disc (D2, mm) Total seal height (mm) Alu thickness (mm) Max opening force (N) Standard packing (per box)
13 mm 13.36 (min) 14.99 (max) 7.62–8.38 0.16–0.20 30 15,000 (5,000 × 3 bags)
20 mm 20.22 (min) 23.14 (max) 9.02–9.91 0.16–0.20 35 6,000 (2,000 × 2)
28 mm 27.60–28.20 30.10–31.10 11.06–12.06 0.17–0.23 35 3,000 (1,500 × 2)
32 mm 32.10–32.90 35.50–36.50 14.30–15.50 0.21–0.25 65 1,400 (700 × 2)
34 mm 33.60–34.00 35.50–36.50 15.00–16.00 0.20–0.25 available on request available on request

The standard shipper box is 420 × 270 × 320 mm; Tyvek bagging is available as an alternative to standard polybag packing. Disc height and inner aluminium height for 13 mm are 2.90–3.30 mm and 6.15–6.40 mm; for 20 mm, 3.20–3.60 mm and 7.37–7.62 mm; for 28 mm, inner aluminium height is 8.70–9.30 mm. Remaining per-size heights, and petal geometry for the flower top, are confirmed on the engineering drawing for your size at ordering. Per-size detail pages: 13mm, 20mm, 28mm, 32mm and 34mm.

Finishes are glossy, matte, embossed or printed, in a wide range of colours, matte or glossy, customised to requirement. Colour coding options are covered on the colours page.

Materials and quality

The shell is AA8011 aluminium alloy (EN 15088:2005, EN 10204 3.1 certification, tested to BS EN 485-2:2008; REACH and RoHS compliant) with an epoxy lacquer coating to 21 CFR 175.300, which may be pigmented for colour. The button is polypropylene to IS 10910 / IS 10909 and FDA 21 CFR 177.1520, moulded in-house on Japanese Toyo injection-moulding machines. Heavy metals (chrome-VI, cadmium, mercury, lead) are held to a maximum 100 ppm total, and components are BSE/TSE-free per EMEA/410/01 rev. 3.

Components are washed on a fully automated line to control particulates, assembled in an ISO Class 8 cleanroom, and every seal passes 100% high-speed camera inspection before packing. Production runs under ISO 15378:2017 GMP with ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015 certification, a Drug Master File (DMF 18100) and CFDA registration, at the Autofits Packaging Pvt. Ltd. 75,000 sq ft facility in Nashik, India. The design follows ISO 8362-6 for aluminium-plastics combination caps; the quality system is described under ISO 15378. AQL: critical nil, major not more than 2.5%, minor not more than 4%, tailorable to customer specification.

Applications

The flower type suits injectable and parenteral vials where the closure needs to look and feel different from neighbouring products: multi-product lines, branded generics, and presentations where the petalled top plus colour coding gives two visual cues against selection errors. It covers the same duty as the other Optima designs across liquid and lyophilised products, from 13 mm up to the 32 and 34 mm larger-volume formats, including vaccines and biologics. For a matching flower-topped closure where the whole seal must come off, see the 32 mm option on the Pull Ring page. Browse comparable closures on the by-size index.

Forms of supply and ordering

The flower type ships Regular (non-sterile), Ready-to-Use (RTU: assembled in the ISO Class 8 cleanroom, double-lacquered aluminium, washed to control particulates, then gamma irradiated or ETO sterilized, supplied double-bagged for aseptic areas) and Ready-to-Sterilize (RTS). Shelf life is 3.5 years before capping for non-irradiated seals (plus 5 years after capping) and 2 years before capping for RTU.

To order, contact Autofits with your size, the flower design, finish, colour reference and required form of supply. Minimum order quantities and lead times are available on request.

Frequently asked questions

What is a flower type flip off seal?

It is the petalled top design in the FlipTop® Optima range: the aluminium around the polypropylene button is formed into a flower-shaped pattern. It opens as a standard flip-off, flip the button to expose the central injection point, while the aluminium stays crimped on the vial.

Is the flower type the same as the button type’s “12-stem flower”?

No. The flower type’s petalled pattern is the visible shape of the seal top. The button type’s 12-stem flower is a tamper-evidence feature formed under the button disc, visible once the seal is opened. They are different design variants in the same Optima range.

Why choose a flower type over a standard bridge type?

Differentiation. The petalled top makes the closure distinguishable by shape as well as colour, which helps on multi-product lines and shelves where similar vials sit side by side. Mechanically it serves the same flip-off duty as the bridge type.

What sizes does the flower type come in?

It is offered across the Optima range: 13, 20, 28, 32 and 34 mm neck sizes, matched to the vial finish and stopper of the same nominal diameter. Vial necks follow ISO 8362-1.

What is the opening force of the flower type?

Maximum opening force follows the Optima size: 30 N for 13 mm, 35 N for 20 mm and 28 mm, and 65 N for 32 mm; force varies with the number of bridges in the design. The 34 mm value is available on request.

Is the flower type available sterilized?

Yes. It is offered Ready-to-Use, sterilized by gamma irradiation or ETO and supplied double-bagged for aseptic filling, as well as Ready-to-Sterilize and Regular. RTU seals are washed and assembled in an ISO Class 8 cleanroom.

Related reading

Sources

  • Autofits FlipTop Seals dossier and engineering drawings (working/spec-sheets/)
  • ISO: ISO 8362-6:2010, Caps made of aluminium-plastics combinations for injection vials (https://www.iso.org/standard/45641.html)

*Last updated: 2026-07-06. This page is general technical and product information, not regulatory or compliance advice; confirm current standard editions and your own specification with Autofits and the issuing bodies.*

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