Robotic solutions for pharma packaging

THE INHERANT risk of human error, potential contamination and the demands of regulatory compliance place considerable pressure on packaging operations. Moreover, manual processes often struggle to maintain the precision, speed and consistency required to meet market demands.

To address the shortcomings of manual packaging in these sectors, Questt, a South American partner of global robotics supplier TM Robotics, has developed a market-first automated solution. Driven by the need for smarter, faster and more accurate vial packaging, Questt designed its QPack-1 robotic packaging machine as a complete solution.

Turnkey system

Questt’s QPack-1 machine uses both six and four-axis industrial robots to package vials using continuous movement and automatic feeding. This monobloc turnkey machine system integrates two robots in a single unit, each performing distinct tasks, and the machine has a small footprint, allowing it to be integrated even into smaller spaces.

Operators can program the machine to package a predefined number of vials into a custom thermoformed transparent plastic box. The first robot positions the box in the workspace, while the second transfers vials from the production line using a vacuum attachment to fill it. The first robot can insert a brochure before the box is closed and it moves to the next stage of the production line.

TM Robotics supplies the two robots used in the machine. Both are from Japanese robot manufacturer, Shibaura Machine, formerly known as Toshiba Machine. The first, a TVL700 six-axis robot, is lightweight and vertically articulated. With a reach of 700mm and a 4 kg payload, it offers exceptional versatility. In the Questt monobloc packaging machine, its speed and accuracy enable efficient box loading and unloading in the workspace. The second robot, a THL400 SCARA robot, has an arm length of 400mm and a payload capacity of up to 5 kg.

The Questt QPack-1 packaging machine addresses one of the most pressing drawbacks of the manual packaging processes – inconsistent and inefficient throughput. The machine was found to be able to package up to 7,200 vials in an hour. When the same process was carried out manually, workers packaged around 2000 vials in an average working day.

User-friendly interface

The QPack-1 also uses cutting-edge pneumatics from Festo and a highly intuitive Siemens programmable logic controller (PLC) to oversee packaging operations. It offers a user-friendly interface and touchscreen capability, enabling easy process adjustments and real-time performance monitoring. The PLC's simplicity streamlines programming, requiring minimal experience to operate the system. This is coupled with the machine's relatively straightforward installation and setup.

Equipped with sensors and cameras, the Siemens system identifies missing or misplaced products, or faults in the industrial robots. Upon recognising a fault, the system issues a warning and halts production until the operator addresses the issue with minimal downtime or further impact on production.

Production processes in life sciences, pharmaceuticals and veterinary manufacturing are also subject to stringent regulatory frameworks to ensure safety, efficacy and quality of all products. The QPack-1 is CE-certified, and additional validation can be conducted to meet required medical industry standards, including Installation Qualification (IQ), Operational Qualification (OQ) and Performance Qualification (PQ), ensuring that the machine operates as intended.

The limitations of manual packaging in the life sciences industries are evident, but the Questt QPack-1 robotic packaging machine effectively addresses the inefficiencies and inconsistencies associated with manual packaging.

www.tmrobotics.com