Overview
With the emergence of COVID-19 in early 2020, and the unparalleled surges that have been seen across the world, the need for medical processing equipment capable of combatting such numbers has rapidly increased. In answer to this need, Dynamic Automation and Robotics has carefully designed this system to deliver a finished customer product that is immediately ready for market.
Starting with bulk parts, this vial filling production line takes control of everything from beginning to end, including assembly, filling, labeling, and quality control inspection. Operator interaction is required only for replenishment, allowing a single operator to run several machines simultaneously, or perform other tasks in parallel. And with a rate of 50 parts per minute and greater than an hour of uninterrupted run time, product throughput is at its highest. Each machine is capable of producing over 20,000,000 vials per year.
From beginning to end.
To maximize speed, the Vial Filling Machine assumes control of all part orientation and begins the process with the empty vials. Once they have been loaded onto an electromechanical rotary indexer, they are then weighed using the first of 2 high precision Mettler-Toledo scales. From there they are filled using servo-controlled pumps that can be adjusted and recipe selected right from the HMI. The vials are then weighed again to verify correct fill volumes and capped using a Fanuc SR-Series SCARA robot. Proper torque is then applied using a SMAC moving coil actuator.
When it comes to labelling, the Vial Filling Machine is capable of both top-of-cap printing as well as applied sticker labelling around the outer diameter of the vial. All printed information is customer supplied and quality inspected using state-of-the-art Cognex machine vision systems.
More than just efficient.
Quality, efficiency, and safety are always our top priorities, but through continued development our experienced team has put together a system that also gives the customer a compact and user-friendly machine. Our standard design has a minimal footprint, giving greater flexibility to the layout of your production floor. This also allows for easy operator access to all internal areas of the machine, whether it be for cleaning, preventative maintenance, or calibration.
The use of centrifugal bowls and sound guarding keep noise levels to a minimum, and diagnostics and programming are all done through Ethernet IP communication.
Lastly, if requested, Dynamic can also incorporate a dedicated rework station that gives the ability to bypass the first steps of the process and manually add product to be retorqued or individually labeled.
What are the restrictions?
Dynamic’s Vial Filling Machine is universal for the industry. On its own it is already capable of handling multiple sizes and styles of vials, as well as fluctuating fill volumes and label information; and with minimal design changes, that range can be adopted for many more configurations. With our experience and expertise, and by partnering with our customers, we at Dynamic are confident that there is a version of this system that is just right for your specific vial filling needs.
