Ceepackaging

Profiles

The safety required by pharmaceutical packagers

Ecoflac plus plastic containers from B. Braun come in sizes of 100, 500 and 1,000 ml for processing. They can contain 48 different types of infusion solution. First a robot picks the containers from the sterilization racks and places them into pucks. The puck ensures safe and stable positioning of the containers during the entire transport process along the packaging line. The first station, the optical inspection, checks the infusion solution bottles for possible defects with a system of cameras. If necessary, containers which are not perfect are diverted. In the next step the containers are labelled. If the verification codes read on the containers, do not agree with the specifications for the superordinate production process control, the plant stops. Because of the password system which is installed, renewed start-up of the packaging line is only possible by authorized personnel. The labels are completed locally with data from the production process control unit using thermo-transfer printing. Once again, transport continues only after all tests have been completed and are positive.

There then follows the packaging robot with cardboard box erecting machine: The containers are fed in and brought into a formation of 2 x 5 products, inserted into the assembled cardboard box and examined for completeness by sensor technology. Furthermore, access protection between labelling and packaging prevents product mix-ups arising. In this way, only containers belonging to the current batch are packed.

The pre-printed instructions for use are then inserted into the opened cardboard boxes. And once again, the motto is safety first: A code printed on the package insert is examined for agreement with the products currently being packaged. Sensor technology then checks that the instructions for use are actually in the carton.

The special cardboard box design provides a dust-free and tamper-proof closure, as the carton can only be opened destructively. A label is also applied to the cardboard box - in the same manner as previously for the containers, including the control procedures. Subsequently, the cardboard box is fed to be palletized. The robot system applies cold glue to the cardboard box to secure the load. The adhesive strength starts to set in after approx. 15 minutes and lasts for approx. 24 hours. Afterwards, the cartons can be easily separated from each other again for commissioning.

The pallets wound with stretch film are kept temporarily in intermediate storage at the B. Braun goods distribution centre in Melsungen until they are commissioned. Each pallet is given a transportation unit label as identification, which is issued locally by a thermal printer with data from the main computer system for automatic allocation in the high-bay racking warehouse. Once again, a check is also used here to ensure that a label is actually correctly attached to the pallet.

Automatically guided to the exact destination IPS has linked the complex, automated packaging processes at B. Braun to an automatically guided transportation system and has hence introduced a further rationalization. This system supplies the plant with packaging materials and disposes waste and/or surpluses: it supplies labels to the container labelling station, labels for the cardboard boxes and for the pallets. Apart from this, the plant is supplied with flattened cardboard boxes, Euro pallets, stretch film and cold glue. Finally, the automatic transport system also ensures that the finished pallets are conveyed to the goods distribution centre.