Growth in demand for syringes requires a faster production process.
Demand for pharma packaging products vastly increased following the COVID crisis, requiring an accelerated production process. This includes faster inspection and packing without negatively impact on quality, a factor of great importance for SCHOTT POONAWALLA, a leading manufacturer of premium pharmaceutical containers made of neutral glass tubing such as vials, syringes, ampoules, and cartridges.
Since the beginning of vaccine rollout for the epidemic, SCHOTT POONAWALLA has provided pharmaceutical glass for primary packaging to fill billions of COVID vaccines worldwide. The Indian pharmaceutical packaging market of 2017 reached €1.76 billion and is expected to rise to €3 billion by the end of 2023. As a provider of high-quality pharma products for manufacturers, the company prepared its facilities for the increase in vaccine sales that was expected to triple last year.
To stay ahead of the anticipated growth in demand, SCHOTT POONAWALLA implemented a fully automated GMP-compliant production line along with a clean and hygienic environment at its plant in Umarsadi, Gujarat for the inspection and packing of pre-filled nested syringes. After comparing the speed of manual inspection and packing to an automated process, SCHOTT POONAWALLA decided to make its Umarsadi plant fully automated.
One step in a six-point process that yields two tubs per minute: Six-axis robots carry out the delicate task of nesting the syringes with high speed and precision.
Implementing Stäubli Robotics cuts time of inspections and packing time in half Stäubli Robotics contributed to the production line by doubling the speed of inspections and packing at SCHOTT POONAWALLA’s Umarsadi plant. Manual production at the plant equated to the speed of one tub per minute; with Stäubli Robotics automation, it is done with a speed of two tubs per minute. Three types of cleanroom robot models are used to pre-fill syringes and ampoules. Stäubli Robotics Suite lessens programming time as well as modification time in offline activity.
First, SCARA robots pick and place syringes from a conveyor. Next, 6-axis robots perform nesting of the syringes. Afterward, the robots handle and inspect the syringe nest, then place QC-approved nests into the tub. This is followed by packing the nest and tub by placing inner and outer Tyvek on the tub. Lastly, the robots perform heat-sealing on the tub and bag the products.
The surface of these robots has a special coating, and the entire structure is fully sealed. Therefore, they can be cleaned with IPA, an agent for disinfecting the equipment used in the cell, normally 70% diluted. Alcohol is used as a medium of disinfecting the cell; the diluted alcohol also coagulates proteins, but at a slower rate, so that it penetrates all the way through the cell before coagulation can block it. Then the entire cell is coagulated, and the organism dies.
Following a six-point process, the robots provide clean and consistent performance of packaging and inspection of pre-filled syringes, maintaining the quality of the products. SCHOTT POONAWALLA concluded that the Stäubli robots provided consistent day-to-day, batch-to-batch production with a clean and hygienic operation. The fully automated setup with the robots also offers the company the flexibility to produce new variants.
SCHOTT POONAWALLA ensures each batch is processed identically, delivering reliable and reproducible results. By using the Stäubli TX2 and TS2 robots, SCHOTT POONAWALLA achieves great speed and repeatability. The company finds great use for automation to meet the volume of production demanded without compromising quality, as the compact robots comply with hygienic requirements.
Robots handle and inspect syringe nests, placing QC-approved nests into a tub, nearing completion of the packaging process cycle. End user safety is assured.
Stäubli enhances patient safety while performing twice as fast as manual workers The SCHOTT POONAWALLA Umarsadi Gujarat plant began by implementing manually performed inspection and packing processes. The task was completed at a speed of one tub per minute. When the company tested an automated process using robots, the task was finished at a speed of two tubs per minute. This shows a 50% time reduction.
The company’s reputation for quality-focused products, implementing the latest technologies, has made it one of the first in the world to introduce new products like nested sterile syringes and cartridges, over and above its existing portfolio of sterile nested syringes. With quality as the central point for SCHOTT, the integration of an automated process needed to meet demanding standards to ensure end-user safety. The robots fit GMP standards and contribute to a clean and hygienic environment, the number one reason SCHOTT chose Stäubli. In addition to this, the flexibility offered by the robots to produce new variants of vials, ampoules and pre-filled syringes allows SCHOTT POONAWALLA to meet the changing demands of its customers.
Overall, the robots provide a clean and consistent performance of packaging and inspection of syringes, maintaining the quality of the products and speeding up the process. This allows SCHOTT to remain committed to international quality standards, quality assurance methods, and fully automated inspection systems.
Be sure to attend this free webinar, October 20, 2022, 12 noon Eastern Time.
What: Richard Aboulafia examines the current aerospace market and what to expect as we head into 2023.
When: Oct 20, 2022 12:00 PM in Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Topics: “Supply constraints versus strong market demand, single-aisle jetliner strength and twin-aisle weakness, and the risk of defense crowding out commercial. Plenty to talk about, really!” – Richard Aboulafia
Presenter: Richard Aboulafia, Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society, is Managing Director, AeroDynamic Advisory, of Ann Arbor Michigan.
Mr. Aboulafia is a widely respected aviation industry expert and contributor to Aerospace Manufacturing and Design’s annual forecast issue. He manages consulting projects in the commercial and military aircraft field and analyzes broader defense and aerospace trends.
He's advised numerous aerospace companies, including most prime and many second- and third-tier contractors in the U.S., Europe, and Asia. He also advises numerous financial institutions on aerospace market conditions.
Frequently cited as an aviation industry authority by trade and news publications, Richard has appeared on numerous television news and radio programs including ABC, BBC, Bloomberg, Reuters, CBS, CNN, NBC, NPR, and PBS.
Motion plastics from igus with intuitive software from Commonplace Robotics deliver simple solutions in automation.
The motion plastics specialist igus is expanding through investments in its Low-Cost Automation and has now acquired the majority shares in Commonplace Robotics based in Bissendorf near Osnabrück. As an integrator, Commonplace Robotics specializes in intuitive control systems and software and power electronics for robotics, both in industry and in education. The two companies have been cooperating intensively for six years. They have, among other things, developed the igus Robot Control, which supplements igus' low-cost kinematics made from high-performance plastics.
Dr. Christian Meyer, who worked at the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Engineering and Automation at that time, founded the company Commonplace Robotics 11 years ago. The name says it all. Make the integration and operation of robots so cost-effective and easy that they become "commonplace" – meaning they can be used anywhere. The first products with a control system and proprietary power electronics were robots for teaching.
Meyer approached igus in 2016 because he found that igus robotic kinematics matched his vision of "commonplace" – cost-effective, simple, and suitable for the industry. Since then, the two companies have jointly developed products such as the iRC igus Robot Control, an actuator, and the ReBeL cobot. New developments can be quickly implemented thanks to the high level of vertical integration of Commonplace Robotics – from firmware and software to switch cabinet construction and circuit board assembly.
With this acquisition, Commonplace Robotics and igus are combining their innovative strengths.
"We are looking forward to exciting technological projects with igus. The RBTX platform for low-cost robotics, operated by igus, brings new requirements from customers from all areas of the industry to our laboratories every day," Meyer states. "Much of this can be implemented quickly, especially as we expand with this investment."
The latest product of the collaboration is the ReBeL cobot for €4,970, including the control system. The actuator, also available as an individual component, combines igus' plastic know-how in the gearbox with the power electronics and software from Commonplace Robotics. With six axes, the ReBeL can handle a payload of up to 2kg with a range of 664mm with a net weight of 8.2kg.
The £1.1M will advance the team's cutting-edge technology towards commercialization.
Transdermal Diagnostics, a University of Bath spinout company developing technology to monitor glucose levels non-invasively, has received £800,000 in seed funding and a £300,000 grant from Innovate UK.
The researchers have invented a wearable patch that allows people with diabetes to painlessly monitor their blood glucose levels. The £1.1M will advance the team's cutting-edge technology towards commercialization.
The technology promises to enable people living with diabetes to significantly slow down, or even prevent, the progression of the disease by monitoring blood glucose levels around the clock in a completely painless manner. The patch will sample glucose through the skin and will eliminate the need for the poorly tolerated finger-prick blood test. Readings will be transmitted wirelessly to a mobile phone.
In March this year, the researchers – led by by Dr Adelina Ilie, Dr Luca Lipani, and Professor Richard Guy from the Departments of Physics and Life Sciences at the University of Bath – established the spinout company that will continue to develop the patch.
Funding Following the award of an Innovate UK grant of £300K at its inception, Transdermal Diagnostics has closed a pre-seed investment round of nearly £800,000.
The funding round was led by QUBIS, which specializes in innovation focused spin-out companies, and includes Pioneer Group, Immetric, Bristol Private Equity Club, and Science Angel Syndicate.
Dr Ilie, chief scientific officer and director at Transdermal Diagnostics, says: “Our wearable, affordable patch will appeal particularly to people living with Type-2 diabetes and those considered to be pre-diabetic. It has great market potential because no such technology currently exists on the market.”
She adds: “Developing the patch needed a truly interdisciplinary approach, and it was only made possible by the latest advances across multiple fields, such as advanced nanomaterials, nano- and bio-technology, and machine learning-driven data analysis. Scalable methods able to deliver a device like ours on a flexible platform were also essential.”
Dr Lipani, CEO and director of the company, says: “Our technology equips users with the knowledge to manage and make informed decisions about their health, and we’re delighted to have achieved the milestones of spinning-out the company and acquiring the investment needed to move the technology forward.
“We have a great team and I’m confident we will be able to make a tremendous impact on chronic disease management, particularly for those individuals living with diabetes desperate to get rid of those painful finger-pricks for blood sugar monitoring.
Company director Professor Richard Guy says: “The spin-out of Transdermal Diagnostics provides the impetus to develop a revolutionary, affordable and needle-free glucose monitoring technology to inhibit or even arrest the progression of diabetes, enabling those living with the disease to safely and effectively manage and control their blood sugar levels.”
Patented technology The patented patch technology – first reported in Nature Nanotechnology in 2018 – uses a unique multiplex architecture to sample, via preferential pathways, the fluid that nurtures the living cells of the skin. This fluid contains glucose at a level that is very similar to that found in the blood. The approach enables the amount of glucose sampled to be detected and quantified non-invasively, without puncturing the skin, thereby avoiding any need for a blood sample.
The process of spinning out the new company was catalyzed by the research team’s involvement in the Innovate UK Innovation to Commercialisation of University Research (ICURe) Discovery program delivered by North by North West partners.
ICURe allowed the company’s founders to determine market validity and the commercial potential of their glucose-monitoring technology. As a result, Transdermal Diagnostics was awarded an Innovate UK grant of £300K. The company has also received valuable input via the SETsquared Scale-Up Programme.
Transdermal’s path through the ICURe program was supported by business advisor and now company non-executive director, Dr Ben Miles, who is the CEO and founder of Spin Up Science.
Drs Jenni Rogers and Phil Brown of the University’s Research & Innovation Services, which supported the creation of Transdermal Diagnostics. Dr Rogers says: “We’re delighted to see Transdermal Diagnostics spin out from the university. The technology has great potential to benefit people with diabetes, in particular, and we look forward to seeing its commercial realization.”
At Chicago Tech Days, DMG MORI presented its portfolio of automated and digitized manufacturing solutions for competitive production.
Automation, digitization, and advanced technology integration were highlights at the DMG MORI USA Chicago Technology Days in Hoffman Estate, Illinois. At their in-house event, DMG MORI used 21,000ft2/2,000sqm of the showroom to showcase 23 high – tech machines live during the event, thereof 3 premiere machines and a premiere automation solution. More than 1,350 visitors from more than 730 companies came out to Hoffman Estates to visit the latest technologies and innovations at Chicago Technology Days, which was more than three times the amount expected. With this event overlapping with IMTS in Chicago this year, the demand for this local event came from DMG MORI USA’s customer base, wanting more one-on-one time with DMG MORI’s industry experts than other events allow.
Several machines on display were automated with innovative workpiece or pallet handling as well as collaborative robots. In addition to the well-known Rotary Pallet System, DMG MORI showcased the premiere automation MATRIS Light as a highlight on the universal lathe NLX 2500/700. With the collaborative robot MATRIS Light, DMG MORI offers a highly flexible automation solution for the efficient variable-mix and variable-volume production, which is quickly deployed when needed, and equally quick to remove when not in use.
The US premiere of the NTX 500 was another major highlight at the event, with the integrated robot IMTR – In Machine Traveling Robot. The NTX 500 is the most compact model among the NTX series for highly productive 6-sided complete machining of complex workpieces, which makes this machine fill a niche specifically for the medical industry perfectly.
Another innovation on display was the non-contact on-machine measuring system, which automatically enables to measure workpieces in machine tools with its cutting-edge sensing technology, by using a non-contact type laser scanner from NIKON. The integration of DMG MORI’s sensing technology and NIKON’s measurement technology leads to high-speed and high-accuracy measurement.
At the hotspot of machining in the USA, the integration of technologies and processes was also a focal point. This included complete machining on 5-axis machining centers as well as the impressive turn & mill machines, mill-turn machining centers and additive manufacturing technologies. In addition, integration solutions for gear milling and grinding reinforced the range of products. The resulting complexity was broken down holistically with intelligent digitization tools. The workshop-oriented operator supported TULIP and the successful customer portal my DMG MORI completed the portfolio at the event.
DMG MORI offered presence to their DMG MORI Qualified Partners, to provide customers with a holistic approach as a total solution provider – from machine, to automation, digitized processes, over to equipment, training, and financing options. There was no question visitors couldn't find an answer to, at the Chicago Technology Days this September.