Machinery Update | November / December 2020

50 MACHINERY UPDATE NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2020 www.machineryupdate.co.uk
Feature: Pharmaceuticals
Acrovision says its Validator product offers an ‘off-the-shelf’ solution
QUBBER Inspection Systems has three solutions for pharmaceuticals
Inspecting for qualities
Machinery Update looks at the latest inspection options that are designed
to provide safety and quality standards across a range of pharma products
Product and packaging safety
is of course essential in
pharmaceuticals and especially
in the case of highly sensitive
new vaccines, for instance.
Injection vials from which they are
administered parenterally, usually
intramuscularly or subcutaneously
must be free of cosmetic defects such as
dirt, chips and cracks and also must not
contain metal splinters, glass particles,
hairs, fibres as well as other foreign
matter. This is where the latest Spotter II
PHS vial inspector from Heuft comes in.
These standards also apply to the
oxygen content of the headspace of such
a full vial which can trigger oxidation
and severely impair the effect of the
pharmaceutical product. Heuft’s new
module for laser-based headspace
analysis works in this area, and it can
now also be integrated into the further
developed vial inspector.
The risk of an overdose can be avoided
by using prefillable syringes in which
the vaccine can be packaged as a single
dose. And according to Phil Cooper
of Heuft in the UK, manufacturers of
prefillable syringes and pharmaceuticals
are relying on the company’s Syringer
unit for this application.
Meanwhile, QUBBER Inspection
Systems offers three ideal solutions for
different products in the pharmaceutical
industry. Its Q-PHARM BLA detects
missing ampoules and ampoules
without labels in blisters which
minimises human error while preventing
any cartoner jams on a line.
The company’s Q-PHARM CRA is a costeffective
solution for bottlers inspecting
closures in PET collyrium containers in
various sizes and colours. It provides
improved safety for the supply chain
(storage, transportation and distribution)
as well as delivering safety to the end
consumer, while avoiding any costly
production downtime.
Finally, Q-FLEX provides optical
inspections around the factory floor
and can be easily adapted to suit
different products passing down
the same production line.
Acrovision
has created
a suite of
in-line
package
and label
inspection
systems
to monitor
and control
production
lines to
ensure 100%
correct product in the correct packaging
with the correct date. According to
managing director Paul Cunningham, its
Validator product offers a cost effective
solution more or less ‘off-the-shelf’.
In operation, it can either be a standalone
single system of a complete network of
systems on multiple lines controlled by
a central management control unit.
“The true power of Validator is in its
ability to make the front-end and the
usability as simple as possible,
but with the complex vision tools and
processing happening in the background,
making it a robust and reliable
solution the customer can trust,” explains
Cunningham. There are several versions
for users to choose from, depending on
product requirements.
UPGRADED METAL DETECTOR
Meanwhile, Loma Systems says its
upgraded IQ4 Lock-PH pharmaceutical
metal detector is assisting both
pharmaceutical and nutraceutical
manufacturers maintain production
efficiencies
and compliance,
while increasing
their quality
control.
The upgraded
metal detector
is capable of
inspecting up
to 30,000 tablets
or capsules per
The latest Spotter II vial inspector is available from Heuft minute. Typically
installed after
the tablet press and de-dusting processes,
the system’s improved stability and
its ability to move around, ensures
easy integration with tablet presses,
de-dusters, polishers and encapsulation
equipment as it can be located on
virtually any production or packaging
line without disrupting the plant layout.
W www.acrovision.co.uk
W www.heuft.com
W www.loma.com
W www.qubbervision.com