Bausch+Ströbel has developed an ingenious combination of a crimping machine and a machine for rinsing the exterior of vials, ampoules and cartridges in the absolute high-capacity range. This combination ensures that no highly active ingredients adhere to the exterior of containers while saving manpower and eliminating a common source of frustration.
The author: Tanja Bullinger Head of Public Relations Department, Bausch+Ströbel
Inhaling potent medicines – or simply touching them – can have noxious effects, even in tiny quantities. It is therefore imperative that no residues adhere to the exterior of vials, cartridges or ampoules after they have been filled with toxic products. The meticulously monitored filling and closing process already keeps such contamination of the container exterior to a minimum. Bausch+Ströbel now has a machine (ARM1036) for cleaning the exterior of vials, cartridges and ampoules, thereby removing any deposits on the outer surface of the containers completely – at very high capacities.
Exterior cleaning machines are often also used after the freeze-drying process. At the same time, cleaning the exterior is good preparation for inspection or labelling.
Perfect combination
The ARM can be directly combined with the RVB4090 crimping machine. In this configuration it processes up to 36,000 containers per hour. The twin pack has decisive advantages: the containers are conveyed directly to the cleaning station and not – as with other systems – to a separate machine. Moreover, they only require spacing once, the line has a much smaller footprint and a single PLC suffices for both machines. The RVB4090 fully automatic closing machine has sixteen working positions with the ARM.
The processing range covers all vial sizes up to a diameter of 53 mm and a maximum height of 145 mm. Crimp caps of all kinds can be processed easily and reliably. Both the RVB and the ARM can be converted for other container sizes using size parts without any problems. The size change requires virtually no tools.
The container transport mechanism consists of guides adapted to the container size as well as vacuum controlled star wheels. The crimp caps are fed to the transfer position from a bin and feed unit via a sorting bowl and a feed track. They are then crimped to the vials in a continuous process by means of individually settable crimping discs.
The alignment of the container holders to any container height is program-controlled. The cap application pressure when the cap is crimped to the vial can be adjusted pneumatically.
The design, construction and arrangement of all the units at the crimping station guarantee an optimised laminar air flow, making the machine suitable for operation in cleanrooms.
Reliable cleaning
Once closed, the vials are transported directly to the external cleaning machine. When vials or cartridges are cleaned, care must be taken to ensure that the crimp caps themselves do not come into contact with the water or cleaning agents. Ampoules, on the other hand, are wetted completely.
In the first star wheel, the containers are rinsed by special nozzles which can be set individually below the crimp caps. Depending on requirements and the machine’s equipment, up to three different fluids can be used to clean the containers reliably.
The water used for the last rinse can be recycled and re-used for the initial rinse. In the downstream blow-drying turret, the containers are gently blown dry from top to bottom by a descending ring nozzle. The base of the container is simultaneously dried.
The ARM1036 is equipped with a sound-absorbing machine guard. To prevent vapours from penetrating the upstream crimping machine area, the space around the external cleaning machine is normally designed as a low-pressure chamber.
Glass doors permit easy access and full visual inspection by servicing and operating staff. The entire machine can be equipped for WIP (washing in place) to rule out any risk to persons when the guard doors are opened.
This machine combination is capable of processing containers between 30 and 100 mm in height and between 15.5 and 53 mm in diameter.
It is operated on a touch screen panel with a graphical user interface.
Integrating it with a data acquisition system for all data relevant to production (SCADA) is not a problem.
This compact PLC system meets all the requirements for processing delicate, high-grade pharmaceutical products. The machine conforms to globally valid standards such as GMP and FDA.
Online-Info: www.cpp-net.com/0311420
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