Automated Handling of Sensitive Products with Novel 3D Technology

Related Vendors

KNF Neuberger GmbH

Schubert Packaging Systems GmbH

The erected cartons are placed on a Transmodul and forwarded to the next processing phase, where they are loaded with trays or partitions. Just like in the first packaging phase, the blanks are fed into the machine via a magazine.

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A combination consisting of F2 and F3 robots folds the partitions before they are placed into the product cartons. Sensors on the robot tool ensure that each carton has been provided with a partition or tray respectively. Then the pre-grouped products — pens or vials — are placed into the cartons. In order to ensure safe shipping, the vials and pens are securely snapped into the trays or partitions of the cartons.

Precise Product Handling Through Spatial Control

During the packaging process of the pens, a new 3D camera from Schubert, which was especially developed for this project, is applied. Transport boxes with 120 pens are placed on a table in front of the picking robots. The F4 robot takes the pens directly from the transport boxes and places them in pre-grouped formations. After each product is taken, the 3D camera scans the contents of the boxes and determines the exact position and layer height of each individual pen. These data are passed on to the F4 pick and place robot and ensure that each product, even if its position has changed following removal of a pen, can be precisely targeted at the next product intake. Empty shippers are automatically discharged from the machine.

In the next module, F2 robots pick the product leaflets from a magazine and place them in the product cartons. Prior to inserting the leaflets, the pharmacode on the leaflets is controlled and verified. Leaflets with incorrect codes are rejected beforehand and do not enter the packaging process.

In the final step of the packaging process, the cartons are closed and the latches are controlled. Incompletely filled and not firmly closed cartons are detected and ejected. A conveyor belt forwards all the controlled products to the downstream process.

The customer was especially convinced by the sophisticated technical concept as well as the scalability and resulting flexibility of the TLM line. Moreover, the sales department was able to win over the customer with the support of packaging material development. “Feedback from the customer confirms that we are on the right track with our efforts: the vertical start-up which Schubert was able to demonstrate on-site impressed them greatly,” confirms Karin Kleinbach. Last but certainly not least, the Schubert-Pharma team succeeded in meeting the high demands placed on project management and the high-end pharmaceutical company’s challenging FAT and SAT conditions.

Meet the experts of Schubert-Pharma at Interpack in Düsseldorf: Hall 14, Stand A06.

* Carsten Peters is Sales Director at Schubert-Pharma, Crailsheim/Germany.

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