TECHNOLOGY NEWS: MANUFACTURING EQUIPMENT
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The Validate system from ATS and Tesa embeds text, bar codes, and other marks in glass vials and syringes.
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A marking system creates nonerasable logos, text, bar codes, and other supply-chain data by using a laser to bond transfer film to glass. The result of a partnership between ATS Automation (Munich, Germany) and adhesive product specialist Tesa AG (Hamburg, Germany), the Validate technology embeds high-contrast marks in the molecular structure of glass vials and syringes. Unlike standard laser marking technology, it does not ablate glass. Marks created with the system also resist abrasion, harsh chemicals, and high temperatures.
Capable of creating one- and two-dimensional bar codes, the technology can be used alone or in conjunction with RFID systems to combat drug counterfeiting. “While initially conceived as a marking technology to combat counterfeiting in nonmedical industries, the nonerasable nature of the Validate marking system allows the same anticounterfeiting properties to be used for pharmaceutical applications,” says Dave Adams, Tesa market manager.
Bar codes produced by the system are compatible with standard scanner technology. The system also can embed covert security features into the mark. Track and trace system functionality can be incorporated with the mark to guarantee that the vial or syringe originated in the intended supplier’s factory. The machine’s control systems are compliant with 21 CFR part 11 requirements.
The technology is compatible with existing ink-jet infrastructure with minor positioning changes. Marking can be performed before washing and filling or after filling and vision inspection. Though marking speed varies according to the information printed, speeds as high as 400 vials or syringes per minute are supported.
The marking technology can be tailored to the end-user’s application. For instance, line speed, information to be marked, material handling, changeover, line-management software, and other factors can be adapted to meet an individual customer’s needs. Suitable for cleanroom use, the Validate marking technology also can be integrated with the firm’s Lyoscan vial inspection system.
