PACKAGING RESOURCE CENTER
The Latest in Fillers
Rotary Filler/Capper
A high-speed rotary monoblock filling and capping machine can use magnetic flow meters to reach speeds up to 300 bottles/min. The Eklips machine has clean-in-place capabilities that provide a two-way pressurized flow—alternating current and then counter-current—to sterilize itself for aseptic processes. Clean- and steam-in-place operations can run automatically while mechanical changeover takes place. In addition to the magnetic flow meters, the machine can be configured with mass-flow meters for nonconductive products. This may be better suited for products that change in viscosity or density over the filling run or from batch to batch. All filling valve functions on the machine are electropneumatically or electromagnetically controlled. The working cycles are individually programmed and controlled. The fill volume can be changed while the machine is in operation. Microprocessor controls allow for automatic fill correction. The machine also has an automatic rejection system for damaged bottles. Capmatic Ltd., Montreal North, Quebec, Canada; 514/322-0062; www.capmatic.com.
Liquid Filling System
A company’s high-speed filling system was installed at B. Braun Medical AG. The Linofill is a multihead filling machine that can accommodate fill volumes from 100 to 1000 ml using only one measuring cell per filling station. The machine handles a variety of viscosities and bottle shapes. Bottles are placed on the Linofill’s conveyor system by a bottle-sorting unit and then are transported into the filling machine. The servo control of the filling needle stroke allows adjustments to be made based on different products’ characteristics. The company installed a fume evacuation manifold at the bottle opening to explosion-proof the system. Optima Packaging Group GmbH, Kugler Division, Schwäbisch Hall, Germany; +49 7 91 4 07 10; www.kugler-ger.com.
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Tabletop Vial Filler
An automated tabletop filling system for vials and small bottles is designed to offer packagers and manufacturers of clinical trial and small-lot batches an alternative to manual pour-and-fill operations. The FF20 works with the Flexicon PF6 peristaltic dispensing pump for accurate small-lot dispensing. Changeover can be done in less than five minutes by replacing the disposable tubing. Fill volumes range from 0.1 to 150 ml. Vials can be filled at rates of up to 2000/hr. Rotary table and pump speeds can be adjusted to fit filling speed requirements. Flexicon America Inc., Burlington, VT; 802/657-3232; www.flexiconamerica.com.
Automation Control Technology
A company employed automation control technology in designing its liquid-filling machine. The intelliFiller machine reflects the company’s efforts to incor-porate process control features to improve quality control in a manner similar to the methods outlined by FDA in its report on process analytical technology (PAT). The intelliFiller and other liquid-fill-and-finish machinery offered by the company enable users to monitor and control the operation of the machine via a communication port. Remote monitoring and control is also possible via secure network access. The machine requires electronic signatures to change settings and creates electronic records of changes to such process information as fill volumes. Digital process data can be downloaded and integrated with SPC and QMS applications. Intellitech Inc., Westminster, MD; 410/876-1229; www.intellitech-inc.com.
Tube and Bottle Fillers
A line of machines features ergonomic design, fast changeover, and flexibility. The Unipac U 2080 tube filler features hot-air sealing and the company’s Promatic PC 4000 cartoner. The U 2080 seals at speeds up to 80 tubes/min. The Macofar LVI 6 is an automatic, monobloc liquid filler for bottles and vials. It has a throughput of 6000 containers/hr with a fill range of 0.5 to 500 cm3. Romaco USA, Pompton Plains, NJ; 973/616-0440; www.romaco.com.
Stoppered-Vials Filler
An automated system fills presterilized stoppered vials, eliminating the need for on-site cleaning and sterilizing of vials and stoppers. The P1540 is designed for pilot plants, R&D facilities, and biotech companies that need to automate small-scale liquid-filling operations. The machine fills up to 45 vials/min. The presterilized vials come double-wrapped from suppliers. The outer wrap is removed inside the cleanroom that houses the P1540 and the inner wrap is removed inside the P1540’s Class 100 enclosure. The automated system removes the stopper immediately before the filling station and then replaces the stopper into the same vial. This process is designed to maintain sterility and product integrity. Vials are automatically fed into the pocketed conveyance system and are transferred to the first process station where stoppers are removed. A diving-needle filling mechanism fills the vial while an indexed rotating arm holds the stopper. The stoppered vial then passes into the capping suite of the machine. M&O Perry Industries Inc., Corona, CA; 951/734-9838; www.moperry.com.
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Aseptic Dispense Valve
An aseptic precision-dispensing valve is designed to reduce the risk of contamination in sterile fluid-filling processes, such as filling contact lens packages with saline or filling vials with drugs. The 754V-SS uses a low-maintenance diaphragm designed for fast, precise dispensing of most low- and medium-viscosity fluids. It can run up to 500 cycles/min. The shot size ranges from 0.5 microliters to a continuous flow rate of 60 microliters/sec. A fast cutoff after each shot prevents drip and waste. The valve’s fluid path is smooth in design to be free of areas where contaminants or bacteria could collect. Instead of using seals or O-rings that could wear out and leak, the 754V-SS uses an inert PTFE diaphragm to isolate the fluid from the valve’s internal parts. EFD Inc., East Providence, RI; 800/556-3484; www.efd-inc.com.
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