Smart Molding International 1-2023

36 smart_molding international 1/2023 automation End-of-line testing under hygienic conditions The reliable inspection, labelling and packaging of 36,000 syringes per hour places high demands on automation. Based on these specifications, Ward Automation designed a cell with three Stäubli robots. They master this task under hygienic conditions. Inspection and packaging of 36,000 syringes per hour A compact and flexible robotic cell handles the end-of-line inspection, labelling and palletizing of 36,000 syringes per hour. Three Stäubli ro- bots designed for hygienic produc- tion are responsible for handling the trays in which the syringes are transported. What is the safest and most eco- nomical way to test and palletize 36,000 syringes per hour? A multina- tional manufacturer of pharmaceuti- cal products posed this question to the experts at Ward Automation in Sligo, Ireland. Founded in 1995, the company has specialized in designing and building customized automation solutions for the medical device and pharmaceutical industries. The manufacturer’s specifications included the following key details: The syringes arrive in trays containing 100 units at a rate of six trays per minute. They must be inspected, labelled and palletized. The chief concern here is to eliminate the risk of damaged or missing syringes or anti-tamper seals. Regulations concerning medical de- vice production (21 CFR Part 11) ap- ply here. Three robots in one cell Based on these specifications, Ward Automation designed a cell with three Stäubli robots. In Step 1, a Stäubli TX2- 60 robot takes a tray of 100 syringes and conveys it to an image processing system. Two vision systems check the contents of the tray for faulty syring- es, missing PRTC caps and the correct number of syringes. Trays that fail in- spection are diverted to a reject sta- tion, where a human operator replaces the defective contents and returns the tray to the inspection line. Trays that have been identified as “OK” proceed to a labelling station where inner and outer labels are printed and immediately checked for accuracy. Error-free labels are affixes to the inside and outside of the tray. The first TX2-60 applies the inner la- bel, and at the end of the process the CUSTOMER BENEFITS • Automated inspection of syringes, labels and tamper- evident seals • Enhanced system flexibility • Reliable traceability • Significantly increased productivity Grippers specifically developed for this application are used for handling the trays