Assembly Equipment, machinery ¦ Case Packing, packaging machines ¦ Pharmaceutical machinery ¦ Checkweighers

Latest News:

Thu, 4 March 2010

Stock Aerosol Leak Detecting Machine Being Built

From 29 April 2010, for the first time, compliance with all aspects of the Aerosol Dispensers Directive (ADD) and the application of the reversed epsilon compliance mark is mandatory under UK law. As preparation we are building a stock Aerocan Leak Detector. This small 800 x 800 mm machine is capable of testing cans at up to 100 cans per minute, either after the water bath, or as part of the water bath alternative. It uses a single sensor head and can be calibrated in less than 10 minutes. The machine, which is available for rental, has been verified by Paul Dewhirst of Bourgoynes to comply with the water bath alternative requirements of ADR 2007 and the BAMA standard.

New Machinery Developments:

New pharmaceutical powder filling technology: a game changer

The Holy Grail of pharmaceutical powder filling is a system with

Few format parts, [caption id="attachment_224" align="alignright" width="300" caption="The elegant concept of the main powder and liquid filling stations on trolley enables the Modu C capsule filler to future proof you and be ready for new dosing systems and new requirements."][/caption]
Adjustable fill dose from HMI
Low residual powder in hopper at end of filling operation. Often in clinical trials there is only a strictly limited amount of powder in existence and one does not want most of it left in the hopper of a dosator bowl at the end of the batch.
Ability to fill pure API to eliminate the need to formulate with carrier.
Capable down to at least 1 mg
With online weighing of each dose for PAT/ real time batch release.
Ability to upscale to production scale, an aspect many laboratory systems cannot offer.

[caption id="attachment_223" align="alignleft" width="213" caption="MicroVibe powder dosing with online mass determination on a Modu C capsule filler"]

[/caption] And even better would be the possibility of retrofitting this to existing machinery. Harro Hoefliger now have Micro Vibe powder filling system available as a trolley which can be retrofitted onto a Modu-C capsule filler or the Omnidose inhalation powder filling systems which does this. In contrast to many powder filling system there is only one, autoclavable, stainless steel product contact part so it is ideal for aseptic powder filling applications. Filling mass is contantly monitored and is adjustable from the HMI. For more information, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Electron Beam Inline Sterilization for Biologic packaging

With the growing need to pack sensative biologics, Harro Hofliger have developed, with a partner, on line Electron Beam Inline Sterilization to provide in the most recent example in line sterilisation of sachets for a biologic. Electron beam technology offers the unique possibility to integrate product sterilization into the manufacturing process. Using inline-sterilization a beam of electrons from an accelerator, is used to kill viable micro organisms. To minimize system size, both of the accelerator and the shielding and cost, the electron energy is kept as low as possible for a given product. Typical energy ranges are in the order of 75 to 300 keV (kilo electron volts). (An internationally established value for aseptic packaging systems is a dose 25 kGy.)

Considerable expertise is required in determining the correct size of unit and varies from aplication to application: for example PP packaging is penetrated to twice the depth of PVdC webs.

E- beam technology offers several advantages on packaging machines:

A higher machinery production speed in comparison to heat treatment methods or EtO.
No introduction of a chemical sterilising agent.
For sensitive biologics, the minimal increase in packaging material temperature is also important.
Further there is only a moderate energy consumption, reducing the impact on the air handling system in the clean room.

On line E Beam sterilisation on an aseptic sachet machine.

Harro Höfliger are currently working on several special aseptic packaging machinery projects, from injector pens and the next generation of autoinjector to micro-needle patches and transdermal patch applications.

Advanced wound care patch: A speciality of Harro Hoefliger web machinery

Pre-filled Syringe tray bagging system

Harro Hoefliger recently were faced with the challenge of building a machine to double bag trays of prefilled syringes (PFS).

The machine operates in sterile and receives incoming trays of assembled syringes to be double bagged for aseptic filling at another site. Stacks of presterilised bags were taken and automatically opened by the machine with vacuum and specially designed opening forks. The tray of syringes was then inserted and the end of the bag pulled tight and crease free for sealing with cGMP design of impulse welding tools. As premade bags off the reel have no defined shape or position, particular care had to be taken throughout the process when handling to ensure the complete process, both the bags and the syringe trays, were under control at all times with no possibility of snagging. Considerable special design went into the control and guiding of the bag edges and the syringe tray infeed. Total seal integrity was of course a given. An elegant solution to double bagging was found. The single bagged syringe tray was then retracted and a second bag pulled, the tray pushed into the second bag and this bag too was sealed.

Retrofitable Automatic Flying Web Splice System

It can be very difficult to find an web splicing system to cGMP standard. Harro Hofliger have addressed this with their retrofitable PMK300 AS unit with double unwinder, splicing units , web buffers, pull rollers, dancing rollers and independent HMI and in GMP balcony design. Web widths up to 300mm and speeds up to 75m/min can be handled in either right and left hand execution

High Resolution Mass Determination Sensor

We now have available a new mass determination (weighing) sensor for powders. This is available as an option on our Modu C capsule filling machines and Omnidose powder filling systems. It is compatible with both the drum filler for cohesive powders and the conventional dosator powder filler. The benefit of the sensor is that no tare weight needs to be taken and the system is much faster, being able to work in real time, than a weighcell. The sensor is able to determine fill weights in the range of 0,5 mg to > 500 mg. and can determine the weights of powders, granules and pellets. The sensor creates a mass proportional signal. The measured value will be transformed into a weight value using a batch-specific calibration factor. The variance of the sensor system, expressed as relative standard deviation when compared to a laboratory balance, is ≤ 3% for powders and pellets

New Integrated Tablet Counter Capper Machine

Deckert have fitted a 6 lane counting module on a standard capping and labelling starwheel and created a monoblock counter, capper and labeller. Incoming bottles are filled, capped and then a wrapround self adhesive label is applied on the starwheel, which operates in intermittent motion. Bottle air cleaning , unscrambling and other standard tablet counting line features are also available. Bottles can be weighed on the starwheel to confirm the already very high accuracy count of the Cremer counting head. The complete system can handle bottles up to 75 mm in diameter and 150 mm high and run at up to 2000 bottles an hour, depending on the bottle and the tablet count.

Full Order books for new Mid Speed Capsule Filler

There are currently 5 Mid Speed capsule fillers on order. Cabable of producing 100,000 Capsules per hour, the ModuC MS Capsule Filler is designed to offer the same flexibility that its little sister, the ModuC LS offered but at higher throughputs.Instead of handling three capsules per cycle the machine handles 10. Furthermore the reject has been optimised to reject only a single capsule intead of a complete cycle. Harro Hoefliger are actively developing dosing trolleys for the new machine. Currently completed are the Dosator, Pellet and Tamping Pin. Close behind is the drum filler.

Format Free Tablet and Capsule Weigher

Format Free Tablet and Capsule Checkweigher: The OmniControl is a new Checkweigher from Harro Höfliger that does not require format parts to switch between different tablets and capsules. This small Checkweigher can be used after a tablet press or capsule filling machine.

New Tablet Colour Inspection system

HPF have releaased their new EOK-FA6 colour inspection camera with LED illumination, operation in Windows XP for operator familiarity and automated product and colour search. Advanced features include removal of the need for manual teaching.

Flexomat Valve Assembly Machine now available

The new Flexomat Valve Assembly Machine is designed for use as a development machine for new Valves. It is a compact, intermittent motion entry level assembly machine that can be modified to handle different components. All parts are fed into a single turret where up to eight stations assembly the valve.

Wider Area Gantry Robot

Ro-ber has extended the width of its Gantry Robot so that the span it covers is now even wider. This is particularly suited to buffer systems where the robots additional width is invaluable. Furthermore they have a faster standard Robot with a higher payload; the GENIX FP 150 is suitable as either a palletiser or in material flow.

High Speed Capper

In-Line Capper. The new Capper from Deckert is able to cap at high speeds without using a turret and transfer wheel.

Special Feature: Vertical Cartoning Machines

V60 Vertical Cartoner

The MiniCompact Vertical Cartoner is able to form specially shaped cartons. Shapes can be pillows, curved cartons, trapeziums or ballotins.

All these shapes are possible because of the Cartoners unique carton transport system. Moving away from the traditional chain transport, the MiniCompact and its big sister the V60 use a bucket system. These buckets can be exchanged and in less than 10 minutes it is possible to move from a standard carton to a pillow pack, for example. Furthermore the buckets support the cartons from 4 sides. This means that the cartons are perfectly shaped, whether square or rounded. . . .

Cartoning Machine and Cartoner

We offer a full range of Cartoners, from the Semi-Automatic Vertical MiniCompact to the high speed bottle Cartoner operating at 300 bottles per minute. Whether you need a Cartoner to pack wound dressings for the pharmaceutical industry or a cartoning machine for hose clamps we have a solution for you.

Pharmaceutical Machinery

Our Pharmaceutical Machinery is built to GMP standards for the complete product cycle, designed to be scaled up from early phase development equipment through to full scale production machinery for the clean room.

Inhalation Machinery

Our expertise in powder dosing as well as GMP facilities positions us uniquely to provide machines for inhaler devices where small particle size and low doses are characteristic. We have equipment from lab powder dosers through to full scale powder into blister dosing and production machines for inhalation lines. Machines are customised to both fill and assemble your inhaler.

Logistics and Palletising - Forget about dedicated robots!

The Gantry palletising robots are able to span multiple lines and carry out multiple tasks simultaneously. They are flexible, compact and expandable More
Re-palletising from chep and other pallets onto smaller pallets or dollies? Building Mixed pallets? Our fully modular robots are able to do the task.

Last Modified:04/03/2010 10:49:13

Customised Assembly Machinery and Special Purpose Equipment