Conveying and Buffering Delicate Glass Containers with Care

Task

Transporting and temporarily storing different container formats

A pharmaceuticals manufacturer is searching for a conveyor system for very small and delicate glass ampules, which have to be gently, securely and stably transported from various filling plants for labelling. The manufacturer's requirements are as follows: The conveyor system should be able to temporarily store the glass containers so that the filling system and labelling machine can work together without interruptions or blockages, even when their cycle times vary (for instance, due to a change of label rolls).

In addition, it should be possible to adapt the conveying path to different container formats with 16, 22, 24 and 30 mm diameters as quickly as possible. Since some of the existing systems cannot be interlinked, a standalone solution with its own control cabinet is required. All parts that come into contact with the product must also be FDA-compliant.

The pharmaceuticals manufacturers decided to go with a conveyor system from mk to meet these requirements.

Solution from mk

Modular chain conveyor system with rotary table as cost-effective storage solution

The solution consists of a modular plastic chain conveyor system and an integrated rotary table that are optimally adapted to each other. As per the customer's request, the system is designed as a standalone solution with its own control cabinet. A single-line Versaflex A04 chain conveyor takes on the task of transporting the sensitive glass containers. The modular construction kit principle behind the system allows for complex 3D conveying paths to be set up based on the layout of the pharmaceutical manufacturer's existing production lines. All parts that come into contact with the product have an FDA-compliant design, allowing the system to meet stringent hygiene standards.

To provide even more flexibility, mk produced quick-change guides in the curves for the various product formats using 3D printing – which is a faster and more cost-effective solution than the classic injection moulding method. The curves are quick and easy to change as a result. The side rails, which make sure the different formats are positioned securely while conveyed, can also be adjusted in no time and without any tools. That means idle times during product changes can be kept to a minimum, thus increasing productivity.

The second key element of the solution from mk is a rotary table with a diameter of 1,000 mm, which provides cost-efficient temporary storage for the glass containers. The small glass ampules are channelled into the free area on the table at the end of the conveying path, where several hundred of them can accumulate. FDA-compliant wipers ensure that the containers are lined up starting from the outer edge of the table. After around roughly half a revolution, another wiper then channels the conveyors onto the conveying path for the labelling machine. With high cycle times, vials that cannot be transported onward immediately take another turn around and are fed in gradually. Here again, the guides, wipers and stops were created using 3D printing.

At the customer's request, mk integrated a side table with a pushing device, where the employee can position products manually and transfer them directly to the rotary table using the pusher.

This solution allowed the pharmaceuticals manufacturer to optimise its transport processes and increase its production flexibility significantly.

Benefits for the customer

• Greater production flexibility: rotary table provides temporary storage, providing leeway when the cycle times of the filling systems and labelling machines differ
• Saved space: modular construction kit provides the flexibility to integrate the conveying path into the layout of existing systems
• Faster product changes: conveying path guides can be replaced without tools in 20 seconds, keeping idle times to a minimum
• Time and cost savings: quick-change guides are cost-efficient and produced rapidly with the 3D printer

Products used

> Versaflex A04 chain conveyor system
> DT-P 2040 rotary table