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February 2008

Robotic top loader

• Paloma top loader is equipped with three delta robotic arms for automated pick-and-place operations • features vacuum-cup end effectors designed to pick up different products • each product can be uniquely oriented before being positioned in the tray or...

Robotics | March 2, 2008

Sustainability and OTC Package Design

Package design continually scores near the top in Healthcare Packaging readership surveys. On page 43, Joe Kornick of design firm Kornick Lindsay says that to develop optimal over-the-counter packages, manufacturers need to make their brands "consumer-centric," building in convenience and...

February 2008 | February 15, 2008

The reality of RFID adoption for pharmaceuticals

Panelists from McKesson Corp., Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, Amerisource Bergen Corp., and Ahold USA recognize that while radio-frequency identification (RFID) offers promise in the pharmaceutical sector, its adoption raises questions. That message came through loud and clear at a recent gathering at...

February 2008 | February 15, 2008

Summit introduces Brand-Protection Packaging Forum

New Brand Protection Packaging Forum presents strategies for brand owners to protect their products from counterfeiting, diversion, and gray-market distribution, using the latest packaging-related technologies. Summit Publishing Company, publisher of Healthcare Packaging magazine, announces the launch of a new...

Misc. Archive | February 15, 2008

Pharmintech to sponsor international panel at the Pharmaceutical Packaging Forum

An International Packaging Panel at the March 12 Pharmaceutical Packaging Forum (PPF) (www.pack world.com/ppf) will be co-sponsored by Ipack-Ima Spa (www.ipackima.it), organizers of Pharmintech (www.pharmintech.com), which is held every three years in Italy....

Misc. Archive | February 15, 2008

Medical device blogger responds

Jacob Kearns is an engineer for a medical device company with a blog called "Medical Device Blog." Here is a selection of packaging-related questions that he has answered in his blog during the past year....

February 2008 | February 15, 2008

Robotic Rx for pharmaceutical packaging

Watch for pharmaceutical manufacturers to employ robotics more frequently to boost efficiencies throughout their processing and packaging operations....

February 2008 | February 15, 2008

Robotic palletizer cell

• M-16iC robotic mini palletizer cell incorporates a FANUC M-16iC robot to create single-, dual-, and multiple-pallet cell configurations • can be specified for payloads of 10 kg (22 lb) or 20 kg (44 lb), with a reach of 68...

February 2008 | February 15, 2008

Robotic palletizing system

• multiple robotic arms achieve high-speed palletizing rates while providing increased floor space • palletizing cell enables four-way orientation of cases • robots use servo wrists to rotate packages for fast, gentle handling FKI Logistex...

February 2008 | February 15, 2008

Small-part assembly robot

• LR Mate 200iC/5H is a lightweight, compact robot offering "best-in-class" wrist load capacity, repeatability, work envelope, and speed • design enhancements and flexibility quickly adapt to small lot sizes, new styles, and other modifications for pharmaceutical and medical device...

February 2008 | February 15, 2008

The robots are coming

We may be OnTheEdge of a major growth spurt for robotics on North American packaging lines. That is what some, including Ben Miyares of Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute (PMMI), reported at a robotics conference held over the weekend leading...

Robotics | February 15, 2008

Case erecting, robotic top loading, case sealing

• SD Series is equipped with a gantry or an articulated 6-axis robot • offers minimal footprint for 20 cpm • handles cartons, bags, and pouches; tier sheets; and cans—or bottles of all shapes with a customized infeed system Cermex...

February 2008 | February 15, 2008

Robotic networking and communications

• MotoAdmin software (shown) provides remote control, status monitoring, and backup of robot programs and data through a secure network connection • MotoFTP is PC-based software with three levels of security that enables users to upload and download files to...

February 2008 | February 15, 2008

High-speed robots

• four-, five-, and six-axis robots offer reaches from 350 to 1,300 mm • for payloads up to 20 kg (44 lb) and repeatability to within +/- 0.015 mm • standard, dust- and mist-proof (IP65) and cleanroom (Class 10 and...

February 2008 | February 15, 2008

SCARA robot with amplifier in base

• iSeries Cobra robots include amplifiers and a motion controller built into the base of the robot • include no external electronics; with temperature sensors on motors and amplifiers to maximize performance and reliability • robot signature card is embedded...

February 2008 | February 15, 2008

AstraZeneca relies on robotics

Packaging a blockbuster prescription drug such as AstraZeneca's Nexium blister- and wallet-packs (shown in photo) demands efficiency. At AstraZeneca's plant in Södertälje, Sweden, nine robotic cells, featuring a mix of 16 robots from ABB Robotics and other suppliers, is...

Robotics | February 15, 2008

Artegraft switches to copolyester for vascular graft tubes

Since incorporating in 1993, North Brunswick, NJ-based Artegraft Inc. has used glass tubes to ship its U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved Class III natural collagen vascular grafts to hospitals, clinics, or hospital distributors. But occasional breakage during distribution and...

Medical devices | February 15, 2008

Cost issues, FDA inspections seen as key topics

Medical device packaging experts Curt Larsen and John Spitzley identify controlling costs and inconsistent FDA inspections as top medical device packaging concerns. Editor's Note: John Spitzley and Curt Larsen are principals of Spartan Design Group, LLC, Tonka Bay, MN. Phone:...

February 2008 | February 15, 2008

Watch for 'alpha/omega' packaging lines

Synchronized lines, rather than individual pieces of equipment, will be a focus of pharmaceutical manufacturers, predicts PMMI's Ben Miyares. In this exclusive Q&A interview with Healthcare Packaging, Miyares addresses multiple healthcare packaging-related issues, including mechatronics and robotics, which, he...

Misc. Archive | February 15, 2008

Beyond cleanrooms: Debating RABS and isolators

Are restricted access barrier systems (RABS) and isolators replacing traditional cleanrooms? All have the same aseptic requirements, but some argue that isolators and RABS increase asepsis. Many companies, especially large pharmaceuticals, are making the switch from cleanrooms to RABS...

Misc. Archive | February 15, 2008

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