Filling, Capping & Labelling

The Challenge

The challenge was to provide a system to increase the output of completed devices from 5 per minute to a rate of 35 parts/min, along with thoroughly checking all parts/assemblies for dispensed liquid weight and labelling.

• Automatic infeed of vials from trays.
• Automatic filling, weighing and off-loading of devices.
• Labelling outside of cleanroom conditions.
• Accurately weighing/dispensing to +/-20mg.
• Fitting within the tight constraints of a cleanroom environment.

The Solution

Manually loaded trays of vials are picked and placed by a robotic system which automatically transfers the vials from the trays onto a bespoke indexing table, which presents them to each of the stations for weighing, filling, check weighing and capping before removal onto an output conveyor for transition through the clean room partition wall via a dedicated conveyor to a labelling.

After the initial loading, the vial is presented at the first weigh station, picked from the indexer, and placed on a scale to obtain a tare weight. The weighed vial is then indexed for filling at the dispense station, and once filled, it is then indexed to the second weigh station, where it is check-weighed.

A bowl feed system then feeds caps to an escapement, where a dual capping head then removes the leading cap and transfers it onto the vial and screwed to a fixed position using a predefined torque.

Finished assemblies are picked from the indexing table and placed onto the output conveyor. From here, they are transported out of the clean room and into a labelling module for a wraparound label to be applied using an SP Automation & Robotics designed labelling system.