Pfizer Uses X-rays To Maintain Performance
Employees are committed to maintaining Pfizer's reputation for high-quality products
so when Technical Service Specialist Francisco Collazo began noticing that over-the-counter packaging lines were producing broken tablets, and that packaging disguised some crushed or folded blister packs, he realised the company's vision system and checkweigher were not adequately identifying the defects.
To protect its brand and maintain its high-quality reputation, Pfizer turned to METTLER-TOLEDO Safeline to address these quality-control issues, and the solution came in the form of a PowerChek* x-ray inspection system which, as well as detecting and rejecting multiple foreign bodies, can simultaneously verify product and packaging integrity.
No more customer complaints
After installing the PowerChek* to the end of its packaging line, Pfizer no longer experiences any problems with product defects as Mr Collazo testifies, "Since we purchased the Safeline PowerChek* x-ray system, customer complaints about missing or partial tablets or crushed packages have been eliminated."
Tablets are dropped into formed plastic blisters and sent through a vision system which checks all tablets are present. After the printed foil seals the package, blister packs go through a perforator, before being cut into desired pack sizes and dropped into a sorter that can be set into stacks of one, two or four. Running at up to 300 packs per minute, they are then inserted into the final packaging and travel through the PowerChek* x-ray unit where any packages that don't meet the manufacturer's quality standards, either because they contain broken, damaged or missing tablets, or because the blisters are crushed, are air-jetted into a separate, lockable bin for analysis.
Defecting defects in multiple layers
One particular feature that made METTLER-TOLEDO's x-ray system stand out from competitors was its ability to detect defects in multiple layers of packaging.
"When we were searching for an x-ray system, we turned to METTLER-TOLEDO Safeline as they were the only manufacturer that could inspect blister packs stacked up to four deep," recalls Mr Collazo. "All other systems would only guarantee two layers."
User-friendly
Incorporating superior image processing technology that optimises performance, Safeline's PowerChek* x-ray system has an intuitive operator interface and METTLER-TOLEDO's innovative auto-learn function which automates set-up and makes frequent calibration unnecessary.
The system is extremely easy to use and product set up takes no time at all," says Mr Collazo.
And, because the system stores multiple product profiles, product changeovers only take seconds, enabling Pfizer to run 13 - 15 different over-the-counter drugs on the production line.
PowerCheK* continuously analyses product variations and automatically adjusts to achieve optimum sensitivity and minimise false rejects, and its high-resolution colour screen provides a visual reference of the machine's operation using video images, combined with real-time diagnostics.
"There are almost no false rejects. Sometimes we open the package and have to shake it and find that the system identified a tablet that was shaved off on the opposite side of the tablet - we would never have been able to see it," says Mr Collazo, who is also content with the machine's dependability.
"We purchased the Safeline PowerChek* x-ray system two years ago and we have had no problems whatsoever. Reliability is fantastic; we are so pleased."
Foreign body detection
In addition to confirming product and packaging integrity, the Safeline PowerChek* is capable of detecting and rejecting foreign bodies, such as metal, stone and bone - even for products packaged in foil. However, foreign bodies are rarely found on this line as metal detectors are installed earlier in the manufacturing process. In the milling room, where the powders are combined, for example, a Safeline PharmaGF metal detector detects and rejects all metal types on the free-flowing powders, and in the tableting rooms, Pfizer has multiple Safeline Tablex units that detect and reject ferrous, non-ferrous, and stainless steel foreign bodies directly following the tableting press. As a result, most metal foreign bodies are rejected from product prior to the packaging line.
Note: *PowerChek = T10 X-ray Inspection System
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Click HereContact information:
Mettler-Toledo International Inc.
Im Langacher, Zip Code 8606
Greifensee, Switzerland
E-Mail : ePublicRelations@mt.com
Phone : +41-44-944 33 85
Website : www.mt.com
by: Mettler Toledo
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