FEATURE PRINTING & PACKAGING
To meet the demands of the pharmaceutical manufacturer, Tsubaki experts recommended a RS2008B Lambda Lube Free roller chain with special SA1 attachment
RELIABLE CHAIN… THE BEST
MEDICINE FOR PHARMACEUTICAL MANUFACTURING
When the chain in its medicine packaging machine began causing issues for one pharmaceutical manufacturer, the company turned to Tsubaki to cure the problem
P
harmaceuticals such as tablets, capsules, granules and other products are packed into blister packaging after they are manufactured. Each
dose is contained within a ‘bubble’, usually formed from plastic, with a backing. Such packaging, known as unit-dose, helps to safeguard product quality by protecting medicines from the harmful effects of contamination, humidity and light. Packaging the medicine is carried out by specialist machines and,
inside these, conveyors chains with attachments are used to form the carton and insert the blister into the packaging. With so many doses requiring packaging, these chains have to withstand prolonged usage – any downtime due to chain failure risks reducing medicine output, compromising supply and profitability.
Lambda Lube Free roller chain with special SA1 attachment. This type of chain is designed to eliminate the need for external lubrication thanks to oil-impregnated bushes which provide internal lubrication. Popular in chain applications where reducing the risk of product contamination from lubricant is imperative – such as pharmaceutical or food and beverage – Lambda Lube Free roller chains also minimise maintenance requirements due to their inherent wear resistance. Features such as ring coining, a cold deformation around the pin hole of the connecting link plate, add strength to the design and help prevent premature chain elongation, improving reliability.
“Popular in chain applications where reducing the risk of product
OVERCOMING PROBLEMS One French pharmaceutical manufacturer, however, was encountering issues with the internal conveyor chain on its blister packing and cartoning machine. External lubrication from the chain was contaminating the blister packaging, which was damaging the quality of batches – resulting in time consuming repacking or loss of batches. In addition to this, every year the original lubricated chain required three technicians to dismantle parts of the machine in order to clean the chain and guides. This resulted in machine downtime of up to three days, further reducing production output. In search of a more reliable solution, the company turned to
Tsubaki, which designs and manufactures specialised conveyor chain for packaging applications. To meet the demands, Tsubaki experts recommended a RS2008B
28 MAY 2021 | DESIGN SOLUTIONS
contamination from lubricant is imperative, Lambda Lube Free roller chains also minimise maintenance requirements”
With the new chains installed on the blister packing and cartoning
machine, technicians at the pharmaceutical manufacturer began to feel the benefits. The solution required no disassembly of the chain and guides for cleaning, adding three days of extra packaging capacity to production schedules. Delays and losses caused by contaminated packaging were also eliminated, enhancing efficiency and output. Combined with inherently low maintenance requirements and high reliability, the Tsubaki solution greatly improved productivity. This ensured that supply of medicines could continue uninterrupted, securing profitability and patient access.
Tsubaki
tsubaki.eu / DESIGNSOLUTIONS
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