INDUSTRY FOCUS CHEMICALS & PHARMACEUTICALS A BREATH OF FRESH AIR IN LEAK DETECTION
A system developed by Mitsubishi Electric and Optimal Industrial Automation is automating the detection of leaks in metered dose inhaler canisters
A
leading pharmaceutical manufacturer specialising in asthma inhalers has
transformed its in-line testing operations thanks to an automated quality control solution developed by Mitsubishi Electric and system integrator Optimal Industrial Automation. The system uses two Selective Compliance Articulated Robot Arms (SCARA) and system-matched components, such as a MELSEC-iQ platform PLC and MAPS SCADA software. The fully automated quality control
solution increased leak detection rates for in-line pharmaceutical gas analysis during inhaler production by 30 times, reducing manufacturing cost and waste generation. When producing metered dose inhaler
(MDI) canisters, typically used for respiratory drug delivery for people suffering from asthma, it is essential that products can generate a suitable aerosol of a drug formulation. To do so, it is necessary to fill the canisters with an optimum level of liquefied gas under pressure, then test for gas leaks and dispose of any faulty canisters. The detection of gas propellant leaks in
MDI canisters using conventional, non- automated methods suffer from a number of limitations. Automation can address these issues and help manufacturers to improve their profitability. In particular automated testing helps move away from
manual, off-line leak inspections – which slow down production and reduce overall volumes. In-line or at-line testing means operators do not need to physically collect samples, increasing productivity. Also, automated systems make it
possible to increase accuracy, by testing each individual canister. Conventional leak detection is conducted as an end-of-line test on one or a few samples from each batch. This may cause unnecessary scrappage, or alternatively, allow off-spec products to enter the market. In order to drive performance in its
quality control strategies, the manufacturer of pressurised MDI (pMDI) canisters contacted Optimal. Nigel Penny, project manager at Optimal
Industrial Automation, said: “We knew that the application would require a high level of accuracy and repeatability in position control to effectively move and monitor the pMDI canisters. Mitsubishi Electric offers very reliable and accomplished small robots which are easy to synchronise and control, using powerful controllers and intuitive software. We also appreciate the technical support and assistance offered, which helps to deliver the type of advanced tailor-made solutions we specialise in.” The automated leak detection system, developed by Mitsubishi Electric and
SPEEDING UP THE FIGHT AGAINST COVID-19
Sulzer Chemtech is supporting Pharmaceutical ingredient manufacturer, Farmhispania Group to increase the production capacity of one of its drugs, which has proven its effectiveness in the treatment of critically ill COVID-19 patients. The key technology that will help increase capacity as quickly as possible is Sulzer’s agitated Kühni column (ECR) for liquid-liquid extraction. The urgency with which pharma businesses need to meet the rising demands of
global healthcare production doesn’t provide sufficient time for them to expand their operations by increasing their manufacturing footprint. For producers of anti-malaria drugs, immunosuppressants and HIV medications, the pressure may be even higher, as these medicines are currently among the most promising treatments for the most critically ill coronavirus patients. Farmhispania has found a way to address these challenges and produce more medicines. By working
together with Sulzer, the business will be able to ramp up its production capabilities in less than two weeks. The two partners identified Sulzer’s ECR, an advanced extraction technology, as the most suitable solution. This is because the separation system can effectively handle a high flow rate, maximising throughput. To ensure a prompt delivery, Sulzer was able to utilise its available stock to build an ECR and ship it over
the weekend, the day after the contract was awarded. Furthermore, Sulzer is supporting the equipment installation and start-up, getting production ramped up as quickly as possible. Dr. Jordi Cervelló Pagès, industrial director at Farmhispania Group, commented: “The exceptional
circumstances presented by the threat of COVID-19 require pharmaceutical manufacturers to work with great urgency in the interest of the public good. In our case, this means delivering high volumes of one of our drugs as quickly as possible to support the recovery of coronavirus patients in critical conditions in multiple intensive care units. Sulzer’s role is crucial, as its technology and comprehensive service will enable us to significantly expand our operations in a very short time.
www.sulzer.com
The system uses two Mitsubishi Electric FR- Series four-axis SCARA robots, which position the canisters correctly into the moving puck as well as place all items that pass through the leak testing onto an outfeed conveyor.
[Source: Mitsubishi Electric Europe B.V.]
Optimal, consists of a carousel conveyor running at constant speed and composed by 86 cavity holders, known as ‘pucks’. These hold the individual canisters and transport them through a tunnel, designed to help concentrate any gas leakage by sealing the top and bottom of the pucks. A sensitive laser gas analyser is used to test the air surrounding the canisters. If an item is found to be defective and leaking even a tiny amount of propellant gas it is discarded. Operators can monitor the process in real-time via Mitsubishi Electric’s MAPS SCADA platform, which shares information with the gas analysers. The system uses two Mitsubishi Electric
FR-Series four-axis SCARA robots, which position the canisters correctly into the moving puck, as well as place all items that pass through the leak testing onto an outfeed conveyor. The ‘pick-and-place’ robots are controlled by a powerful iQ Platform PLC to ensure exact synchronisation. This allows the robot to handle moving canisters without the need to stop the conveyor, avoiding any interruption on the line. Synchronisation on the line is critical
because the canisters are unstable. Steve Kirby, key account manager at Mitsubishi Electric, said: “The iQ series PLC is ideal to meet the levels of speed and accuracy required by the system. The controller executes command processes in a matter of nanoseconds. It also offers a high- speed data logger module, where the sampling function is synchronized with the sequence scan.” This latter aspect further helped to
create a comprehensive and intelligent set up. In effect, Mitsubishi Electric and Optimal allowed the PLC to interact with the gas analyser, process and log the results of each individual pMDI test as well as offering exportable reports of canister analytical data for each batch. The leak detection system, now fully
operational, can process 180 pMDI canisters per minute and reject individual defective items. This may result in reduced waste generation, and the optimisation of resources and production.
Mitsubishi Electric
gb3a@mitsubishielectric.com
24 JUNE 2020 | PROCESS & CONTROL
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44
