FEATURE Packaging
Tekpak’s automated top-loader
cartoning system has transformed the customer’s packaging operation
At the same time as the carton and insert are being prepared, the pre-filled syringes enter the machine in parallel. The vision system performs various checks on each device before it is picked, including verifying its orientation and key characteristics such as plunger length and skew angle. The robot then picks the verified device and loads it into the carton, before inserting the appropriate leaflet. Once the product and leaflet are inside, a vision verification is performed confirming a complete carton. The carton is then closed and sealed via a specifically positioned glue bead before being discharged from the machine. As part of the project, quality control has been built into the system, rather than being treated as a final-stage inspection. At each stage, the inspection process checks elements including: • Correct pharmaceutical code on the: Carton, Insert, IFU/leaflet • Correct pre-filled syringe • Product orientation • Correct syringe assembly
• Plunger position • Insert assembly • Carton integrity This means that both product and packaging are continuously verified as they progress through the system. AI-enhanced vision technology plays a central role, relaying the information required to decide whether individual components and completed assemblies should proceed or be rejected. Tekpak’s automated top-loader cartoning system has transformed the customer’s packaging operation, however, the benefits extend far beyond the packaging line itself. The ability to source and handle carton and insert flat blanks locally has reduced the costs and logistics associated with transporting bulky pre-formed cartons from Europe to Ireland, as
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well as delivering sustainability benefits. The success of the project has strengthened
an already longstanding relationship between Tekpak and the pharmaceutical manufacturer, with a second order already in place for a similar automated system to handle auto-injectables. For Tekpak, this project demonstrates the value of taking a holistic approach to packaging automation. “The result is a compact, high-speed packaging system that has more than doubled throughput, reduced labour requirements, eliminated the need to import pre-formed cartons and fitted into an existing production environment without relocating critical serialisation equipment.”
Tekpak Automation
www.tekpakautomation.com
automationmagazine.co.uk
Automation | October 2026
25
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