Innovative Pharmaceutical Industry - Magazine Report Unveils Success Story

In the pharmaceutical industry, the requirements for robotic solutions are particularly high. To meet these and ensure smooth operations, Robotec Solutions AG develops complex solutions.

A year ago, Robotec Solutions was faced with a special challenge. Components were to be fed to a system in the cleanroom of a pharmaceutical company. The requirements were high: everything had to be sealed, the components monitored, and only certain materials were allowed. At the same time, the robots had to ensure an efficient process in a confined space without interfering with each other.

Six robots for two systems

The team solved this demanding task with six industrial robots – three articulated and three SCARA robots. Two are used in the first system, and one in the second. To maintain a fast cycle time, 36 parts must be fed per minute. In the first system, the articulated robot therefore removes seven parts from the blister at once, with each one being monitored for presence. These are placed in the transfer station, where they are rotated into the correct position and spread out to larger distances. Subsequently, the SCARA robot picks up the parts and places them in the cups. The cups are then sent to the customer-side assembly system, and the parts are completed. The second system is also involved in this process: it supplies the assembly system with additional components to complete the product. To do this, it must first be fed the parts from the blister using the same procedure. Finally, the assembly system returns the finished and tested products. The robots now perform the same process in reverse order and place the parts back into the blister. The systems are monitored by over 100 sensors and an image processing camera. A user-friendly HMI also enables easy overview and control.

On-time realization despite supply bottlenecks

In addition to its own expertise, Robotec Solutions also relied on good cooperation with suppliers. Due to Corona, there were supply bottlenecks. Thanks to good cooperation with suppliers, all components could be sourced tailor-made, and the schedule was met. "To bring the robots into the cleanroom and connect them to the customer system during commissioning, we only had two days of a maintenance window," explains Kevin Bossard, project management, and technical design. "Through efficient collaboration, we were able to use this window and deliver the robots ten months after the kick-off." The happy customer simultaneously received the CE conformity declaration and all validation documents. In the meantime, the systems have produced over a million parts. However, they do not take work away from anyone. The activity is monotonous and strenuous due to cleanroom conditions. While the robots perform the tedious work, people can focus on more exciting tasks.