OCTUM GmbH, Renntalstraße 16, 74360 Ilsfeld, Germany

+49 (0) 7062 914940 info(at)octum.de

Octum GmbH

Safety with no buts.

Syringe production, whether glass or plastic, takes place on high-performance machines at cycle rates of up to 600 syringes/min. At these cycle rates, the inspection of the syringes is intended to check that they are correctly assembled, labelled and filled and to ensure traceability. For this purpose, mostly intelligent cameras are used, which are supplied in stainless steel when mounted in the isolator. The design is always application-specific and adapted to the concrete integration possibilities in the machine. Visualization and operation is usually done centrally via the OCTUMISEr user interface, which is either installed on a separate stainless steel computer or on the customer's HMI system. The benefit of these inspections is the detection of defects at an early stage in the machine, so that the propagation of defects is avoided and already defective subcomponents are not further refined. This avoids downtimes caused by defective products and thus increases the machine's efficiency.

Measurement of the syringe length

The total length of the syringes with attachment is automatically measured and classified according to customer specifications. Depending on format and length range, either one high-resolution camera or two normal resolution cameras, each with telecentric optics, are used. A telecentric transmitted light illumination is also required for the length measurement, otherwise the repeat accuracy is not sufficient. Depending on the mechanical conditions, deflecting mirrors may also be necessary for the appropriate machine integration.

Finger flange inspection for damage

Flaking at the finger flange represents a possible risk of injury to medical personnel when using the syringes and must therefore be avoided. For the inspection of the spalling, an axial incident light arrangement is implemented, which enables a high-contrast image of the finger flange edges. The evaluation also compensates for the usual fluctuations of the finger flange edges and the geometric variations. Each finger flange geometry must be taught-in once. The inspection severity can be parameterized.

Inspection assembly of syringe attachment

The angle between syringe attachment and glass body is another assembly parameter that must be within close tolerances for correct assembly. For high accuracy requirements, telecentric lenses are also used here in a transmitted light arrangement. Deflection mirrors are also used where space is limited in the machine. As a rule, 2 camera images at approx. 90 degrees are used to determine the misalignment and the maximum is determined by calculation.

Testing piston rod assembly

To inspect the piston rod assembly, the screw-in depth of the piston rod into the piston plug is measured. The colour of the individual components as well as the position of the pistons at different filling quantities and the required tolerances are decisive for the specific design of the components. As a rule, an incident light arrangement is necessary here due to the space available and transport in the machine.

Spalling Inspection on the Finger Flange

The Luer Lock Adapter (LLA for short) must not have any cut-outs on the "wing". This is also guaranteed by an automatic inspection. Depending on the circumstances, a transmitted light arrangement is implemented either directly or indirectly in order to achieve an image with the highest possible contrast. The evaluation takes place in the grey image by pattern matching and by means of measuring functions. For each LLA format a specific inspection specification is stored, which is called up when the format is changed. The format change can be performed directly from the machine's HMI system via the implemented interfaces.

Dimensional Assembly Inspection

An important mounting dimension is the position of the syringe attachment on the syringe body. To check this dimension, a transmitted light arrangement is usually designed with telecentric optics. In case of particularly high demands on measuring accuracy, telecentric illumination may also be necessary. Camera selection and arrangement is application-specific, as is the IT integration into the machine. Standard interfaces from dig. IO via Profinet, Profibus or EIP are available.

Completeness in the syringe nest

A high-resolution camera with specific LED incident light illumination is used to inspect the complete filling of the syringe nest. The necessary large-area illumination under the limited space available in the machine is a design challenge. This is where the 3D design at the start of the project, which OCTUM supplies as standard, helps. Depending on the specification, an IO or NIO signal can be output but also the faulty position in the nest.

Label position and printing

The label data is available both as plain text and machine readable as 1D/2D code. The label inspection includes both OCR/OCV and code reading. A minimum resolution of the camera system is required for reliable reading of the codes and characters - this resolution is sufficiently designed for the specific application. Especially when combining plain text and codes, a high computing power is required to perform the inspections in steps. According to customer requirements, the absolute positions or deviations from a format-specific target position are determined here and transferred to the control system.

Read Code

In addition to the identification of the codes on the label, the identification of directly marked codes on e.g. the syringe nest or tub is also necessary for reliable allocation in production or traceability. For this purpose, usually intelligent cameras with specific illumination, also in stainless steel design, are used during assembly in the isolator. Data validation according to GS1 or SecurPharm is implemented and tested. The standard interfaces can also be used for PLC communication or line integration.