Weight control and traceability: new benchmarks

At Interpack, MG2 presented a series of new machines for the pharmaceutical sector that set new precision and quality standards in the production of oral solids and in packaging.

Buyers looking for specific solutions, but also operators “just browsing” for new technologies and solutions: with this audience Interpack once again proved to be the perfect showcase for technological advancements and the most innovative proposals, and MG2 didn’t squander this opportunity.
As much was reported by Manuela Gamberini, marketing manager for the renowned builder of processing and packaging machinery, which has managed to bring to completion, in time to show them at the fair, even its latest and most challenging developments.
The concern, which hails from the Emilia region, has invested in two fields in particular during the last year. Gamberini points out that this has been a year of numerous initiatives, both in terms of technology and of communication, first and foremost in the realm of processes, where, with the new MultiNETT weight control system, the concern has taken a leap forward in terms of dosage precision, even just a few milligrams, the most difficult to check or control.  but also in packaging, where the efforts of MG2’s designers have focused primarily on in line track & trace, tailored for specific systems for flacons and boxes, and currently in a phase of further development for other applications.

The hi-tech capsuling machine
Tekna is the name of the capsuling machine presented at Interpack as the crowning achievement of MG2 technology, for manufacturing hard capsules containing powders even in low doses and without pressing.
«We focused on building a state-of-the-art machine - Manuela Gamberini explains - as far as capsule processing and product metering is concerned.
«We have managed to contain the size, despite the medium-high production speed, and reached high levels of ergonomy user-friendliness, maintenance and cleanliness. Designed specifically for containment applications, Tekna is at any rate also available in the basic version without insulator and WiP / CiP but as ever equipped with all our high performance devices, starting from the most recent and innovatory among the 100% of net weight control systems embedded in the machine, field which MG2 has pioneered and for which it still holds the technical record.
Called MultiNETT, this system has been developed from NETT, which was developed in order to guarantee accurate checks even for low doses, from 40 mg up to the  5 mg or less typical of inhalants, active ingredients with no excipient, etc. Among the many strongpoints of the system, as well as the fact of using a much more sensitive and accurate measurement sensor than the NETT system, one also has the reduction of the weight variability rate of the empty capsule out of the net weight, typical of systems based on the difference between gross weight and tare.

MultiNETT, in fact, univocally assigns a  capacitative sensor to each capsule for the entire length of the process and,  in the moment of measuring the dose, the capsule is open, hence the tare is merely reduced to the base, without any further disturbance to the weight of the cover».
Tekna is capable of producing 70 thousand or 140 thousand capsules/h, depending on the version, but MultiNETT  has practically no limit to the speed of control, to the point where its baptism on the market was on board the MG2 range of capsule filling machines, the MultiFLEXA model, with an output of 250 thousand capsules/h.
«MultiNETT is  the very system that the pharmaceutical companies with low dosage applications were waiting for, and numerous customers have expressed their appreciation. We have also sold it on our laboratory and pharmacy models - Gamberini goes on to say - of which we have on show here at Interpack an example with OEBL 5 class insulator and WET in Place system; and  obviously it was requested on our best-sellling capsule filling machine, the Planet model».

The fastest checkweighter
MultiNETT’s productivity is further enhanced, and greatly so, when the system is installed on a checkweighter for compresses. At the fair, MG2 presented in world preview the new Selekta: a machine that checks weighs and selects (i.e. accepts or rejects) up to 500 thousand compresses/h, depending on the size, shape and coating of the product.
«Selekta is equipped with 36 MultiNETT sensors. No such system on the market is this fast», declares Gamberini. «We have received a lot of positive feedback from visitors. The machine features both the control downstream of the compressing machine,  as well as the control of the blister packing upstream. This first version will then be followed by a Selekta counting machine, for packaging capsules and tablets in flacons, very popular aboveall for supplements and vitamins in particular on the US market, where MG2 has a sizeable market share thanks to the presence of the MG America sales and assistance branch for as many as 26 years.

Compact traceability
In the specific field of packaging, the latest MG2 advancements concern serialization and traceability. Required by law  in a growing number of countries and adopted for economy (preventing returns and recalls costs much less than upgrading after problems arise), traceability is all the more important when the products whose safety needs to be guaranteed are “sensitive” ones such as pharmaceuticals, food, cosmetics, etc. «At Interpack we presented our ACE brand track & trace systems,  the  BT/300 fitted for for flacons, and  the CT/400 for cartons,, on show at the stand, or the BN/30 for bundled products.

The system prints a univocal 2D Data Matrix ID  code on each unit and  simultaneously constantly scans, checks and monitors the quality of the print coding. After the print checking operation, in the event of flaws, the unit is rejected from the packaging line. Their distinguishing feature and reason why they are appreciated are their exceptional compactness, which enables them to be integrated with existing lines, resolving  key  issues of space and layout within the facility.
The other successful characteristic of these machines is their modularity and flexibility, that enables us to use the customer’s preferred vision system and configure it to their various marking and checking needs. A truly broad range of formats and sizes can be handled, with easy setting and minimum adaptation».