Our survey on p. 64 documents the pitfalls packagers have experienced in collecting data, converting it into knowledge, and acting on it. But there’s no question that the payoff—boosting line efficiencies and correcting quality problems early—is too great to ignore. In the pages that follow, we present several successful data acquisition implementations.
Maintaining blow/fill/seal quality
User: Nephron Pharmaceuticals, Orlando, FL
Application: ASEP-TECH 640 blow/fill/seal machines from Weiler Engineering for 0.5-mL or 3-mL LDPE vials of inhalation solutions.
Data collected: Extruder temperature, chilled water temperature going into the blow molds, hydraulic functions and alarms, changes in fill volumes made by operator, particle count in the HEPA-filtered area where the fill nozzles are.
Benefits: Better troubleshooting, which leads to better maintenance and better overall quality.
Technology: Siemens PLC and HMI software from Wonderware that has been tailored to meet Weiler Engineering’s specific needs.
How it works: Each blow/fill/seal machine has its own dedicated PC. Data is streamed to Wonderware software running on the PC.
Who uses data: Line
operators and quality assurance.
Quote: “Before such data was so readily available, you’d wait until something just stopped or broke. Then you’d fix it. Now, if something is problematic, or even beginning to look problematic, the data tells us early enough so we can step in before something breaks.” —Steve Simmons, president, Nephron Pharmaceuticals.
