Project Overview

Case: A major pharmaceutical supplier is prepared to launch a new medication filled into vials containing live cells. Each vial required inspection and cryogenic freezing within 90 minutes of filling. The product was manufactured in batches of 5,000 vials. Each vial required manual inspection for particulates. On average, an operator needed 15 to 30 seconds per vial. As a result, up to 24 operators were required to meet the 90-minute time limit. The key challenge involved distributing vials efficiently to all inspectors within this narrow window.

Solution: Tri-Power Design (TPD) developed an automated conveyor system to distribute vials grouped into “pucks” to 24 inspection stations. After inspection, the system returned approved vials to an off-loading robot that placed them into dedicated freezing trays. In addition, TPD designed and built 24 individual inspection stations equipped with custom Manual Inspection Hoods (MIHs), integrated HMIs, and barcode readers.

On-Demand Vial Distribution

Design Challenges: The conveyor system needed to deliver vials on an on-demand basis because each operator worked at a different pace. Therefore, the system had to anticipate when an operator completed a batch and required additional vials. To meet this need, TPD designed pucks that hold seven vials in a linear array.

The seven-vial configuration aligned with downstream freezing trays that hold 49 vials in a 7×7 pattern. Based on this layout, a SCARA robot picked up seven vials at a time from an upstream machine and loaded them into pucks. The pucks then circulated on a racetrack-style conveyor before diverting onto an accumulation conveyor that fed each inspection station.

Inspection, Verification, and Freezing

At each station, operators scanned vial barcodes, inspected the contents, and recorded a pass or fail decision using the HMI. Failed vials remained at the inspection stations. Meanwhile, approved vials returned to a puck and reentered the conveyor system. A second SCARA robot unloaded the pucks and placed seven vials at a time into freezing trays. Finally, once a tray was full, the system scanned all 49 vials to verify count accuracy and confirm that only approved vials entered the freezing process.

Call 973.227.8214 or email us today to learn more about the Inspection Machine for the CNTO Vial.