Mettler Toledo, a global supplier of precision instruments for use in laboratories and industrial applications, has designed a capsule bag filling system for an unnamed gelatin capsule manufacturer to optimise its capsule counting system. In addition to having extensive expertise in hard gelatin capsules, this manufacturer also offers soft gel capsules in a variety of shapes, sizes and colours, suitable for oral, topical or ophthalmic administration.
Mettler Toledo has installed a WM weighing module, designed for repetitive industrial operations requiring maximum precision, directly under the hopper receiving the capsules. Sampling is carried out on 100 or 200 capsules to obtain a reference weight and the target weight, and permissible deviation data entered into the PLC. The system automatically closes the hopper when the target number of capsules to be bagged is reached.
With Mettler Toledo's system in place, the gelatin capsule manufacturer is now able accurately to invoice customers based on the number of capsules supplied.
Mettler Toledo is continuing to work with the company to develop new solutions to speed up productivity and improve quality. Future projects include the installation of several production lines integrating the new counting system and an automatic bagging system.
Mettler Toledo had previously supplied this company with weighing technology, including weigh booths containing weigh scales connected to an IND690 terminal for the weighing of active ingredients and excipients for capsule formulation. Each booth contains three different-sized scales to allow for the dispensing of small, medium or large volumes.
Additionally, each IND690 terminal is connected to a bar code reader to ensure the correct ingredients are used, and to a label maker to print labels for the finished weighed material.