Travtec Group will launch a special software module that can be incorporated with the company’s market-leading Pharmacarton carton handling, marking and verifying system to provide full traceability of pharmaceutical packs throughout the distribution chain, from manufacture to the end-user. The Travtec Aggregation Module enables a unique label to be prepared at each stage of the packing operation. After coding and verification by the Pharmacarton’s proven carton feeding system, primary packs can be assembled into bundles for shrinkwrapping, overwrapping, or banding.
At this stage, the Aggregation Module checks that the correct packs are present and then prints a label with a 1D barcode containing details of the packs. When the bundles are packed into cases, a similar operation takes place with another summary label produced for each case. This process is then repeated when the cases are placed on a pallet.
The system means that any pack can be traced back easily through every stage of manufacture and distribution. It is centrally controlled and is compatible with SAP and other order processing systems, meaning that individual customer orders and requirements can be directly transferred into the system to ease production planning and remove the possibility for error at the manufacturing stage.
While this level of traceability is not required as part of the forthcoming European Falsified Medicines Directive, Travtec say that it is increasingly being specified by other regulatory bodies for other markets and the Aggregation Module will therefore enable companies easily to trade worldwide in the coming years.
'The Pharmacarton incorporating the Lixis PVS Vison System and Wolke m600 Advanced printer is already FMD-ready but the addition of the Aggregation Module offers companies the reassurance of future-proofing against further legislation,' said Travtec Group Managing Director Harry Thomason.
The Lixis PVS is a high-end OCR/OCV imaging system that offers reliability, accuracy and speed for a wide variety of inspection requirements throughout the packaging process. Its character recognition and verification software reads both pre-printed and in-line printing and it automatically detects shift or rotation variations. Colour verification can also be specified.
All types of barcodes can be monitored including standard formats (EAN, Code 128, SFDA code and Chinese code), and pharmaceutical industry variants such as 1D and 2D codes. In addition, the system can be programmed to check the accuracy of logos artwork and for the presence or position of labels, caps and other items.
The m600 Advanced uses HP technology and water-based inks to deliver clean, maintenance-free real-time coding onto a wide range of substrates, producing characters and bar codes up to 600 dpi. The printer can also be specified with an ink for non-porous surfaces such as blister foil packs, while Travtec’s special Traversing Unit enables the printer to be integrated into existing blister lines with multiple head configurations.
Stand D50
