A pharmaceutical packaging unscrambler is an essential part of a production line. This machine is needed to package products and is usually found at the last stage of the production process. MGA Technologies designs custom primary packaging machines for this type of application.
Whether for primary or secondary packaging, this type of machine keeps product packaging consistent and of high quality.
When Is a Pharmaceutical Packaging Unscrambler Useful?
A pharmaceutical packaging unscrambler (or container orienting machine) makes product packaging uniform. This type of machine can take various forms depending on its purpose. It can be a bottle or vial unscrambler, linear or rotary. Bottles and vials can be handled either by a pre-positioning system or by a system where they move randomly.
This equipment can be used on production lines in every sector, including cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. A selector and a funnel can be fitted on the machine when the containers also need to be filled. However, it can simply set the containers upright in the right position to feed the filler, such as an automatic vial filling machine.
Packaging Orienting Machine for the Pharmaceutical Industry
In the pharmaceutical sector, it is possible to have, for example, a packaging machine for pharmaceutical filters. This machine provides temporary packaging of pharmaceutical filters between 2 production steps. Filters are stacked automatically by a 6-axis robot at the output of the upstream machine. A cardboard box fitted with a plastic bag is placed on a motorized roller conveyor and conveyed to a robotic cell. Inserting the filter stack is made easier by an orienting device, which positions the box once the bag has been applied to its walls.
Please note that a pharmaceutical packaging unscrambler plays an important role in saving energy and time. It prevents production stoppages and takes up little space, as it is compact.
Integrating a Pharmaceutical Packaging Unscrambler into a Packaging Line
Integration automates a key step: orienting, sorting and feeding containers before they are filled or closed. The machine is usually installed upstream of the packaging equipment and must be perfectly synchronized with the line’s output rate to ensure a continuous, uninterrupted flow.
In a pharmaceutical environment, this integration must meet specific hygiene and cleanliness requirements. Machines are built with cleanroom-compatible materials and easy-to-clean surfaces. They can be combined with automated transfer systems, such as conveyors or robots, to limit human intervention. This automation helps reduce contamination risks, improve productivity and keep downstream equipment supplied at a steady rate. Where parts arrive loose, a robotic bin picking cell can take over upstream.
Handling Different Pharmaceutical Packaging Formats
This is a major challenge for unscrambling machines, especially in flexible production environments. Packaging lines must be able to handle a wide variety of containers, such as bottles, jars, ampoules or medical devices, in various sizes and shapes. Modern unscramblers are designed to meet these constraints with quick-adjustment systems and interchangeable tooling.
Some machines allow a format change in a short time without complex intervention, which optimizes production time and limits line stoppages. Detection and sorting devices can also be integrated to ensure packaging is correctly oriented and to reject non-compliant parts. This flexibility allows pharmaceutical manufacturers to respond efficiently to market demands while maintaining a high level of quality and safety.
One of MGA Technologies’ Specialties
The machine described above is one of MGA Technologies’ specialties. When designing a pharmaceutical packaging unscrambler, we take care to minimize the generation of mechanical particles and to make the machine easy to clean. Current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) are taken into account from the very definition of your machine’s architecture. Our engineers also take into account batch changeovers and line clearance.
Product feeding and handling are designed with particular care to preserve product integrity. Printing on the packaging handles batch identification and traceability. Quality control is carried out with application-specific sensors or by vision.
Thanks to several decades in the market, MGA Technologies has developed real expertise in designing and manufacturing primary packaging machines for pharmaceutical products. Our machines serve industrial, mechanical, biotech, pharmaceutical and medical applications. They are robotic, indexed and automated, built on mechanical and mechatronic foundations with digital motion control. Each machine comes with dedicated technical documentation so that customers can integrate it into their own documentation system. MGA Technologies builds machines, such as the pharmaceutical packaging unscrambler, that can be installed in clean rooms, and can design and integrate airflow management, complex containment requirements and clean utilities.
If you need a specific application for your pharmaceutical packaging unscrambler, MGA Technologies can provide the right solution. For further information, contact us!
