Automation of mass testing system
Industrial automation specialist Festo and system integrator QM Systems have jointly developed a new automated laboratory system that can fill, seal and label up to 3,000 vials per hour.
Rapid and accurate mass testing was needed during the COVID pandemic, and the ability to automate the dispensing process offers many opportunities in the post-pandemic world. Applications range from disease detection and medical diagnostics to cosmetics and biotechnology.
Festo and QM Systems have been trading partners for a long time, but the increase in demand for automation in life sciences and lifetech has led them to cooperate even more closely in the last few years. Russell Lotinga, head of business development at Festo, says: “We were approached by a customer who had a clear and immediate need for a high-throughput charging system, but Festo is not a machine manufacturer. We turned to QM Systems because they specialize in the development of automated systems adapted to the needs of customers. Combined with our automation expertise to meet the complex loading and handling requirements, we were able to develop an optimal solution for the customer.”
The cap assembly process uses the Festo EHMD to select and fasten each cap with a specified torque.
Repeatability even at high speed
The original challenge was to develop a machine for breath testing that could automatically, accurately, repeatedly and quickly fill vials to different levels while ensuring traceability to individual patients.
QM Systems designed a high-speed line for filling, sealing and labeling vials based on Siemens control. The system uses two tray feeders – one for the vials and one for the caps – to feed the parts into the machine. The Festo handling system picks up each vial and lines it up vertically, then places them in front of the dispensing head for liquid addition. The cap is then fitted, with a torque check to ensure that the cap fits properly. The filled and sealed vial is then oriented horizontally and conveyed through a conveyor belt for labeling. The number-coded label ensures that each vial can be linked to a specific patient.
Kristian Richardson, Commercial Director of QM Systems, said: “The challenge for this project was high performance, fine tolerances, increased accuracy and variable feed rates. The best possible solution was achieved during the critical commissioning phase. Adaptability plays a key role here, which ensures that we can change the positions during the setup. Festo’s comprehensive range of automation components and significant expertise in specifying complex handling systems enabled us to develop the best solution.”
A high-speed production line for filling, sealing and labeling vials designed by QM Systems.
Precision automation
For optimal accuracy, the automated filling line includes Festo’s VTOE dosing head and VAEM valve control module. With eight dosing needles, the VTOE enables precise dosing of different liquids and filling amounts. Thanks to the flexible and reproducible pressure and opening time, very precise dosage amounts can be achieved. The VAEM valve control module makes it easy to precisely switch the valves and enables individual parameterization of up to eight channels. A time resolution of only 0.2 ms and the fact that the valves are controlled by current, not voltage, ensure high accuracy.
The exact fitting of the end caps is controlled by Festo’s EHMD rotary gripper module. The unique Z-compensation module automatically adapts to the travel distance of the vials. Additional servo drives and controls from Festo work with pneumatic actuators to facilitate the correct orientation of the vials during dispensing and then rotate them horizontally to allow the application of individual labels.
The automated filling line includes Festo’s VTOE dosing heads and VAEM’s high-speed valve control module.
Significant progress
The new automated dispensing system can provide variable fill volumes from sub-10 microliters to bulk dispensing of much larger batches. The system processes 3000 vials per hour and achieves a repeatability of +/- 0.5% for fill volumes from 50 µl to 1500 µl.
In summary, Kristian Richardson said: “This automated system is designed to handle one type of vial and cap with variable dosage levels. However, the automation principles can be easily expanded and adapted to other customer needs. Compared to previous handling systems, its significant advantage is greater speed and accuracy, and it can be used both for dispensing and testing blood and other body fluids as well as non-medical fluids.
Source: www.technokrata.hu
