Pharmaceutical manufacturing is a highly controlled and regulated environment. The production is made in an isolator, where decontamination is mandatory and monitored. Almost every process can be automated to gain in flexibility and sterility.
The Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient industry (API) are manufactured from raw materials through both chemical and physical means. Depending on the complexity of the molecule required, synthesis of APIs might need multi-step complex chemistry utilizing a range of processing technologies. Regardless of where the active pharmaceutical ingredient is made, companies must adhere to strict safety and quality standards set by the country where it will be used.
To respond efficiently to market expectations, production must be easily scalable, the robot’s flexibility being a key factor to enable this.
Whether in a small isolator with a single robot capable of handling several independent or linked operations, or in a complete production line equipped with multiple robots, they allow management of different RTU containers in order to change production easily, should the need arise.
Once individually packed, the journey to shipment starts. The requirements within the secondary packaging area is less restrictive than within an isolator, however the cleanability of equipment still has an essential role. Throughout the task, traceability is mandatory, with robotics offering huge flexibility for inspection at each stage of the process.
With quality assurance having the most stringent requirements, we foresee more and more demand on inspection units. On the secondary packaging area, collaborative aspects of the robots can be considered to ensure safety of the workers while sustaining high levels of productivity.