Dividella modular feeding systems

The power of Dividella’s NeoTOP cartoning solutions is enhanced by modular feeding systems that allow packaging lines to be optimized and tailored for all packaging formats and objects.

Dividella feeding modules can be selected to support Top Loading of sensitive parenteral products. In the case of the new NeoTRAY solution, Side Loading of the contents follows the product insertion where both can be effected simultaneously.

These feeding systems incorporate highly sophisticated technology, developed over many decades and extensively field tested and proven within the pharmaceutical industry.

Feeding concepts

There is a basic conceptual difference between loading and feeding. Whereas ‘loading’ refers to the filling of a package with its contents and inserts, feeding means bringing of the various elements of the whole package to the production process in exactly the correct order and orientation.

The importance of advanced feeding systems can be understood when it is borne in mind that the whole packaging line can only operate at the speed of ‘the slowest ship in the convoy’. Therefore, feeding systems must also operate at sufficient speed and reliability so as not to hold up the overall production process.

Dividella’s feeding and packaging systems embrace modular design and engineering to deliver standardization and customization.

Modular feeding

Modular design means that different feeding elements can be incorporated at will within the overall NeoTOP or NeoTRAY system to support any combination of needs, ranging from specific packaging formats to a wide range of different medicinal products and devices, parenterals or solid forms.

Modular design also recognizes an environment in which requirements and regulations can change rapidly and radically, bringing need for significant reorientations in the production process.

Dividella provides modular and extendable feeding systems to support overall flexibility, maximum control of overall packaging format and ready upgrading and expansion with minimal need for additional investment.

For example, it requires addition of a single module to reconfigure a NeoTOP line from vial packaging to support either vial or syringe package production.

These advantages work together to lower Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and Total Cost of Package (TCP).

Engineering processes

Dividella follows a methodical and logical approach to implementing customer-orientated top-loading concepts for the pharmaceutical industry, refined over some four decades.

The top priority is always to identify the optimal cardboard-based or monomaterial packaging format to suit desired application. Secondly, the appropriate machine is chosen to match target production volume and batch sizes. These packaging systems are carefully designed down to the last detail and have proved themselves in practice every time.

Packaging Process

The packaging process itself starts with the feeding system that supplies Toploading boxes in flat form to the line and erects them. Dividella’s lines NeoTOP 804 and 1604, which have a higher output apply the rotor principle that works in all three spatial dimensions and achieve unrivalled performance within a confined production area. The active erection process ensures also consistent high box quality.

After the erection process, the TOPLoading boxes are placed on a vacuum conveyor system; with the NeoTRAY, the trays are placed on a transfer chain and ‘carried’ through the machine without any lateral guides, The opened boxes and Trays remain precisely in position with no need for further repositioning. Various other proprietary systems such as cameras, marking systems, labelling machines, etc. can easily be integrated into this part of the feeding process, thanks to modular concept and implementation.

Dividella feeding technologies

One of the key challenges in parenteral packaging is to devise a feeding system that will apply gentle yet flexible handling for fragile items such as syringes, vials, pens, soft blisters etc. In this area Dividella is able to apply a very wide range of feeding technologies.

These include:

• Prefilled Syringe Inserter: Syringes are delivered horizontally or upright through a PUCK system for top loading.
• Pen Insertion: A PUCK system delivers pens or Injectors standing vertically upright for top loading.
• Syringes in trays: Syringes are pre-loaded into trays for delivery to the relevant feed-in inserting station.
• Ampoule & Vial Infeed: Standing Ampoules and /or Vials are delivered inline or manual from trays or from a conveyor to a feeding table to the ‘pick and place’ handling units. Pick and place handling stations insert ampoules/vials into open cartons.
• Booklets / Inserts and various other products such as Needles, Swipes, IV Sets, Plungers etc.: delivered manually or from trays and inserted into the completed package prior to sealing.

These feeding systems can align, spread and individually check each element before packaging while handling up to 500 objects per minute, supporting very high production outputs.

Apart from the actual pharmaceutical products, placing inserts can present major challenges. The handling of inserts is a critical area, especially in the case of high-output machines such as the Dividella NeoTOP 804, which can produce up to 240 packs per minute and the new NeoTRAY which produces up to 400 packs per minute. Dividella has developed a wide range of scalable feeding systems for this purpose. Consequently, very large, thick inserts can be fed in at full speed, using minimum labor.

In recent years, Dividella, on the basis of its particular expertise in this area, has also developed a wide range of different customized feed systems, linked to upstream machines – for pens, prefilled syringes, plungers, soft blisters etc.

Medipak Systems sister company MediSeal also uses Dividella feeding systems for its specialist thermoformers. These synergies ensure that systems are used in many different situations, field-tested and further developed to guarantee maximum operational reliability.