Newman upgrades pharmaceutical labeller

Ben Bold, packagingnews.co.uk, 04 November 2009

A high-speed labelling machine has stopped off in London on its journey from the US to Australia for an upgrade by Newman Labelling Systems.

Newman has refurbished a VAL550 high-speed labelling system for pharmaceutical group Merck that was being sent to its Sydney manufacturing facility.

Merck had the labeller installed in 1999 at its West Point facility in the US, where its use had been relatively limited. When the production line was due to be closed, the drugs firm decided to have the machine renovated by Newman in the UK before having it installed at its Merck Manufacturing Division Australia (MMDA) plant in Sydney.

Matthew Bolton, a project leader at Merck, said: "We were looking to optimise the labelling process in Australia by dual processing diluents and vaccines, rather than the double handling that was currently being done."

Newman replaced all of the VAL550's components and modified its specifications to meet Merck's requirements.

Additions and modifications included an Acuity Vision System; changing the sensors for cap colour, label position and label presence; sourcing and adding a thermal transfer system capable of coping with the speed of the Australian line; and changing the product format to enable the machine to handle 3ml and 2ml glass vials.

The machine is in operation alongside MMDA's existing labeller and is used in the duel processing of diluents and vaccines.