June 27, 2016 - Giesen

Combined Expertise for Sophisticated Track &Trace Requirements

The XS2 MV TE from Mettler-Toledo Garvens has recieved the renowned Deutsche Industriepreis, "Best of products" award in both 2015 and 2016. The machine's design and strong technology features have excelled in the category of "Production Technology and Engineering".

At a time when counterfeit medication is becoming a global problem, Mettler-Toledo Garvens is helping pharmaceutical manufacturers to fight against potentially dangerous products. The combination system XS2 MV TE is a powerful tool for pharmaceutical producers to rule out falsified medicines. The system combines ink jet printing and vision verification with in-motion weighing and tamper evi¬dent sealing to ensure seamless product traceability from producer through to distribution points and on to the patient. Unique product codes are printed on the collapsible cartons and verified for accuracy and legibility. They serve as a key for legally required quality certificates. The cartons are then sealed with a tamper-evident label and checked for completeness in a highly-accurate weighing process.

The XS2 MV TE system is one of the most compact and complete serialization and checkweighing solutions on the market. The Pharmaceutical industry’s growing demand for easier line clearance and faster product changeover calls for space saving and compact combination solutions. The XS2 MV TE meets these requirements by merging four key industry technologies. The new system was developed in close co-operation with world leading pharmaceutical companies to offer a solution with a high degree of operational flexibility in combination with a small machine footprint.

Dirk Bettels, Senior Product Manager at Mettler-Toledo Garvens and key member of the development team for the XS2 MV TE solution, says: “The new design provides the highest process safety and enables a much faster line clearing during production changeover. This is instrumental for higher overall equipment effectiveness as any intervention into the running process leads to production downtime. The BEST OF Deutsche Industriepreis 2015 and 2016 rewards the innovative construction of the XS2 MV TE. Several challenges were inherent in its development. The printer, verification camera, checkweigher and tamper-evidence seal applicator had to be united in a compact, space saving "end to end" solution. This minimizes the footprint and reduces the space required to install the machine”.

Another challenge was finding an innovative solution for a safety cover which would close the entire machine preventing access during production. A key element of the full enclosure concept is the full length cover with electro-mechanic safety locks. It prevents access while production is running – but ensures quick and easy access to all areas once the handle is lifted after the conveyor stops. It contributes to faster production changeover, line clearance and thus increases uptime. "One of the "pillars" of the success of the XS2 MV TE is the system's entirely meeting the guidelines for quality assurance in pharmaceutical production processes – synonym of GMP in the pharma segment", confirms Dirk Bettels.

Also the interconnectivity of the four "technologies" has been realized. The well-thought integration of the four main components not only allows for a reliable product inspection process, it also ensures data evaluation from the four-in-one operating terminal with a single software interface. Fully compliant with GMP as well as Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) guidelines, the XS2 MV TE also features an open software interface - which eases communication with various standard data protocols and network systems using simple upgrade procedures for future Track & Trace requirements where standards may change or evolve.

The XS2 MV TE system's industry proven, modular design can be fitted with a wide range of marking and optical verification devices. This allows the system to be tailored to specific application and equipment supplier requirements. The system XMV TE is also available as a 3-in-1 version combining printing and camera verification with tamper evident sealing.