YPS: Packing staff reduced with automated packing system

A pharmaceutical supplies company is now operating with reduced packing staff, thanks to investment in an automated packing system.

The system comprises of two Max 12 vertical bagging machines, fed by bowl and swab feeders, and was supplied by automated packaging specialists Yorkshire Packaging Systems (YPS).

The system was delivered to the UK-based operation of a global healthcare provider which is focussed on speeding up the diagnosis and treatment journey of its customers. Automation of its operations allows it to respond to orders quickly, while ensuring pack accuracy, which is vital in the pharmaceutical industry.

The company is using the new packing system to collate and bag anti-obesity medications. Both swabs and needles are delivered from the feeder systems into the pack via the same small bag aperture, requiring a complex infeed system. Differing collations can be accommodated by the system, changing pack contents for each order, when needed.

Overall, the company has gained:

• Significant cost reductions – with costly labour reduced to a quarter of the previous level, employees were redeployed into other areas of the business.
• Consistency – Finished pack quality is the same every time, with no variability.
• Speed – the automated systems achieve high packing speeds which can be scaled over time, if required.

YPS will continue to support the customer by supplying compatible bagging materials as well as delivering scheduled maintenance visits from the YPS engineering team.