chef jay's food | fully automated packaging of protein bars

Chef Jay’s Food | Fully automated packaging of Protein BarsNovartis | Flexible blister line installed successfully Warner-Chilcott | Innovative packaging for birth control pills

packazineIssue 01/2006

2 | packazine Table of contents | Editorial

Cover

Packaging declarations for Food,

Non-Food and Pharmaceuticals.

News

Corporate News

04 A 3 pack of centuries

06 Expansion in China

Facts & Trends

08 Unwrapping the information on packaging

Customers & Markets

Food & Confectionery

10 Induban | Coffee Dreams from the Dominican Republic

12 Team Spirit strength through unity

14 Nong Shim | Delicate Noodles from the Far East

18 Pull Pack – another step towards convenience

20 Chef Jay‘s Food Products | Fully Automated Packaging Solution Extends

Production Flexibility for Nutriceutical Protein Bar Manufacturer

Pharma & Cosmetic

23 Warner-Chilcott | Innovative Pack-Style for Birth Control Pills

26 Merckle Biotec | Precision all the way along the line

28 Astellas | Capsule filling and sealing lines from a single source on the march

30 “Shut the door” for improved quality – Barrier systems from Bosch

32 BRISTOL MYERS SQUIBB | High-performance packaging systems

for pharmaceutical powders and granulates

34 Novartis | Flexibility counts. Blister line successfully installed at Novartis, UK

Other Markets

37 Service | New customer-specific training courses

39 Sigpack Systems | 100 years of innovation in the service of packaging

41 Events | Inprint

42 SWEEPSTAKES | Tell us what you think of our packazine

Win an iPod or an IXO cordless screwdriver

20 23

Table of contents

packazine | 3

34

Dear Readers,

I am particularly delighted that this year we can

celebrate several anniversaries at the same time! In

1906 Sapal supplied the first packaging machine for

chocolate bars. At that time SIG (now Sigpack Systems)

produced this first packaging machine on behalf of

Sapal. This was the foundation for a successful col-

laboration that still continues today. 100 years later

under the umbrella brand of Bosch both companies

are part of the world’s best-known group of packaging

machinery and systems manufacturers. Together with

our company here in Germany, Robert Bosch in North

America is also celebrating its 100th anniversary.

The name of Bosch Packaging Technology stands

for quality, reliability and regional presence. Thanks to our experience and your

confidence, we can look back on a successful history of machine building. In

the future we will continue to build on these long-term partnerships with you.

In this edition of the Packazine we have once again sought out for you

interesting reports on applications in the pharmaceutical, confectionery,

food and non-food industries. Because of the forthcoming ACHEMA

we are focusing on pharmaceutical solutions. We’d be happy to intro-

duce you to some of these solutions in person at the trade fair!

“Pharma Solutions like you have never seen before”. This is the slogan under which we

will be exhibiting at this year’s ACHEMA in Frankfurt. We are underlining the close co-

operation between our companies and the strategic orientation that they share with

a refreshing worldwide advertising campaign using this slogan. To mark this trade fair

we are showing you our broad product portfolio for the pharmaceutical industry. The

focus will be on innovative applications for syringes and customer-specific solutions.

Do you like our magazine? We want to gear the Packazine to suit your needs

as far as possible. Please return the questionnaire of page 42 to us with

your suggestions and we will automatically enter you in our sweepstakes.

I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you!

Friedbert Klefenz

Friedbert Klefenz

President Bosch Packaging

Technology

Editorial

4 | packazine News Corporate News

A 3 pack of centuriesThis year Bosch has 3 centenaries to celebrate. Three different

centenaries coincide in the Bosch family, now celebrating 100 years

of existence.

Sapal – Société Anonyme des Plieuses

Automatiques, Lausanne – opened its

doors on 2 August 1906. Four weeks lat-

er, on 2 September 1906 Robert Bosch

USA set out on the road to success with

a start-up capital of $ 25,000. In the

same year, SIG (Schweizerische Industrie

Gesellschaft – the Swiss Industrial Com-

pany), now Sigpack Systems, manufac-

tured its first packaging machine (in the

then weaponry department) under sub-

contract from Sapal.

After an advertising campaign for

magnetos

resulted in an overwhelming demand,

Sales Engineer Gustav Klein founded the

first overseas agency in New York. The

US market grew so quickly it soon be-

came necessary to build factories there.

Today, Bosch USA has a staff of almost

18,000 at about 80 locations. These

figures include just under 600 people

at 4 locations working in the Packaging

Technology area.

The 100th birthday is a good reason to

celebrate the entire year and to look

back at the successes of the past. The

high point of the celebrations is the ex-

tensive gala to which customers from all

sectors will be invited. The company’s

history will also be featured in a special

publication, on the company’s website,

and in a film.

The first packaging machine for

chocolate bars

was based on a patent filed in the USA

in 1900 by a German engineer, Rich-

ard A. Berger, for a mechanical device,

which made the packaging of products

in the shape of bars or cubes possible

in a single step (die folding). Founded

by a group of investors, Sapal had only

a Sales Department at that time. A De-

velopment Department for the company

and a production facility followed shortly

afterwards. The actual assembly of

machines began in the year 1919. Having

sold altogether more 10,000 machines

worldwide, Sapal now has a staff of

about 100 employees. For the centenary,

Sapal created a slogan that summarizes

its history of creativity, reliability and

quality in packaging - “Fashion for Food”.

The centenary will be celebrated with a

Family Day in June and an Open Doors

Day on 30 September 2006.

Sigpack Systems has undergone the

transformation

from machine manufacturer to system

provider during its 100-year history.

Please see the detailed account of the

transformation on page 39.

For more information please contact:

Bernard C. Fenner

Phone +41 52 674 7419

[email protected]

+ = 100 % Bosch+

packazine | 5

www.bosch.com/pa

Pharma solutions like you have never seen before.

6 | packazine News Corporate News

Expansion in China

In China, the demand for packaging machinery

has been increasing at an incredible rate of 25 %

per year between 2000 and 2004.

Long success story

Bosch Packaging Technology is a world

market leader in innovative packaging

technology. Bosch Packaging Technol-

ogy (Hangzhou) Co., Ltd. was founded

at the beginning of 2001 as an entirely

foreign-owned company and is locat-

ed in Hangzhou, about 180 km west of

Shanghai. Starting with 14 employees

in 2001, the company grew quickly and

currently (2006) has more than 130

employees.

Business fields

We produce and provide various types

of pharmaceutical packaging machin-

ery, such as capsule filling machines

and syringe fillers, for the industries in

China and South East Asia. In addition,

Bosch Packaging Technology Hangzhou in the near future

packazine | 7

we have expanded into other business

fields, namely for food and confection-

ery packaging. In 2003, we began the

manufacture of the TERRA 25 bag form

fill and seal machine, followed one year

later by the SVE 2510, a sophisticated

high-speed bagger. Chinese customers

producing candy and other confection-

ery also enjoy the market presence and

technology provided by of our plant in

Hangzhou.

Plant expansion

Because it is our goal to better serve our

customer while supporting them with a

continuously increasing range of machin-

ery, we realized that our current produc-

tion site had simply become too small.

Therefore, in early 2005, the Bosch Pack-

aging Management decided to expand

with a new facility. On 10 November

2005, all company associates witnessed

the exiting and important moment – the

groundbreaking ceremony. Despite cold

and rainy winter weather, construction

work proceeded as scheduled in order

to be ready in time for the roof closing

ceremony in early April. The new plant

will be put into use in August 2006. Then,

on a total area of 35,000 square meters

and with a workshop of 15,000 square

meters the new plant will become the

biggest R&D center and production

base for Bosch Packaging Technology

in Asia. We believe that with this expan-

sion, Bosch Packaging Technology in

Hangzhou will enjoy additional success-

ful growth, continue to participate in the

dynamic development of the Chinese

and Asian markets, and be the right

partner for all our Asian customers!


Maggie Zhou

Phone +86 571 8893 5526

[email protected]

Left:

23th February 2006 our

building is like this

Right:

Groundbreaking ceremony in

Hangzhou

8 | packazine News Facts & Trends

Statements on packaging and their

meanings

Part of the marking on packaging is sub-

ject to country-specific legislation. This

includes product data which controls the

movement of goods, gives information to

the consumer and protects the product

against theft or tampering. But of course

the packaging must primarily provide

information on the properties and con-

tents of the product.

Thus the following information can al-

ways be found on food and pharmaceuti-

cal packaging:

● The name of the manufacturer and the

country of origin

● The name of the foodstuff or pharma-

ceutical product

● The “best before” date and expiry

date

● Ingredients and additives / composi-

tion of the drug

● Quantity and price

Hidden packaging information

unwrapped

But if you look more closely at the pack-

aging, you will see information, which

at first sight seems to be unimportant,

incomprehensible or even invisible to

the consumer. In this era of brands and

their imitators, more and more software-

based marking techniques are being em-

ployed to prove that products are genu-

ine and to protect the manufacturer and

customer alike. What does this and other

“packaged” information actually look like?

European Article Numbering(EAN)-code/

barcode

The most common form is the printed,

machine-readable barcode, which plays a

significant role in making the movement

of the goods from the manufacturer to

the consumer easier and faster.

Pictograms / Symbols

Pictograms and symbols have proved

to be very useful in providing important

consumer information without running

into the problem of language barriers,

e.g. as warnings or washing instructions.

Braille

In Germany, all pharmaceutical packag-

ing will have to incorporate information

in Braille from September 1, 2006 follow-

ing a change in the law. Braille will also

be used increasingly on household arti-

cles and foodstuffs.

Thermo-sensitive colors

Temperature-sensitive colors on pack-

aging (e.g. on milk packaging) indicate

whether a product has been overheated

and is therefore safe for consumption or

not.

UV colors

This type of “hidden” information is only

visible under UV light. This technology

has already proved its worth in indicating

whether banknotes are genuine or not.

Tamper-evidence bands

These bands are used, for example, on

screw tops and a damaged band indi-

All pharmaceuticals and a large proportion of the foodstuffs we

consume today are packaged. Although the main purpose of the pack-

aging is to protect the contents, it also serves to provide a range of

information about the product, e.g. on its composition or correct use.

But the packaging also often contains hidden, encrypted or invisible

messages. What information is important to whom?

And, what does it all mean?

Unwrapping the information on packaging

packazine | 9

cates that the bottle or jar has been

opened at least once.

Grids and micro texts

These logos or texts are only visible with

the aid of a special film or magnifying

glass.

Labels

Holograms (3D images) and RFID labels

are being increasingly used for pharma-

ceuticals.

In the case of RFID (Radio Frequency

Identification), product data is stored

on a rewritable microchip, which makes

checks in different locations (along the

distribution chain, supermarket check-

outs) very easy.

Bosch Packaging Technology is of course

also embracing this promising modern

technology and is a skilled partner for

you.

Intelligent packaging in a dialog with

the future

Whatever solution is adopted as a firm

component of a packaging item, it must

contribute to the provision of relevant

product information to all persons along

the process chain. At the same time, eco-

nomic handling, international standard-

ization and the trouble-free and safe dis-

posal of packaging play an increasingly

important role. The packaging of the fu-

ture will therefore become more secure,

more intelligent and more informative,

without becoming more cumbersome.

For more information please contact

Denise Beele

Phone +41 52 674 80 53

[email protected]

Coffee Dreamsfrom the Dominican Republic

Industrias Banilejas – a traditional

family business

With a high market share, the traditional

coffee company Industrias Banilejas en-

joys an excellent reputation with its cus-

tomers in the Dominican Republic. Led

by “Don Rafael”, the company’s secret

to success is based on the integration

of the processes. The coffee beans are

cultivated on company-owned planta-

tions where 1’200 employees tend to the

coffee production and packaging, deal-

ing with every phase through delivery.

Induban coffee can be bought in almost

every store in the Dominican Republic.

Modern techniques for a time-tested

partnership

Up to now, coffee from Induban was

packaged on three reliable Bosch PKS

package makers. After twelve years of

high customer satisfaction with the tech-

nical aspects and particularly the excel-

lent support supplied by Bosch, Indu-

ban once again decided in favor of this

trusted partner. Last May 2005 an order

was placed to continue reaping the ben-

efits of increased flexibility in day-to-day

production: Using the new PMC 4202 BG

Induban is able to package ground coffee

as well as whole beans while also being

convinced of it’s unbeatable cost-effi-

ciency ratio.

The coffee producer Induban will continue to count on Bosch Packaging

Technology. The PMC 4202 BG offers even more production flexibility –

at an unbeatable cost-efficiency ratio.

10 | packazine Customers & Markets Food & Confectionery

Product-conserving packaging

at a high output rate

Two FVS 3101 SQ auger fillers and one

FIW 4011K net weigher are used to pack-

age ground coffee or whole beans. The

low drop height allows a particularly

gentle handling of the product. Due to

the compact design of the auger filler

FVS and the net weigher FIW a setup

with a combination of both on top of one

bag-making unit is possible. This offers

Industrias Banilejas the benefit of the

best dosing technique for whole bean as

well as ground coffee. Two parallel bag-

making units help yield the high output

of the line with up to 95 packages per

minute. The flexible PMC 4202 BG manu-

factures three different sizes of the

coffee package with adhesive tape and

corner creasing of Induban’s choice.

Success based on experience

Industrias Banilejas has been a satis-

fied Bosch customer for many years and

cherishes the close personal relation-

ship with their competent contacts at

Bosch as well as the first-rate Bosch sup-

port. An example in this context would

be the successful conversion of the ex-

isting lines to incorporate a new IPC

control system. However, making a deci-

sion in favor Bosch was aided by another

customer’s experience: During a visit to

a large German coffee roaster, Induban

was able to see a PMC 4202 BG machine

in operation and receive a first-hand im-

pression of the production advantages.

Convinced by the proven quality, ad-

vanced technology, first-class project

management and service the transaction

was finalized by a handshake at Inter-

pack in April 2005. Since February 2006

Industrias Banilejas is running the PMC

4202 BG successfully in operation.


Martin Kühl

Phone +49(711)811-57480

[email protected]

from left to right:

Rafael Portillo, Plant

Manager and Head of

Industrias Banilejas

Rafael Perelló

Coffee packaging line consisting of:

1 package maker PMC 4202 BG

2 auger fillers FVS 3101 SQ

1 net weigher FIW 4011 K

1 valve applicator CVA 2000 VIS

1 check weigher KWI 3010 N

packazine | 11packazine | 11


Team Spirit Strength Through Unity

Right at the official start of the Packaging Machines Business Unit

(PA-PM), Demaurex SA, Tevopharm BV and Transver AG combined their

forces to meet the demands of their customers.

A Chinese proverb says: “The superior

man acts before he speaks, and after-

wards speaks according to his action“

– a quotation perfect for the Packaging

Machines Business Unit: right after an-

nouncing the creation of the new busi-

ness unit and acting as a team, a joint

project by Demaurex, Tevopharm and

Transver was already underway.

Exquisite Biscuits

In the year 1870 the pharmacist Charles

Delacre started his own company with

the same name „Delacre“. He prescribed

chocolate as a remedy for his pharmacy

customers and was so successful with it

that he opened his first factory in 1891.

He already produced at that time inge-

nious new biscuits at a Patisserie level.

Delacre then requested a flexible adapt-

able packaging solution for his individual

fine creative biscuits.

A win-win situation

One or several Delacre cookies are

wrapped at a time and then put into

boxes with the Flowpack machine. Tevo-

pharm performes the wrapping process

and Demaurex provides the pick-and-

place operation. Transver, a conveying

specialist, was the missing link to bring

the project to life. Compatible yet stand-

alone, the Demaurex and Tevopharm

machines can interlink directly and feed

a Pack-200 with Delfi, or use a Transver

conveyor for a different configuration.

In this case, the cookies travel on

Transver belts conveyors, pass through

Demaurex Delfi and the Tevopharm

wrapper, return on Transver belts and

finally feed into a Demaurex Presto

Dual Collator. Not only products pass

from one machine to the next, data is

also exchanged. The Delfi systems pro-

vide the Pack-200 with its input rate so

the wrapper to adjust its own speed,

increasing the line’s efficiency.

1 Transver TD Conveyor, hygienic,

convenient and safe.

2 Tevopharm pack-200, the medium speed

servo driven flowrapper

3 Presto Top Loader for automatic box

packing wrapped products.

Demaurex Delfi for feeding wrapper

packazine | 13

Tevopharm Pack-200

The modular Pack-200 is a medium speed

versatile flow wrapper. It is equipped

with a minimum of mechanical parts and

has many of the same identical parts of

the successful Pack-2000.

The Transver conveyors

Transver is indisputably a conveying sys-

tems expert. The compact design of their

conveyors allows easy integration. With

smooth surfaces and avoidance of nooks

and edges, their belts have a long ser-

vice life under tough working conditions.

Transver is the perfect interface for pack-

aging machine modules.

The Demaurex Delfi

More than just locating the products

to pick, the current Delfi offers a large

range of quality controls. With a new

vision system based on the latest known

algorithms, it is now easy to sort and

choose the products to be packaged.

The Demaurex Presto Dual Collator

The Demaurex flexibility continues. With

two independent collating chains, this

evolution of the famous Demaurex Top

Loader offers even more capabilities of

integration: merging two separate flows,

synchronized or not, is now a standard

feature, even with two different products.

PA-PM believe in progress

In close collaboration and by sharing

their know-how, the Packaging Machines

companies supply solutions combining

years of experience and mastery in all

packaging application fields. The future

development will be driven in this direc-

tion to improve the product quality and

the services of the Business Unit. As

another Chinese Proverb stated:“ The

whole is more than the sum of its parts.“

For more information, please contact:

Dr. Marc-Olivier Demaurex

Phone +41 21 644 25 35

[email protected]

1 2 3


1

Output 100 % higher

than the past system

with outstanding 98.5 %

efficiency.

2

DAC-Compact Buffer

Easy and convenient to prepare with added

products in sachets.

1 2

packazine | 15

Delicate Noodles from the Far East

In Asia, noodles are an established

mainstay of the daily meal. The

convenient pack with noodles and

spices is enjoying increasing popularity

in the West too.

They are ready to make – prepare

– heat and eat!

The rising pressure to reduce prices

means that these products must be

packed at high speed with extreme care

and at low cost. Sigpack Systems has

commissioned over a dozen packaging

lines for noodles in Asia.

As one of the most popular common

foodstuffs in Asia, noodles are to be seen

everywhere. For many people, a «noodle

nest» often constitutes an entire meal.

Because they can be prepared in a flash,

they are constantly finding new fans –

not only in Asia but in Europe and in the

USA, too.

Growing consumption prompted Nong

Shim, the leading manufacturer of noo-

dles in Korea, to increase its production

capacity and to modernize its packaging

hall accordingly. In order to consolidate

its leading position, it was necessary to

improve the efficiency of the entire pro-

cess. Under no circumstances was the

price to increase. Sigpack Systems was

able to offer the high-speed solution de-

sired by Nong Shim.

Noodles on-the-go

52 rows of 10 noodle nests with a dia-

meter of 130 mm, leave the manufactur-

ing process every minute. The individual

rows are aligned accordingly and any ir-

regular nests are automatically rejected.

The noodles, with a temperature of

110°C from the process are fed into the

new DAC compact buffer with a capac-

ity of up to 7 minutes. The integrated

cooling in the buffer section reduces the

temperature down to 35°C. Two lines are

fed at the same time with a maximum

out fed of 64 rows per minute. A weight

station checks the product before it is

provided to the FBF inline infeed with

string belts. The crumbs fall so directly

into the catch-trays to prevent problems.


Synchronization at its best

An outstanding detail is the simultaneous

packing of up to three sachets containing

the powdered flavouring, dried vegeta-

bles and oil. Two FVV sachet loaders fed

each up to 350 sachets per minute. The

sachets that are fed in on one track are

cut, placed on top of the noodles and

on top of each other. The feeding speed

of the sachet loader corresponds exactly

to that of the chain that transports the

noodles. This prevents the sachets from

slipping. The pusher is constructed in

such a way that enables it to transport

the sachets and the noodle nests gently

to the packaging station.

The request for variable sachets in a flow

pack is increasing and gives new oppor-

tunities also for established products.

Speed is at a premium

Output is 100 % higher than that of the

past system. We are talking, of course,

about the output that can be achieved

with the new high-speed packaging line.

Two HBM pillow pack machines pro-

duce a total of up to 640 hot sealed OPP

packs a minute. Nong Shim produces its

own film material. The sealing equipment

has been adapted to the characteristic

of this excellent OPP film, to allow high

speeds at shorter sealing times.

The efficiency of this high-speed packag-

ing line for noodles in the Far East lies

with outstanding 98.5 % even higher than

guaranteed by Sigpack Systems. The en-

tire system is fitted with a very slim line

layout. Any problems that may arise are

displayed on a screen. Only three people

are required to run both packaging legs.

Their tasks are limited to monitoring, reel

changes and minor maintenance work.

The customer is extremely satisfied with

the new system, not least thanks to the

high level of support provided by Sigpack

Systems throughout the planning,

construction and commissioning stages.


Urs Schweizer

Phone + 41 52 674 65 14

[email protected]

1 Product from Process

2 Aligning and Quality Check

3 DAC Compact Buffer

4 Cooling Section Buffer

5 Double Buffer Distribution

6 Weight station

7 FVV Sachet Feeder

8 HBM Flow Wrapper

12

3

4

5

67

7

8

packazine | 17

If you’re looking for product handling that is out of the ordinary, that is as special and unique as your product, we are the partner for you. We have proven expertise, which provides fl exibility and innovation to your existing equipment or to a new line. Our standard platforms easily fi t individual customer requirements, provide lower costs and reduce delivery time. Bosch Packaging Services guarantees regional presence and solid know-how for all products. Day or night, around the clock.

Product handling like you have never seen before.

www.bosch.com/pa

sujet_21.indd 1 30.3.2006 18:05:43 Uhr


Pull Pack – another step towards convenienceSigpack Systems is developing “Pull Pack” – an

innovative opening mechanism for a widely used and

well established style of packaging. A prototype is

already under construction.

packazine | 19

Imagine that right now you’re reading a

good book or riding your bicycle. You’re

dying of hunger. You’d love to have a bite

of your favorite bar. But how can you un-

wrap the bar easily and quickly – with

one hand and without touching the prod-

uct? An illusion? No, because with Pull

Pack “convenience dreams” come true!

Simple to open

In contrast to the opening aids in regu-

lar use today such as tear tape, perfora-

tions, zig-zag cuts, etc., Pull Pack can be

opened easily and in a controlled man-

ner. You hold the product in one hand

and use your other hand or your teeth

to pull on the seal fin along the shorter

edge of the packaging. The product with

its packaging sits firmly in your hand and

immediately the bar is ready to eat. And

you can do it under any circumstances.

New marketing possibilities

The controlled opening of the pack and

the clearly defined pulled off section of

the packaging opens up all sorts of pos-

sibilities for marketing. For example, the

pull-off section of the packaging could

be used as an object to collect for a

competition. It could also be used in a

co-sponsoring project for advertising the

2006 World Soccer Championships or

the Super Bowl – or, for children, the

latest Disney cartoon. These are new

opportunities that could help to position

the product afresh and thus boost sales.

Letting pictures speak

for themselves

With packaging, communi-

cation is an important key

to success, whether it be for

a new product, a new

type of taste or even for a new

feature on an existing product. There are

a variety of options for clear communica-

tions. With pictograms, for example, it

is possible to illustrate how something

works very easily and in a way that every-

one can understand.

New, old-style packaging

The delightful thing about it is that Pull

Pack does not represent a complete-

ly new style of packaging. Rather, this

opening mechanism is an innovative

further development of a widely used

and well established style of packag-

ing – another very important argument

when it comes to investment. Pull Pack

requires no new machinery and also no

new process. It only requires one addi-

tional module for existing flow wrapping

machines. That’s all you need in order to

apply the opening aid.

Consumers are impressed

A survey of consumers which was car-

ried out recently elicited many positive

responses. Most reactions show that the

opening mechanism brings practical

benefits. It’s simple, neat, clean, quick,

fun and has novelty attraction.

The physical “tug” when

you open a package

surprises you and is

fun at the same time.

Consumers say:

● “It’s easier when you’re

traveling”

● “It’s easier when you’re driving”

● “You don’t touch the bar with your

fingers”

● “It protects against dirty fingers”

● “It’s really easy to open”

● “It’s just one movement – it’s clean”

● “There’s no torn foil that has to be

held down”

Implementation of the technology

already underway

The idea for an innovative method

of opening of a package alone is not

enough. Of course you also need the

appropriate mechanisms so that it can

be implemented efficiently in the pack-

aging process. The additional module

which can be applied to existing flow

wrapping machines is currently being

developed by Sigpack Systems. The first

prototype is already under construction.

The aim in future is also to be able to run

trials for our customers using this

prototype alongside the actual develop-

ment work.


Bruno Oberle

Phone +41 52 674 6357

[email protected]

to success, whether it be for

type of taste or even for a new

feature on an existing product. There are

The physical “tug” when

you open a package

surprises you and is

fun at the same time.

Consumers say:

● “It’s easier when you’re

traveling”

● “It’s easier when you’re driving”

Quick, clean and simple

– that’s how the bikerider

enjoys his bar


Fully automated packaging solution extends production flexibility for Nutriceutical Protein Bar Manufacturer

packazine | 21

Demand for healthy protein bar leads

to efficient packaging line

Growing production demands led the

company to implement more efficient

packaging machinery to replace its cur-

rent manual processes. Littmann chose

to partner with Doboy Inc.: “The com-

pany’s quality of equipment and com-

mitment to service were the reasons for

my investment. Doboy could address

all of my packaging concerns. They had

everything I need including horizontal

wrappers, carton formers, carton clos-

ers, robotic placement of the soft pliable

bar into wrappers and the loading of the

wrapped bar into the carton.“

Efficiency in the making

The extruded bars are then conveyed

to Doboy’s Robotic Delfi Feed Placer

equipped with three robot arms and ad-

vance vision tracking for continuous pro-

duction flow to pick and place the bars

efficiently. Currently, 200 bars per min-

ute can be placed, although the Delfi of-

fers speeds of up to 400 bars per minute.

This allows for Littman‘s planned growth

potential. The bars in the Delfi Feed

Placer come in a dense, random order

and orientation, thus eliminating the

need to space rows of products as with

traditional product distribution, which

requires much more floor space.

Utilizing the advanced tracking system,

Delfi’s vacuum cup end-effectors con-

sistently pick and place the protein bars

directly into the wrapper‘s moving lug

chain.

Simplified equipment changeover

furthers flexibility

The bars are fed to a Doboy Linium 301

horizontal flow wrapper from the Delfi

Jay Littmann, owner of Chef Jay’s Food Products, recently moved from

his muffin shop to a modern 50,000 square foot facility to manufacture

Tri-O-PlexTM super protein bars, a variation of his original health bar.

High in protein and fiber, the bars are made with whole grains for health-

conscious consumers and international suppliers.

Presto Top Loader and 7520 former Bars in the lugchain on their way to the wrapper

from left:

Jay Littmann, owner of Chef

Jay‘s Food Products and Jeffrey

L. Jackson, Product Manager

Pharmaceutical Operations

22 | packazine Customers & Markets Food & Confectionery | Pharma & Cosmetic

robot. “The flexibility of the Linium 301

wrapper and Delfi Feed Placer provides

the type of automation we need,” stated

Littman. Doboy’s Linium 301 wrapper is

a rotary-head horizontal wrapper with

the options of manual, semi-automatic or

fully automatic feeding. The Linium 301’s

servo-driven infeed conveyor interfaces

with the Delfi Feed Placer for variable

speed based on product flow and proper

placement with incredible accuracy. The

wrapped bars convey to a Doboy Model

7520 Carton Former forming two cartons

at a time. The formed carton backlog is

photo-eye monitored to ensure a pre-

cise carton flow necessary based on up-

stream demands. The current production

line has the cartons traveling in one di-

rection. As the product line grows, there

is an option to form two cartons. These

would then travel in opposite directions

to service two separate lines.

Finishing steps

The formed cartons travel to a Doboy

Presto Top Loader where they are filled

with rows and layers of wrapped bars.

Advanced tracking software picks the

product off a moving collation chain and

top loads the moving carton. The exact

location of the bars and cartons during

the pick-and-place process is tracked by

software, therefore only one collation

chain is necessary, which in turn

requires but a small footprint robot only

4 foot wide x 4 foot long. The filled car-

tons then enter the Doboy 840e Tri-Seal

Carton Closer, at up to 30 cartons per

minute. The Doboy 840e accepts random

carton flow and accurately stages the

cartons prior to gluing. The integrated

Nordson Bravura Hot Melt Unit ensures

an accurate glue pattern. Once closed,

the cartons are ready for shipment.

Bright future for increased production

and international distribution

Chef Jay’s is now a leading supplier of

high-quality Tri-O-Plex™ bars in 13 fla-

vors shipped to major nutrition suppli-

ers across the nation and to parts of

Canada, Australia and Europe. Doboy’s

complete packaging solution allows the

company to now package up to 240 bars

per minute, more than twice of what

was achieved through manual labor. “We

like the flexibility of the new Doboy line

and its ability to accommodate differ-

ent product shapes and sizes,” Littmann

concluded. “This flexibility will allow us

to add new product lines in the future

and we anticipate Doboy will be there

with us every step of the way.”


Jane Burbach

Phone +1 715 243 2559

[email protected]

Delfi Feed Placer places bars into the

wrapper

Carton in 840e closer

Delfi Feed Placer and Presto Top Loader

packazine | 23

Innovative Pack Style for Birth Control PillsSigpack Systems is helping Warner-Chilcott to increase

productivity, ensuring uninterrupted supply of hermetically

wrapped blisters of birth control pills.

High technology in a Caribbean

environment

Not only does Puerto Rico have a fantas-

tic year-round climate in an ideal setting,

it also has more pharmaceutical manu-

facturing facilities than one can imagine.

Warner-Chilcott is located an hour’s

drive out of San Juan on the eastern side

of the island of Puerto Rico.

Warner-Chilcott’s existing packaging op-

eration produces blisters filled with birth

control pills. Currently the majority of

blisters are wrapped together with a

patient insert, a wallet holder and a des-

iccant. Some are even sealed hermeti-

cally.

Overcoming challenges

Increasingly though, Warner-Chilcott

wraps all blisters hermetically and with

their existing wrappers could no longer

fulfill the climbing production demands.

Enter Sigpack Systems: to meet the chal-

lenge, Sigpack supplies its HBL machine

– highest-speed hermetic wrapping sys-

tem on the market – to Warner-Chilcott.

Complete system solution

There are four components (blister, wal-

let holder, patient insert, desiccant) to

be consistently fed into the wrapper at

a rate of 175 units per minute. It is criti-

cal to design the component feeders to

match up seamlessly with the wrapper’s

capabilities. All components entering the

24 | packazine Customers & Markets Pharma & Cosmetic

wrapper chain are verified. The system

includes a sophisticated feeding control

which verifies the existence of each com-

ponent with integrated latch out func-

tion to reduce waste of material. Only a

product properly wrapped with all com-

ponents is able to travel on to the down-

stream cartoner. Since the product car-

rier chain and cross-crimper head run on

independent servodrives, Sigpack Sys-

tems incorporated the “no-gap / no-seal”

feature. This provides the benefit that

the heads will not come down on the

components should those be positioned

incorrectly within the film tube. Any in-

valid product will be rejected and the re-

jection verified – all without any break in

the system’s operation.

The ergonomic control screens and built-

in logic result in more efficient operator

and maintenance training and enable in-

dividual operators to operate the entire

system. Software lockout prevents vali-

dation or traceability from being compro-

mised.

Nothing is left to chance

For applications in the pharmaceutical

industry, all batch codes and expiration

dates need to be verified. To achieve

this, Sigpack Systems uses a Vision Sys-

tem to verify the print on the individu-

ally wrapped blisters and to keep a log of

this process. All wrong data is detected

and triggers the rejection of the product.

Always lead, never follow

Sigpack Systems plays a leading role in

the support of their pharmaceutical cus-

tomers and - as demonstrated with War-

ner-Chilcott – provides support to clients

by keeping their finished-goods supply

chain reliable and secure.

Exhibit at Achema in Frankfurt

At the Achema show, 15 – 19 May 2006,

the customized packaging solution for

Warner-Chilcott will be demonstrated

together with an additional robotic so-

lution for product handling and an inte-

grated top-loader platform for end-of-line

packaging.

The combination of the described system

components represents a highly flexible

and economical system that supports

maximum production efficiency and

operator friendliness.

System Illustration Achema

Her

met

ic B

liste

r

Pac

kage

War

ner

-Ch

ilcot

t

packazine | 25

Adding a new dimension to your

pharmaceutical product

More and more, products must be placed

in the spotlight right at the point-of-sale.

It is very important to dress your prod-

uct appealingly enough to catch the con-

sumer’s attention. The flexible TTLi Top

Loader of Sigpack Systems provides all

necessary options to put your product

into the spotlight. Fancy tray designs, like

displays are simple to apply. The TTLi

integrated Top Loader is built as a cus-

tomized solution, achieving maximum

efficiency within a compact layout. Cod-

ing, labeling, leaflet inserts, and qual-

ity inspection are integrated functions.

The TTLi is the perfect extension of the

Sigpack Systems Flow Wrapper system

in which complementary control and

software elements fuse into a seamless

design.

Convince yourself at the Achema and

witness the system in action!


Andreas Graf

Phone +41 (52) 674 6695

[email protected]

Kenneth Hattem

Phone +1 (201) 519-8287

[email protected]

Interview with Jose Carrasquillo, Senior Packaging Technologist of Warner-Chilcott:

What were the main reasons for

Warner-Chilcott to invest in this new

system?

We need additional manufacturing

capacity for the market.

What was Warner-Chilcott looking for

in this system that was so different

from what you did previously?

Warner-Chilcott was looking for a

reliable system with high performance

without sacrificing quality.

What factors went into Warner-

Chilcott’s choice of Sigpack Systems

as a supplier

It was Sigpack Systems experience

with this application. Peace of mind

that we could produce a hermetically

sealed package at the required speed.

Of what value to Warner-Chilcott was

Sigpack Systems‘ ability to deliver a

complete system?

The reason for any client, like me, to

choose a company like Sigpack

Systems is not just for the main equip-

ment, in this case the wrapper, but to

integrate all the ancillary equipment

into a single system and be respon-

sible for the performance of the whole

thing.

TTL

i To

p L

oad

er


Merckle Biotec is banking on Bosch as a total-

systems supplier for their new syringe-fill-

ing system for pharmaceutical products from

the Ratiopharm Group and for new products,

including biotechnogically derived active sub-

stances. The core of the system is the FLS,

which sets new standards in injection-syringe

processing.

all the way along the line

USM – Machine for detraying/traying of syringes

Time pressure filling system

with fully automatic

in-process control

Interior view FLS in isolator

Precision

A member company of the Ratiopharm

Group, Merckle Biotec’s business seg-

ment is the manufacture of biotech-

nologically derived substances and of

drugs made from these.

The challenge: fewer interfaces

Merckle Biotec aimed to replace an exist-

ing line to stay abreast of the increased

demands for capacity and flexibility in

the production of prefilled syringes. The

challenge lay in keeping the cost of in-

terface clarifications as low as possible

despite the size and complexity of the

project. The crucial factors for placing

the order with Bosch were the convinc-

ing product portfolio covering all the

processing stages and an isolator solu-

tion, which, in effect, is already adapted

to the filling and sealing machine.

The challenge: integration into the

existing space

The next challenge was to integrate the

complex line into the existing building.

Here the space-saving concept of the

FLS machine proved to be of particular

advantage, allowing the machine dimen-

sions to be kept to a minimum despite

the many processes involved.

European premiere: ultrasonic

pre-cleaning of syringes

With the RRU washing machine, an ul-

trasonic cleaning process for syringes is

being brought into use for the first time

in Europe. The syringes travel through a

water bath where they are also cleaned

with ultrasonics. After washing,the sy-

ringes are siliconised to ensure optimum

sliding-in properties for the stoppers.

A tunnel that sterilizes itself

Heat sterilization is the final step before

the syringes are sluiced into the isolator

for filling. Here too Merckle Biotec put its

money on Bosch process know-how and

decided to fit the tunnel with a steriliz-

able cooling section. As a result, repro-

ducible standards of cleanness are guar-

anteed at the critical interface between

the tunnel and the isolator. Another im-

portant step towards even greater

pharmaceutical security!

FLS: Slim. Precise. High-performance.

The core of the line is the FLS filling and

sealing machine, providing numerous in-

novations for the processing of syringes.

The conveyor system reduces the me-

chanical load on the delicate syringes to

a minimum, as all the filling and sealing

processes take place without additional

transfers. The slim design of the machine

also allows workstations to be accom-

modated flexibly at the front and rear,

thus combining functionality with the op-

timum use of space. Yet another innova-

tion used on the FLS are the newly devel-

oped pharmaceutical handling units for a

variety of handling tasks in sterile areas,

featuring simple sizepart changeover and

maximum precision.

Integration instead of interface:

isolator technology and filling machine

from a single source

With the use of a Bosch isolator, Merckle

Biotec receives not only the latest in

Clean Room technology but also a fully

integrated system making the interaction

of operaters, machine and product sim-

pler and more secure than the interface

solutions of various other manufacturers.

Bosch would like to thank Mr Klaus

Berghaus, Head of Sterile Medications at

Merckle Biotec GmbH, for his kind help in

writing this article.


Klaus Ullherr

Phone +49 7951 402 517

[email protected]

packazine | 27

Production capacity increase with high

objectives

Astellas Ireland Company Ltd. (formed in

2005 following the merger of Yamanou-

chi Ireland & Fujisawa Ireland) is part of

the Astellas Pharma Inc. which has its

headquarters in Toyko. In order to meet

increased productivity requirements for

the immunosuppressive drug Prograf

(used in transplants), Astellas needed

additional equipment to their existing

Bosch lines. These lines process Prograf

and incorporate extensive measures to

protect operating personnel. When plac-

ing the order for the new equipment

Astellas was therefore interested in a

solution, which increased productivity

while minimizing technical and process-

ing expenditure for operator protec-

tion. To meet those and other objectives

Bosch developed a complete solution

consisting of a capsule filling, machine

plus appropriate peripherals.

Perfect coordination of communication

and planning

The Bosch development plan and the

project communication tools introduced

by Astellas made major contributions to

the completion of the complex line

system on time and within budget. The

customer and the project team had

access to a perfectly coordinated flow

of information during the whole course

of the project. Special customer-specific

machines such as an inspection machine

were combined with “core” machines

represented by the GKF 2500 ASB

capsule filler and a KKE 2500 capsule

checkweigher as well as peripheral

equipment such as product infeed, cap-

sule polisher, drum distributor, convey-

ing units and a metal detector from the

Bosch portfolio were combined to form

a total package. The challenge of com-

bining all components into an ergonomic

and completely automated whole, which

was nevertheless capable of being close-

ly monitored, was achieved to the cus-

tomer’s complete satisfaction. The whole

line is operated from a single user-friend-

ly touch screen, thus reducing operator

intervention (and therefore the associ-

ated security measures) to an absolute

minimum.

Capsule filling and sealing lines from a single source on the march

Astellas Ireland Company Ltd. is banking on the trend to entrust a

single-source supplier with the overall responsibility for the line. The

result is a capsule filling and sealing line operating with perfectly

reconciled modules and requiring minimum operator intervention.

1

Stereoscopic picture:

process steps

2 and 3

Fully automatic

capsule filling line

1 2


Cooperation brings success

In fact, the agreed-upon project objec-

tives were significantly exceeded thanks

to the outstanding cooperation between

supplier and customer. Project Manager

Rory McSchane (Astellas) was delighted

by the lines extreme efficiency. Its pro-

ductivity exceeds 99.5 %. In addition,

product losses dropped by about 60 %

as a result of improved filling techniques.

Extremely accurate when filling, preci-

sion weighing technology, modern sensor

technology, process control and the use

of the inspection machine have result-

ed in a major increase in product qual-

ity. As well as completing the technical

implementation of the scheme, to sup-

port the commissioning of the line Bosch

also developed extensive validation and

qualification documentation for each of

the line components. The supply pack-

age was rounded off by special operator

training and production support. When

Rory McShane spoke at the Bosch Cap-

sule Symposium he made his enthusiasm

about the success of the overall project

and the collaboration with Bosch clear to

all conference participants.


Felix Nink

Phone +49 711 811 57 526

[email protected]

Capsule filling and sealing lines from a single source on the march

from left:

Project managers

Rory McShane

(Astellas Ireland Company

Ltd.) and Felix Nink

(Robert Bosch GmbH)

3

packazine | 29


Isolators – perfect security

Peak filling quality can be achieved

with an isolator. An isolator uses parti-

tion walls, glove ports, sterile transfer

technology and overpressure to sepa-

rate its aseptic interior from the opera-

tor environment, thus enabling a patho-

gen-free, 3- shift filling operation to be

carried out even over lengthy periods of

time. Recently, progress has been made

with regard to the few disadvantages

of the isolator technique those being

the high initial investment cost and the

time-consuming costly approval process.

Since the publication of the FDA guide-

line “Sterile Drug Products Produced by

Aseptic Processing” in September 2004,

in which the isolator was shown to have

significant advantages over traditional

processing, the approval barriers can

now be more easily calculated. The pro-

cess technology for bio-decontamina-

tion has also become more robust and

reliable. The Bosch bio-decontamination

system, SafeVAP, initially launched in

2003, has set standards in efficiency and

reliability and was approved by the FDA

in 2006.

RABS – with the emphasis on the “S”

An alternative and more flexible ap-

proach to achieve better filling condi-

tions – particularly in existing clean

rooms – are so-called Restricted Access

Barrier Systems (RABS). Depending on

the product and production require-

ments, these are designed as half-open

or closed systems and have either active

or passive air conditioning. Flexibility

therefore begins with the barrier design

itself. But not everything marketed as

RABS is truly a RABS. The system, that is

to say the interplay between the barrier

environment and the handling processes,

has a major impact on the definition. The

International Society of Pharmaceutical

Engineers, working for the FDA and di-

rected by Jack Lysfjord (Valicare, Bosch

Group), therefore proposed a defini-

tion in August 2005, which precisely de-

scribes the barrier applications and the

handling processes for RABS. One clear

statement in the definition is that the

doors of the system must normally re-

main closed.

Bosch installed the first RABS as early

as 1995 on a vial filling line and has ac-

packazine | 31

“Shut the door” for improved quality Barrier systems from BoschPharmaceutical filling machines are traditionally installed in clean rooms

with a high degree of air quality. An alternative is the “barrier system”, with

which the expensive sterile space can be reduced to the filling area itself.

celerated the development of this techno-

logy – in 2002 a new design for a passive

RABS on two powder filling lines was

completed and in 2004 a containment

RABS was installed on a vial line.

In the meantime, many different Bosch

component transfer systems for RABS

have found their way into service (and

approval). Bosch offers a whole range of

possibilities for this purpose, all of which

can be customized to meet local require-

ments.

Effective operator protection with

containment RABS

Containment RABS can be used to pro-

tect operators when filling highly potent

products. A containment RABS has a

closed air circuit, which does not dis-

charge air into the surrounding area.

Depending on the potency of the prod-

ucts, the containment RABS can be

made to be correspondingly airtight and

fitted with a pressure-stage design to

preclude contaminating the environment.

Bosch barrier systems do not imply any

contradiction between product quality

and production flexibility. RABS, as well

as isolators, are an interesting option

for simplified format changes and easier

component transfer. The decisive fac-

tors are exactly matched processes and,

of course, firmly closed doors during the

filling process.


Johannes Rauschnabel

Phone +49 79 51 402 452

[email protected]

1 Separation of aseptic area from

operator environment through RABS

2 Powder filling line with passive RABS 3 Mouse hole for separation of infeed and filling

section in a Containment RABS

1 2 3


High-performance packaging systems for pharmaceutical powders and granulates

Rules and regulations such as FDA 21 CFR Part 11 become increasingly

important, as do technical aspects including weight accuracy, seal

integrity, flexibility in the choice of packaging materials and pack styles,

and line efficiency.

Packaging for powders and granulates

Sigpack Systems supplies vertical sachet

packaging systems to the pharmaceutical

and food industries and with its broad

know-how supports the preparation of

documentation packages such as DQ, IQ,

OQ, PQ or risk analyses.

For an international market BRISTOL

MYERS SQUIBB in Meymac, France,

packs powders for oral application in a

3-shift operation with an RGS/KG3

sachet maker. Up to 1000 sachets per

minute are produced and stacked into

cartons with an integrated cartoning

machine.

Primary and secondary packaging as

system solution

The system includes a 6-lane vertical

sachet machine and an integrated inter-

mittent cartoner, producing 750 sachets

packed into 100 cartons per minute on a

footprint of less than 7.5 m2.

Key technology of the sachet machine

is the patented volumetric filler with

125 cycles per minute. An inline weight-

checking system continually controls and

adapts the dosing volume by regulating

the speed of each respective scroll.

Every sachet is check-weighed online and

sluiced out via a dump gate upon failure

to meet the defined plus/minus weight

tolerances. The pivotable dosing module

provides excellent access for cleaning

and maintenance.

Securely sealed tight seams are of funda-

mental significance particularly for

pharmaceutical products. Web preheat-

ing and escorting cross-seam sealing

units guarantee sachets with seal

integrity at high cycle rates and warrant

Modular design

packazine | 33

the requisite flexibility with regard to

packaging materials.

The integrated cartoning machine oper-

ates at max. 100 cycles per minute and

excels with high size flexibility and short

changeover times; the KG3 offers plenty

of space for inserting booklets or inserts

while coding units, code readers and

checkweighers may easily be integrated

as well.

Control philosophy, Management

Information System, FDA 21 CFR

Part 11

The PLC-controlled system operates with

a single 12” colour touchscreen on which

production parameters are adjusted

and displayed. Based on the Siemens

S-7 400 PLC, the 21CFR Part 11 require-

ments are fully met, including audit trail,

password management or user identifi-

cation.

The individually designed Management

Information System (MIS) provides de-

tailed data analyses, evaluations and

statistics. The installed server system

ensures data transfer to the provider

network.

Training, Validation, Life Cycle

Management

Bosch Packaging offers individual train-

ing programs and provides excellent

support for qualification and validation:

training courses from Classroom to On-

the-Job and interactive Computer-based

Training offer customized methods and

modules for specific requirements. A

broad service platform, E-business solu-

tions for ordering spare parts and in

logistics stand for lean processes and

conserve resources.


Holger Botsch

Phone +41 52 674 89 28

[email protected]

1

2

3

1 RGS

2 Sealing module

3 Pouch insertion


Packazine: Novartis International AG is a

big player in the pharmaceutical industry

with $32.2 Billion USD in sales and near-

ly 91,000 employees. What is Novartis

Horsham’s role within Novartis?

K. Hill: On the Novartis Horsham site

there are four divisions: Technical Op-

erations (PharmOps), Novartis Consum-

er Health, Research and Development.

The site being the centre of excellence

for respiratory diseases. Pharma Ops

makes solid dosage tablets, the majority

of these going into blister packs, while

some are bulk-shipped in containers.

Novartis Horsham employs approx 1,000

people, 325 of whom are working for

PharmOps.

Packazine: In 2002, Novartis Global initi-

ated this project to standardize the pack-

aging of pharmaceutical solids. Among

six potential suppliers Bosch was se-

lected as the most suitable for this pro-

ject. Would you please tell us about this

project?

K. Hill: This project was initiated to de-

velop a standard machine that could be

universally accepted across the Novar-

tis plants in the context of the global ra-

tionalization and standardization of the

blister packs.

Packazine: What was your role in this

project?

K. Hill: I was as representative for the

Horsham plant involved in the initial user

requirement specification (URS) for the

cartoning machine. We worked out the

blueprint of basic and optional require-

ments for the ideal cartoning machine.

Packazine: What does this project mean

to Novartis Horsham?

K. Hill: In Horsham we ran our own

project of harmonization. Obviously we

had certain constraints because the

existing equipment which had limitations

in complying with some of the harmoni-

zation standards due to tooling

constraints. When this project was initi-

ated we grabbed it with both hands be-

cause we saw the benefits in improved

productivity.

Packazine: The project was challeng-

ing with many product and site-specific

items. How did you organize all this in

the project phase?

K. Hill: We knew from the start of the

project exactly what our site-specific

requirements of the equipment were. We

set up a cross-functional project team, a

project plan and a detailed action plan.

The team evaluated each particular mod-

ule of the line. All items were then cross-

checked with the Bosch team to ensure

complete clarity and understanding,

nothing was left to interpretation.

Three months before FAT we implement-

ed a ‘Fast Action for Results workshop’

(FAR) in the plant. A cross-functional

group of people who would be working

with the Bosch line once it arrived, brain-

stormed all the potential issues they felt

they would face and set about an action

packazine | 35

Flexibility counts. Blister line successfully installed at Novartis, UK

Kevin Hill, Manager of project engineering at Novartis, Horsham,

gives us an inside view of the project at Horsham to harmo-

nize packaging formats, coupled with the new installation of the

Bosch blister packaging machine.

plan on how to deal with them. This ful-

filled another agenda which was to intro-

duce and engage all people working with

the machine as early as possible, certain-

ly before it arrived.

Packazine: In your opinion, how did

Bosch deal with your specific require-

ments?

K. Hill: In my opinion our project was

handled very professionally. All of my

project team have worked very well with

the Bosch team. For us it was a working

partnership, which was very good. We

are very pleased so far with our experi-

ences with the machine. There are still a

number of items that have to be resolved

but we are working with Bosch to re-

solve them.

Packazine: Where did you see the key

success factors?

K. Hill: First of all, the success came be-

cause the Novartis team was always well

prepared and very interested in the new

technology. Also, more importantly was

the regular communication between the

Horsham Novartis team and the Bosch

team. We agreed to have at least once a

week a telephone conference with the

Bosch team to discuss the action plan so

that the project stayed on track. We also

had regular site visits with face-to-face

discussions, checking on progress and

last but not least getting into the neces-

sary detail of the machines functionality.

This took a lot of hours work but at the

end led to a successful result within the

original time schedule.

Packazine: Your blister line processes

Alu/Alu blisters, Triplex film, as well as

standard PVC/Alu blisters. One of your

products is a hard gelatine capsule that

only weighs 12mg. The cartons are sup-

plied either with or without an inhaler.

How do you evaluate the blister line in

terms of flexibility and product change-

overs?

K. Hill: The flexibility of our medium

speed machine is good. So far we have

only used part of the machines capabili-

ties but we believe we are equipped to

Kevin Hill,

Manager of project

engineering at

Novartis Horsham

New developments introduced sucessfully

Basel, 03/14/2006: Novartis

releases four further high-speed

blister lines out of the Preferred

Supplier Agreement with Bosch.

These will be placed in various euro-

pean manufacturing sites. With this,

the total number of new Bosch in-

stallations at Novartis in Europe and

the US increases to 14.

36 | packazine Customers & Markets Pharma & Cosmetic | Other Markets

tackle further challenges should they

arise. The machine is user-friendly and

can be easily adjusted.

In terms of changeovers it is difficult to

put a fair assessment on it because the

number/types performed have been

limited due to the planned phasing of

moving more products onto the machine.

To date we have predominantly run the

alu/alu packs on the machines.

Packazine: How do you find the pharma-

ceutical production security of the line?

K. Hill: We had very high expectations

concerning the security of the line and

the line met all of them. For example

with our existing camera systems we

had several difficulties to recognize one

of our products on aluminum foil. It is a

transparent capsule with very little

powder in it. We had up to reject 3 %

good blisters on the old equipment. With

the new camera system we could tighten

the tolerances significantly down and

reduce the number of rejected good

blisters to less than 1 %.

Packazine: Please tell us about your

experiences with the Bosch training

program.

K. Hill: We had an initial week of training

for the operators and engineers when

the machine arrived in the plant. We then

had a refresher week of training about 6

weeks later. This was finally followed up

by a visit from one of the Bosch design-

ers to explain the design concept of the

machine. We wanted the designer go

through the design concepts of the

equipment as this underpinned our tech-

nicians understanding and aided faster

solutions when fault finding.

The overall impression of the training

was very good and the operational team

were very pleased with what they had

received.

Packazine: Mr. Hill, thank you for this

positive feedback! We wish you and your

team continued success in the

future.


Katja Vollmer

Phone +49 711 811 576 37

[email protected]

Since September 2005 Novartis, Horsham runs a Bosch blister line TLT2800/CTC with an inhaler feeder,

a Bosch checkweigher, a Neri labeler, Pester bundler, casepacker and palettizer.

packazine | 37

New customer-specific training courses

The Bosch Pharmaceu-

tical Training Depart-

ment in Crailsheim has

been regularly sup-

porting customers with

multilingual courses

on complex areas of

technology. The main

themes are the depyro-

genation tunnel, time-

pressure filling sys-

tems and automation

systems.

Technical enhancement courses for

training in complex areas of technology

increase the pharmaceutical training

portfolio

In-house courses are also available on

request; in these courses on-the-spot

training is provided in small groups and

answers to customer-specific questi-

ons take center stage. This fall we will

extend the range to include our cap-

sule filling machines, focusing on pro-

cess optimization, malfunction search,

preventive maintenance and automati-

on. Perfect customization of all training

courses enables us to provide made-to-

measure training on all the customer’s

Mo

du

les

focu

sed

on

tar

get

gro

up

Kn

owle

dge

& D

eman

ds

Operation

MaintenanceMechanical / Electrical

Automation

Validation

38 | packazine Customers & Markets Other Markets

business areas. Machine operators, tech-

nical support staff, automators, Enginee-

ring and Validation and/or Quality De-

partments are given optimal step-by-step

introductory training, start-up support

and on-the-job training as part of a pro-

duct system change.

Ongoing support with machine-specific

training systems.

Support is also provided in the form of

complete training systems over the en-

tire lifecycle of a machine. The training

is optimally introduced into the project

timetable and consists of training manu-

als, presentations, multimedia modules,

train-the-trainer courses and final qua-

lifications. This variety also allows us to

develop blended-learning concepts. The

tailor-made training products and techni-

cal enhancement course enable you and

your staff to “brush-up” on and conti-

nuously extend your technological skills.

Our staff, who are specially trained for

the pharmaceutical industry, look for-

ward to presenting your individual trai-

ning solution to you.


Günter Lieth

Phone +49 7951 402 481

[email protected]

The

Pro

duc

t C

on

cep

t – „

The

way

we

live

trai

nin

g“

Multimedia

On-the-job

Classroom

Initial

Course Refresher Top Up

Technical

Enhancement

Train-the-

Trainer

Technical Training

System

CBTComputer

based training

packazine | 39

100 years of innovationin the service of packaging

From machine manufacturer to system provider – this year, the Swiss

machinery manufacturer Sigpack Systems AG looks back on more than

one hundred years of company history.

It all began in 1906

when the company, called Schweizeri-

sche Industrie Gesellschaft (SIG – Swiss

Industrial Company) at that time, built

the first packaging machines as subcon-

tractor for an external patent-holder, one

of the founders of Sapal S.A in Ecublens.

These modest table-top machines were

hand-operated but already replaced the

many complicated hand movements

needed to fold wrapping materials. The

result was the simplification of packag-

ing chocolate and soup cubes.

The move to automated packaging at

break-neck speed

In 1921 SIG commenced the develop-

ment and manufacture of its own pack-

aging machines, which could now also

be used for different foodstuffs such as

biscuits and butter. By 1938 the com-

This is what the first hand-operated die fold

machine looked like. It packaged up to 25

Napolitaines per minute and weighed

app. 150 kg. The price at the time was

760.– CHF that would make it a blockbuster

nowadays!

40 | packazine Customers & Markets Other Markets | Events

Everything in one stop - creative and innovative packaging solutions have turned Sigpack Systems

into one of the leading system providers.

pany was producing 26 different types

of machines, and when the year 1981

arrived the range had been extended to

include over 60 types of machines. With

the onset of an all-out boom in automat-

ed packaging in the 1950s, SIG stood

head and shoulders above its competi-

tors when, in 1956, it launched its first

continuously operating horizontal form

fill and seal machine.

A string of successful innovations of

this type continued right up to the pres-

ent day. In 2005, the range included

the compact HCM system platform for

horizontal form fill and seal machines,

the TTLi integrated top loader, the new

WTI tray loader and the RA/KG4 stick

pack machine.

Global market presence

Although the earliest packaging ma-

chines produced by SIG were mainly

delivered to Swiss chocolate manufac-

turers, exports now account for 97 % of

SIG production each year. As part of the

increase in production capacity, the com-

pany left its original location in Switzer-

land’s Neuhausen in 1964 and moved in-

to a purpose-built factory in neighboring

Beringen. In 1999 Sigpack Systems be-

came an independent strategic business

unit within the SIG Pack Division.

Full-range provider of packaging tech-

nology

With the take-over by Bosch Packaging

Technology on July 1, 2004, the Sigpack

Group became part of the world’s fore-

most supplier of packaging technology.

Bosch’s leading position is ideally sup-

plemented and supported by the innova-

tive packaging machines and systems of

Sigpack Systems AG and its almost 600

employees.

As part of the centennial celebrations

of Sigpack Systems AG, an Open Day, a

Customer Day and a Staff Day will be

held in June 2006 in Beringen.

For more information please contact

Brigitte Salm

Phone +41 52 674 74 56

[email protected]

A glance into the SIG packaging

machine assembly shop in its

early years.

packazine | 41

Events 20062006 Trade Show Location Industry

15.05. – 19.05. ACHEMA Frankfurt Pharma

17.05. – 19.05. Interphex Tokio Pharma

20.05. – 23.05. National Pharmaceutical Expo Zhenghhou Pharma

28.05. – 31.05. iran food and drinktec (agrofood) Teheran General

06.06. – 09.06. Fispal São Paulo Food

19.06. – 23.06. Rosupak Moscow General

27.06. – 30.06. ExpoPack Mexico General

11.07. – 13.07. ProPack China Shanghai General

14.08. – 17.08. Embala Nordeste Recife Food

01.09. – 04.09. India packaging Show New Dehli General

September I.I.E.C. Iran Teheran Food

05.09. – 08.09. Bio Farmaceutica Mexico Pharma

06.09. – 07.09. Pakex Ireland Dublin General

12.09. – 14.09. Food Tech São Paulo Food

13.09. – 15.09. Müllereitagung Detmold Food

16.09. – 20.09. Taropak Posen General

18.09. – 22.09. MSV Brünn Pharma

19.09. – 22.09. Tecno Fidta Buenos Aires Pharma

26.09. – 28.09. FachPack Nürnberg General

26.09. – 28.09. PPMA Birmingham General

03.10. – 06.10. Macropack Utrecht General

09.10. – 13.10. Agroprodmash Moscow Food

20.10. – 22.10. Pharm Expo Mumbai Pharma

24.10. – 27.10. Scanpack Göteborg General

24.10. – 27.10. ETIF Buenos Aires Pharma

29.10. – 02.11. PackExpo (PMMI) Chicago General

07.11. – 10.11. Fispal Recife Recife Food

07.11. – 10.11. China Pharm Shanghai Pharma

08.11. – 09.11. CME Shanghai Food

Customer magazine of the Packaging Technology Product Division Robert Bosch GmbH

Editor in ChiefCentral MarketingPhone +41 (52) 674 [email protected]

DesignBOHNER.concept · agency for creative communication & design

PicturesOtlinghaus Fotodesign, Inge Zinsli Werbefotografie, Bosch Packaging Technology

PublisherProduct Division Management, Stuttgarter Straße 130, D-71332 Waiblingen© Copyright · Packaging Technology Product Division Robert Bosch GmbH

The contents of this publication may not be reprinted except by permission. Subject to alterations.

Imprint

packazine

SWEEPSTAKESTell us what you think of our packazineWin an iPod or a Bosch IXO cordless screwdriver

Company stamp or address

Dear packazine Reader,

Please complete the questionnaire and fax it back

to us at +41 (0)52 674 6350 or visit our website

www.bosch.com/pa

Suggestions and Criticisms

EligibilityIt is not required to complete the questionnaire in order to enter the sweepstakes. The sweepstakes are not open to employees of the

Robert Bosch GmbH or their families. The drawing is not open to the public, winners will be notified in writing. There is no cash alternative,

and no exchange is possible. The sweepstakes deadline is 30 June 2006. Any legal recourse is excluded.

Thank you very much for your help and good luck in the raffle !

The packazine Editorial Team

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packazine CategoriesPlease grade the following categories from 1 (= highly informative) to 6 (= uninteresting)

News

Food and Confectionery

Pharmaceutics and Cosmetics

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packazine | 43

Bosch like you have never seen before.

Bosch Packaging is well known for filling and packaging of vials, ampoules, cartridges and bulk syringes. It is with this extensive knowledge and experience that Bosch now introduces a new product line desig ned specifi cally for nested syringes. With quality and innovation in mind, Bosch is introducing a complete portfolio of nested syringe fi lling and packaging equipment. You can expect all of the same great quality, effi ciency, high performance and support as Bosch Packaging offers with our other equipment.

www.bosch.com/pa

MA

CH

sujet_18.indd 1 30.3.2006 16:13:59 Uhr

Locations worldwide Bosch Packaging Technology

Brazil Bosch Sigpack Tecnologia de Embalagem Ltda.Avenida Jurua 606AlphavilleBR-06455-010 Barueri-SPwww.bosch.com.brTel. +55 11 21 17 68 00

ChinaBosch Packaging Technology(Hangzhou) Co. Ltd.391 Wen Er Road Bld. 3Hangzhou High-Tech ZonePRC-310012 Hangzhouwww.bosch.com/paTel. +86 571 88 93 55 26

DenmarkMøeller & Devicon A/SLanggade 43DK-4262 Sandvedwww.m-d.dkTel. +45 55 46 24 00

FranceBosch Techniques d’Emballage S.A.S.Rue de I’Industrie 1F-67116 Reichstettwww.bosch.com/paTel. +33 3 88 20 98 10

Sigpack S.a.r.l FranceBel Air Building58 rue Pottier78150 Le Chesnaywww.sigpack.comTel. +33 1 39 23 01 84

GermanyRobert Bosch GmbHPackaging Technology Stuttgarter Strasse 130D-71332 Waiblingenwww.bosch.com/paTel. +49 71 18 11-0

Robert Bosch GmbHPackaging Technology Blaufelder Strasse 45D-74564 Crailsheimwww.bosch.com/paTel. +49 79 51 40 21

Robert Bosch GmbHPackaging Technology Kölnische Strasse 1–3D-41747 Viersenwww.bosch.com/paTel. +49 21 62 24 80

Makat Candy Technology GmbHFeldstrasse 52D-56269 Dierdorf/Wienauwww.makat.deTel. +49 26 89 94 34-0

Great BritainBosch Packaging Services Ltd.Unit 2A, Meteor Business ParkMeteor Centre, Mansfield RoadGB-Derby DE21 4SUwww.sigpack.comTel. +44 13 32 62 62 6

IndiaMotor Industries Co. Ltd.Packaging Technology DivisionRMB Complex, Hosur Road, AdugodiIND-560 030 Bangalorewww.bosch.com/paTel. +91 80 2299 2033

Japan Bosch Packaging Technology K.K. 3-6-7 Shibuya- kuJ-150-0002 Tokyowww.bosch.co/jp/packagingTel. +81 35 46 62 55-0

Bosch Packaging Services K.K.2-2-2, Nishiura, Funabashi-CityJ-273-00 17 Chiba www.bosch.co/jp/packagingTel. +81 4 74 35 25 74

Bosch Packaging Technology K.K.Shin-Osaka Daiichiseimei Bldg. 4F3-5-24 Miyahara, Yodogawa-kuOsaka 532-0003www.bosch.co/jp/packagingTel. +81-6-6391-4641

NetherlandsRobert BoschVerpakkingsmachines B.V.Industriekade 43NL-6001 SE Weertwww.bosch.com/paTel. +31 49 55 74 000

Tevopharm B.V.Packaging Technology DevisionConradstraat 4NL-3125 BC Schiedamwww.bosch.com/paTel. +31 10 48 85 899

RussiaRobert Bosch GmbHPackaging Technology DivisionOffice: Rexroth HeadquarterSchelkovskoye Chaussee 100, 11.floor RUS-105523 Moscowwww.bosch.ruTel. +7 95 99 53 21-0

SwitzerlandSigpack International AGRheinstrasse 36CH-8212 Neuhausen am Rhf.www.sigpack.comTel. +41 52 674 65 00

Sigpack Services AGA Bosch Packaging Technology CompanyIndustrieplatz 1CH-8212 Neuhausen am Rhf.www.sigpack.comTel. +41 52 674 75 74

Sigpack Systems AGIndustriestrasseCH-8222 Beringenwww.sigpacksystems.comTel. +41 52 674 77 77

Sapal S.A.44, Av. du Tir-FédéralCH-1024 Ecublenswww.sapal.comTel. +41 21 633 52 00

Transver AGZürcherstrasse 42CH-8852 Altendorfwww.transver.comTel. +41 55 451 88 88

Demaurex S.A.Chemin des Mésanges 3CH-1032 Romanel-s/Lausannewww.demaurex.comTel. +41 21 644 25 00

SingaporeBosch Packaging Technology Pte. Ltd.31 Tannery Lane # 04-01SGP-347788 Singaporewww.sigpack.comTel. +65 6746 06 00

USABosch Packaging Technology NAFood and Confectionery Divison9890 Red Arrow HighwayUSA-MI 49106 Bridgmanwww.boschpackaging.comTel. +1 269 466 40 00

Bosch Packaging Technology NAPharma Division8700 Wyoming Ave. NUSA-MN55445-1836 Minneapoliswww.boschpackaging.comTel. +1 763 424 47 00

Doboy Inc.869 South Knowles AvenueUSA-WI-54017 New Richmondwww.doboy.comTel. +1 715 246 65 11

Bosch Packaging Services Inc.2440 Sumner Blvd.USA-NC 27616 Raleighwww.sigpack.comTel. +1 919 877 08 86

www.bosch.com/pa E-Mail: [email protected]

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