M E C H A N I Z E D F L O W L I N E

F O R P R O D U C T F I N I S H I N G

A . Z . A k s e n o v a n d F . V. Y a k i m o v UDC 615.45:658.527

Most opera t ions in the f i l l ing and packing depar tmen t s of pha rmaceu t i ca l plants a r e s t i l l pe r fo rmed manual ly . The introduct ion of a mechanized product ion line r e q u i r e s a modern iza t ion of the equipment for washing and s t e r i l i z i n g of the g lass bot t les , f i l l ing with the f inished product, corking, capping and packing.

The organiza t ion of a mechanized product ion line in the f in ished product depar tment made it neces - s a ry to r eexamine the planning of the layout of the technica l equipment, to design new units and appara tus and to mechanize and automate va r ious technological and t r a n s p o r t opera t ions .

Exis t ing equipment was ut i l ized and incorpora ted into the line and some units were modern ized .

The new sys t em of f in ished product depar tment control includes a d i spa tche r control , a two-way com- municat ions link with loudspeakers , a r emote cont ro l of the mechan i sms f rom the d i spa t che r panel of the depar tment and automatic control and warning s ignals f rom cont ro l panels .

The r emote cont ro l of the t r a n s p o r t f ac i l i t i e s is c a r r i e d out f rom three cont ro l posts: the washing depar tment control post, the penic i l l in f i l l ing depar tment cont ro l post and the s t r ep tomyc in depar tment cont ro l post . The washing, drying and inspect ion of the bot t les is c a r r i e d out on four l ines (Fig. 1). On the f i r s t f loor of the shop, where the s to re of bot t les , s toppers and caps is s i tuated, the s e m i - a u t o m a t i c machines 1 for the packing of the bot t les into boxes a r e ins ta l led . The full boxes a re au tomat ica l ly charged into the c r a d l e s of the e l eva to r 2 and t r anspo r t ed to the rece iv ing bay of the 2nd f loor , where they a re covered with s c r e e n s and ins ta l led in the charging posi t ion of the automatic washing machine. Af ter wash- ing in the automatic machine, the boxes a r e t r a n s f e r r e d to the table of the automat ic machine 3, where the s c r e e n s a re l if ted off the boxes by means of a spec ia l mechan i sm 5 which is a conveyor with pe r fo ra t ed band. When the boxes emerge f rom the automat ic machine 3, they a r r i v e at the t r a n s f e r mechan i sm 4, a chain step t r a n s p o r t e r , where they a r e grouped into two rows and t r a n s f e r r e d to the conveyor of the tunnel d r y e r 6. The continuous tunnel d r y e r cons i s t s of six sect ions: the heating and drying sec t ions , the cooling and t r a n s p o r t sect ion. The cooling of the bot t les af ter drying is c a r r i e d out in a cooling chamber which is f ree of e l e c t r i c a l heating e lements . In the lower par t of the cooling chamber a fan is ins ta l led on a f r ame and sp ray nozzles a r e a r r anged under the working line of the conveyor band. The conveyor band is woven of he l ica l ly twis ted s t a in l e s s 1KhlSN9T s tee l wi re .

Technical cont ro l of the t e m p e r a t u r e in the heating and drying sect ions and a lso automatic t e m p e r a - ture cont ro l of the sec t ions is provided in the d r y e r . The hea t e r s in the sec t ions a r e divided into three groups: one group with constant and two groups with va r i ab le t e m p e r a t u r e .

The scheme provides for automat ic and r emote control . The remote cont ro l s e r v e s for the switching on and off of the s e r i e s of hea t e r s of a l l groups by means of push buttons. The cont ro l of the fan is effected by means of a cont ro l knob on the panel of the control and measu r ing ins t ruments . The cont ro l of the d r y e r conveyor is effected f rom a cen t r a l panel.

After drying at 160-200~ and cooling, the boxes with the bot t les a r r i v e at the box holders of the t i l t - ing device 7 (see Fig . 1) which is pe r iod ica l ly ro ta ted 90 ~ around its axis . After a 180 ~ rotat ion, the boxes a r e d i scha rged and the bot t les a r e t r a n s f e r r e d to the conveyor of the bott le inspect ion 8. The boxes drop on a chute to the box r e tu rn conveyor 13, which is ins ta l led under the 1st f loor .

On the inspect ion conveyor 8, which has two guide t r a c ks , the bot t les a r e divided into two s t r e a m s . The middle par t of the conveyor is f r ee of bot t les and is used for the t r a n s f e r of the boxes with the inspec t - ed bot t les to the box a s s e m b l y conveyor 10 via the r o l l - t r a i n 9. The inspect ion of the bot t les is c a r r i e d out

T rans l a t ed f rom K h i m i k o - F a r m a t s e v t i c h e s k i i Zhurnal , No. 3, pp, 47-52, March, 1968. Or ig ina l a r t i - cle submit ted June 30, 1967.

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Fig. 1. Washing and f lask inspection line (2rid floor). Explanations in text.

Fig. 2. Stopper washing line (2rid floor). Explana~'ion in text.

against a white and black background with illumination provided by luminescent lamps. The serviceable bottles are dropped through an orif ice into pan boxes for fur ther t ranspor t along the s t ream.

The re jected bottles are collected into boxes which are removed to a s torage bin when full.

To prevent collisions between the boxes, cut-offs are provided on the four- l ine assembly conveyor, which are automatically operated in accordance with a prescr ibed cycle.

The boxes with the contaminated bottles are taken off at the end of the assembly conveyor and stacked. When enough of these have accumulated, they are moved by the conveyor 17 to the 1st f loor to the tubs 16 where the washing operation is repeated. The tubs are equipped with a monorai l with lift 15 and a special container for t ranspor t and charging.

The pan boxes with the clean bottles a r r ive f rom the assembly conveyor 10 at the rese rv ing conveyor 11, f rom which they rol l via a ro l l - t r a in towards the charging window of the lift 12 which t r ans fe r s the boxes to the 4th and 5th f loors . The elevator is of the cradle type with two chains, equipped with a box cut-off, mounted on the receiving rol l t ra in and ejects the boxes when they approach the charging window. The ele- vator t ranspor t s the boxes to the s t reptomycin and penicillin filling department.

The supply of stoppers and caps f rom the 1st to the 2rid f loor is achieved by a pneumatic method (Fig. 2). One unit se rves for the t r ans fe r and charging of caps into the bins of the three washing and drying units 20, the other for the charging of the four units 12 with stoppers. The stoppers are supplied to the washing units by means of a four -way distribution gate controlled f rom a panel on the 1st floor. F rom the four-way gate the s toppers a r r ive at the cyclone 18 of the charging unit and are dropped into a bin through the chute 22. The charging of the caps is ca r r i ed out analogously.

Two tables 23 with luminescent lamps a r e provided in the department for the inspection of s toppers and caps. The elevators of the shop are used for the t ranspor t of the stoppers and caps to the filling de- partment.

The stoppers and caps which ar r ive at the s t reptomycin filling department are charged into the s t e r - ilizing chambers 24 (Fig. 3) and s ter i l ized for an hour at 115~ The boxes with the s ter i l ized stoppers and caps are placed on the conveyor band 25 and t r ans fe r red to the automatic machine 35. When the auto-

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Fig . 3. S t rep tomycin f i l l ing line (4th f loor) . Explanat ion in text.

mat ic machine is full , the conveyor for the t r a n s p o r t of s topper and cap boxes is a r r e s t e d . When the f i l - ling machines have used up al l the s toppers and caps , a s ignal f rom the automat ic machines causes new boxes with s toppers and caps to be supplied.

The boxes with the bot t les which have a r r i v e d on the 4th f loor on the e leva tor 12, a r e t r a n s f e r r e d to the r o l l - t r a i n of the s t e r i l i z e r 26 and placed on the conveyor of the s t e r i l i z e r . The durat ion of s t e r i l i z a t i on in the tunnel s t e r i l i z e r 27 at 180-200~ is 25 minutes . The design of the s t e r i l i z e r is analogous to that of the tunnel d r y e r . The main d i f ference cons i s t s in the fact that the d i rec t ion of flow of the boxes is changed in the cooling chamber 28 which has the fo rm of a r e v e r s i n g conveyor . After cooling, the boxes a re t r a n s - f e r r e d to the conveyor 29 which is h e r m e t i c a l l y sea led to the en t ry into the s t e r i l i z ing room.

The boxes drop f rom the conveyor to the r o l l - t r a i n of the device 30 which t i l t s them 180 ~ and t r a n s - f e r s them to the box holder . Af ter the box holder has turned over, the f lasks ,which a r e packed in the boxes with the i r necks downwards, a r e placed on the bottom. F r o m the end posi t ion of the ro ta t ing device, the box is taken off by a spec ia l mechan i sm. The boxes a re then placed on the empty box conveyor 32 and moved to a table where they a r e charged with f i l led bot t les . The bot t les which have been left in f ront of the d i s t r ibu t ion conveyor 31, a re pushed on to the band by the next box.

The band of the conveyor 31 en t ra ins the bot t les and d i s t r ibu te s them s u c c e s s i v e l y in the flows: f i r s t the whole flow of bot t les in two, then each of these two again in two, etc. , up to 12 flows. F r o m the f low- d i s t r ibu t ion conveyor 31, the bot t les a r r i v e at the charging conveyor 34 of the automatic packing machines 35. The conveyor 34 cons i s t s of double-f low conveyors on two levels . F r o m the charging conveyor t h e bot t les s l ide on a chute to the r ece iv ing bay of the automatic packing machine. Af ter f i l l ing with product , the bot t les a r e t r a n s p o r t e d in s t r e a m s on the bott le a s s e m b l y conveyor 36, at the end of which the work tab les 37 for inspect ion and e l iminat ion of r e j e c t s a re ins ta l led . The six flows of the a s s e m b l y conveyor converge to fo rm th ree flows, ending in a chute and the conveyors 38 along which the bot t les move to the s emi -au toma t i c box charging machines 39. The box f i l led with bot t les a r r i v e s f rom the s e m i - a u t o m a t i c charging machine at the rece iv ing conveyor 40, at the ro l l t r a i n 41 and the a s s e m b l y conveyor 42. F r o m the a s s e m b l y conveyor the boxes a r r i v e at the c rad le e l eva to r 43. On the c r ad l e e l eva to r the boxes a re t r a n s p o r t e d f rom the 4th to the 3rd f loor to the control s to re . The boxes a r e taken off the ro l l t r a i n man- ually, a r e p laced on wooden bottom plates and kept in the s to re until a cont ro l coupon has been a t tached to them af te r which the s e r i e s goes to the packing stat ion. The bot t les a re taken f rom the boxes and loaded on the conveyor 44 (Fig. 4) which d i s t r i bu t e s them by means of guiding ledges on the inspect ion conveyor 45. The inspect ion conveyors have th ree sect ions: a wide middle sec t ion which t r a n s p o r t s the bot t les as they drop on it and two l a t e r a l sec t ions with three flows each. The inspected bot t les taken f rom the middle flow a r e placed in the s ide flows with the neck up. The inspected and or iented bot t les a r e t r a n s p o r t e d to the automat ic label l ing machines 46. At the end of the inspect ion conveyor the th ree s ide flows converge into a s ingle flow and by means of the flow conveyors 47 a r r i v e in the s to rage bay of the automatic l abe l - l ing machine. The bot t les with the pr in ted labe ls drop via a chute to the packing conveyor 48.

The ca rdboa rd boxes for the bot t les a r e supplied f rom the ca rdboa rd box depar tment by the overhead conveyor 49 to the s t a r t i ng points of the packing conveyors 48, where the bot t les a l so a r r i v e . The working p laces of the packe r s a r e s i tuated on both s ides of the conveyor; at the f i r s t working place, the re is a fe - male o p e r a t o r who opens the ca rdboa rd boxes and in the following p laces , packe r s which check the quali ty of the pr int ing on the bot t les and place them into the ca rdboa rd boxes. The full boxes a r e t r a n s p o r t e d to the end of the packing conveyor . The boxes with the bot t les a r e sea led and taped into packets at the packing

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Fig. 4. Streptomycin filling line (3rd floor). Explanation in text.

table 50 and these packets are again sealed, taped and placed on bottom plates. The bottom plates with the finished product are t r ans fe r r ed by power t ruck to the elevator and f rom there to the finished product s tore. If necessary , the finished products are packed in polythene containers which are sealed by the machine 51.

The boxes with bottles for penicillin a r r ive via the elevator 12 at the 5th floor, where they are s ter i l ized in a continuous s te r i l izer . The filling with penicillin is ca r r i ed out on two lines which are iden- t ical with the s t reptomycin filling lines. The product bottles are brought by the elevator to the 4th floor for s ter i l izat ion and then to the packing department.

The creat ion of a mechanized flow line makes it possible to increase the productivity of labor con- s iderably and to increase the production volume for a given floor space area.

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