In the drug production process, nothing can be left to chance. All procedures are defined in detail and there is no room for improvisation or individual interpretation. That is why quality control is one of the most important operations in the entire production process of any type of drug. From the earliest stages right up to the arrival of the finished product in the packaging machines, quality controllers play a key role.
They are, of course, supported by machines that provide them with data and information on the correctness of the production process. One of the most important of these is the checkweigher (regardless of whether it is static or dynamic), which can be used to determine whether the raw materials have been dosed correctly.
Checkweighers: What they are and how they work
Checkweighers are industrial machines used in various sectors. Not only pharmaceuticals, but also cosmetics, logistics and food and beverage packaging. Their task is to check the weight of the products and to report any underweight or overweight samples. This makes it possible to check immediately whether all legal standards have been met, reduce losses in the production process and maintain high quality standards.
As mentioned, checkweighers are divided into static and dynamic checkweighers. In both cases the “job” to be done is the same (to detect the weight of the products), but the operating methods are different.
- Static checkweighers. The sample to be weighed must be moved up and down the scale for the machine to operate correctly;
- Dynamic checkweighers. As the name suggests, this “version” of the machine does not need to interact with other machines or workers: the weight is detected automatically while the products are moving along the production line.
Minebea’s solutions for checkweighers: the latest innovations
It is easy to see, then, that speed and accuracy are two of the key features of checkweighers for the pharmaceutical industry. Minebea‘s recently introduced machines go precisely in this direction, implementing solutions that speed up the entire process. Thanks to the new WZED load cell with electromagnetic force compensation and high-speed electronics, the German company’s checkweighers offer advantages on a large scale.
The new weighing sensor, combined with the digital control of the checkweigher, guarantees a far higher level of reliability and accuracy than ever before. The new Minebea solutions are now capable of weighing 5-gram products, while at the same time complying with all the quality standards ensured in the past.
All at a speed worthy of a Formula 1 car. Thanks to MID (Measuring Instruments Directive) certification, the German company’s new checkweighers work at a belt speed of 3 metres per second. That is, it can weigh (with very high precision) up to 600 pieces per minute.
In addition, the electronics of the WZED load cell take up less space than previous models and are also easier to clean. As a result, installation of the new cell is easier and access to the machine for routine and extraordinary maintenance is also easier.