"Xtend² meant a significant boost to our productivity"

After 6 months with the new adhesive application and quality assurance system PharmaCenter is significantly closer to achieving complete quality control.

The carton plant, PharmaCenter GmbH, is located on the outskirts of Germany's capital Berlin and here you have the opportunity to see the latest innovation in quality assurance systems. In 2008 PharmaCenter was one of the first customers to install the latest Xtend², which made its debut at the Drupa 2008. Other machines in the same plant also have Baumer hhs gluing and quality assurance systems from previous generations. They all are equipped with Baumer hhs systems for one reason: To guarantee a perfect product for the customer.

Their previous experience with Baumer hhs systems has left them in no doubt that the Xtend² is the right system for their new folder gluer, installed at the end of August 2008.The Xtend², the successor to the Xtend series represents the latest generation of gluing and quality assurance system. Both designs are based on the successful and industrial recognised modular design, capable of being upgraded according to customer and product design requirement. Additional features of the Xtend² include the ability to communicate with and control the OEM bespoke ejection system and to detect double fed sheets for Braille embossed cartons. "All with one goal in mind: keep it simple and for the operator having to enter the information only once," says Plant Manager Patrick Klewitz.

The Rüdersdorf plant has a workforce of 250 producing both, general packaging (Colorpack) and pharmaceuticals packaging (PharmaCenter). The PharmaCenter is an addition to an existing neighbouring plant and has now been operating for 5 years. PharmaCenter, as the name implies, focuses on pharma packaging manufactured in clean room environment. Most of the cartons produced consists of small straight-line cartons with barcodes, Braille embossing and package insert. These inline processes need to be closely monitored during high machine speeds to ensure rogue cartons are excluded.

The PharmaCenter have concentrated foremost on the Xtend² feature of simple operation and the capability to automatically recognise plugged in components.

"Because we in the PharmaCenter have very short print runs, we took the decision to invest in order to reduce downtime. That made us the pilot users for the new technology from Baumer hhs, and it is now clear that we have made the right decision" says Managing Director Hans-Jürgen Katzer.

Xtend² combines the set up parameters all in one page on the screen, while machine data pages can be found further down the menus.

"The benefit of minimising downtime for each job change was for us a key requirement," recalls Plant Manager Patrick Klewitz "Our typical job runs last for 90 minutes and with the Xtend² each start or recall of a new job can now be done in 2 easy steps."

Quality assurance systems on high-speed gluers have to ensure that no rogue or mixed products reach the end customer, especially so for pharmaceutical packing. Many plants augment detection equipment in an attempt to beat the spectre of a whole job being rejected.

Baumer hhs systems compare the images received from scanners, cameras or sensors to a reference product, then track it through the machine and eject any rogue products. Baumer hhs also supply markers and ejectors, however PharmaCenter in this case decided to have the machine supplier bespoke ejector, with the Baumer hhs system tracking and controlling the ejection system. The gluing department in most carton plants is the last line of defence and it is at this point that products have to be stopped if they do not meet customer quality expectations, regardless of whether the problem first originated either at the board mill, print or finishing department. The product normally comes off the folder gluer onto a pallet and is dispatched to customers. For this reasons an increasing number of plants are investing in quality assurance equipment for folder gluers - to keep production Fail Safe.

PharmaCenter GmbH: The Berlin based company together with neighbour Colorpack is member of the rlc group - Rob. Leunis & Chapman GmbH & Co KG - in Hannover (640 staff). The group has an international presence within the COPACO and GPA alliances and also has a plant in Poznan, Poland. www.packaging-systems.de

Baumer hhs GmbH: The Krefeld based company with 180 staff is member of the Swiss Baumer Group. Mainly supplying system to apply intermittent and precise hot and cold adhesives at high speeds. The product range also includes guns, controllers, pumps, melters and a comprehensive range of quality assurance systems. www.baumerhhs.com

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