The fight against the Covid-19 pandemic is at the top of the global agenda. Delivering vaccines to the world's populations means providing around 8 billion doses - with just one dose for every person in the world. In addition to vaccine availability, a decisive factor in the race against time is the availability of glass vials. To ensure that mass vaccination against coronavirus does not fail because of the container, vial producers are massively increasing their production to avoid becoming the proverbial bottleneck in the supply chain.
However, medical-grade vaccine vials are not standard glass tubes. Whether rolled-edge vials, threaded vials or ampoules, they are all made of special borosilicate glass and require customized production lines. The glass must be resistant to a wide range of chemicals and temperature changes, and must not contaminate medicines, for example. Any interaction between the container and the liquid contained must be avoided, as any chemical interference could alter the vaccine. The slightest scratch or crack can render an entire batch unusable, contaminate the system during the filling process, or even bring the machine to a standstill. The demands placed on manufacturers are enormous: not only must they produce large quantities quickly, but they must also maintain particularly high quality standards. Industrial cameras from IDS Imaging Development Systems GmbH in Obersulm come into their own. In an intelligent multi-camera system for the quality control of vaccine vials at Isotronic GmbH, Bad Königshofen, they manage the image acquisition part of the process.
As production capacity increases, there is a demand for solutions that can be integrated quickly. The "VialChecker" developed by Isotronic meets this growing demand. "Our system enables high-speed processing and is generally used at several points in the production chain. », explique Gregor Fabritius, directeur général d’Isotronic.
The system operates with a maximum of eight cameras per unit, with camera models varying according to the requirements of the corresponding control task.
They observe, for example, the glass of the laterally rotating tube, or the bottom of the glass, and provide high-resolution images. "IDS cameras capture at least 20 images per rotation, which means that up to 120 vials per minute can be inspected for dimensional accuracy or surface finish with the utmost precision", explains Valentin Mayer-Eichberger, Operations Manager at Isotronic. Accuracy is down to 0.01 millimeters for dimensional checks. Defects such as cracks, scratches, chips, inclusions or stains, on the other hand, are detected with an accuracy of 0.1 square millimeters thanks to the powerful cameras. Intelligent software enables precise analysis and classification of defect descriptions.
Experts estimate that worldwide demand for vaccine vials will increase by between one and two billion over the next two years. In order to guarantee adequate protection for this precious liquid, automatic, high-performance control systems are more than ever in demand to meet the immense demands in terms of quality. "We believe that we are meeting a growing demand here with our cameras, and we are delighted to be able to make a contribution to the fight against the pandemic," explains Jan Hartmann, Managing Director of IDS Imaging Development Systems.
For more information:
en.ids-imaging.com
