At the IPACK-IMA show in Milan, The PFM Group introduced their new Scirocco Flow Packer with Vision System Robot, including a Super Long Dwell high-speed cross sealing system and automated, vision-assisted infeed system.

Continuous motion sealing increases Scirocco’s speed to 200 ppm by optimizing sealing temperature, pressure and dwell to maximize the sealing portion of a cycle and produce guaranteed hermetic seals for air and moisture tight pharmaceutical and modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) applications.

As trends such as Process Analytical Technology (PAT) take hold, pharmaceutical manufacturing leaders recognize that industrywide standards such as ISA 88 and ISA 99 need to be applied in packaging. At a Make2Pack luncheon at IPACK-IMA organized by ELAU, PFM’s Sergio Perrachi documented the first such application on the Scirocco machine of both ISA 88 and 99 principles, for systems integrator SL Controls and implemented on ELAU’s PacDrive automation system.

PacDrive is already in extensive use by the world’s major pharmaceutical companies. PFM has taken advantage of PacDrive’s change detection software, modular programming framework and use of pre-tested, reusable software objects from its extensive IEC-conforming Function Block libraries – all of which serve to reduce engineering costs while simplifying validation and GAMP compliance.

Six PacDrive servo axes perform product infeed, film unwind, crimping and sealing. The Vision System Robot uses vision to locate and pick randomly spaced products from the transport belt, and place them precisely for presentation to the flow wrapper. In addition, an automatic register mark based film splicing system allows precise on-the-fly reel changes with no impact on machine speed.