Bosch Introduces New FHM 1000 for Flexible Filling of Liquid Pharmaceuticals

The new FHM 1000 series, from Bosch Packaging Technology, introduces semi-automated, modular devices for liquid pharmaceutical filling operations. The new development is particularly suited for pharmacists and for the application in laboratories and early clinical trials. Its filling parameters are specified in the laboratory and can then be transferred to production machines without further settings.

“Our goal is to offer our customers compact and modular laboratory filling systems that support their everyday working processes,” said Joachim Brenner, site manager Crailsheim and responsible for the Pharma Liquid product portfolio worldwide. The FHM series significantly facilitates the design of experiments (DoE) for customers. Recording parameters makes it possible to precisely determine cause-effect relationships between influencing factors and target variables by involving customers’ experience.

This “user experience” approach has already been successfully implemented within the Bosch Group. In the electromobility sector, for instance, the very early involvement of potential customers in the design and development process lead to quick marketability to several products. “Our new development was a good occasion to transfer this internal know-how to the pharmaceutical area. An interdisciplinary team of development and market expert successfully implements the user experience approach in our laboratory device FHM 1000”, said Andreas Groβ, product manager at Bosch Packaging Technology.

The laboratory device series currently consists of four different modules: the Human Machine Interface (HMI), the filling module, the weighing module and the needle movement. All automatic processes are operated from the HMI, which is the centrepiece of laboratory device FHM 1000. “The recorded results and parameters can be scaled-up and transferred, for example to high-performance lines”, Groβ explained.

The prototype operates with a peristaltic pump. Further filling modules are planned, for instance with a rotary slide piston pump. According to demand, the different filling systems can then be flexibly exchanged. The integration of a closing module is also planned, enabling containers to be equipped with different types of stoppers. “Our customers could already get a first impression of our development at the Crailsheimer Pharmatag. Their reactions have encouraged us to work even faster on the development of the laboratory device”, Brenner said.