Bosch Presents New Development: ARF 1010/1020 for Filling of Ampoules and Injection Bottles in Combination

At the Interpack 2011 Bosch Packaging Technology presents a compact machine for the pharmaceutically safe filling and closing of opened and closed ampoules. Optional, Bosch offers the filling of ampoules and injection bottles in combination. ”The ARF 10x0 is the optimal solution for the small batch industrial production of ampoules, and can additionally be made a combination machine for the processing of injection bottles,” explained product manager Klaus Schreiber. “The new design is characterized by its compact design, with very good accessibility and especially with a laminar flow friendly design of the working stations.”

The ARF 10x0 for the filling and closing of opened ampoules; consists of 2 gassing stations (pre-filling and post-filling gassing), a two position filling station with servo controlled rotary valve piston pumps, and a digital flowmeter for the easy and thorough reproduction of the flame regulation for the closing of the ampoules. The ignition of the flame takes place automatically and can be easily activated from the machine’s operator interface.

The machine is loaded with ampoules or injection bottles via an inclined loading station. The containers are then singularized by a scroll conveyer loaded into the transport starwheel, which runs with an indexing motion. The starwheel gently transports the containers, in a low particle and laminar friendly way through the working stations.

The ampoules in the transport starweel at the closing station are taken by a special holder and rotated for closing. “This process takes place without a rigid bottom or side guides, which guarantees an almost frictionless rotation of the ampoules. This process is on one hand gentler on the packaging materials and the other hand reduces the particle generation,” Klaus Schreiber pointed out.

Another step towards higher pharmaceutical safety is the pivoting motion of the removal grippers towards the back of the machine. In this way the laminar flow over the opened ampoule during the closing (melting) is not disturbed. Also the central flame exhaust as well as the disposal shaft for the ampoule tips are arranged such that the laminar flow is affected as little a possible.