Enhancing Nasal Spray Production Efficiency at Glenmark Baddi Plant with SPAN Inspection Systems
Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Ltd.
Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Ltd. is a global pharmaceutical company headquartered in Mumbai, India, with a significant Global Presence in both emerging and developed markets. Committed to providing high-quality, affordable healthcare solutions, Glenmark operates many manufacturing facilities worldwide. This case study focuses on their Baddi plant, where they faced challenges in the production of nasal sprays, specifically within their three-station filling and packaging line: dip tube insertion, crimping (sealing), and dust cap application.
Challenges on the production line
Prior to integrating SPAN's camera inspection, Glenmark's production team encountered several significant challenges:
Dip Tube
Dip tubes often broke during assembly and insertion into the plastic container or module while the machine was in operation. This resulted in a higher number of rejected products. Worse, these rejected tubes were often packaged, forcing packing staff to perform inefficient manual inspections. Consequently, some defective products made it to market, generating customer complaints.
Crimping station (sealing station)
Due to improper sealing, market complaints arose, making a thorough seal inspection essential. This posed challenges about space constraints, the need for a 360-degree inspection, and the implementation of a reliable rejection mechanism.
Dust Cap
In the last, customer was facing challenge with dust cap. Although, they were using the latest machines use sensor-based technology for cap detection, performance deteriorates over time. The white colour (transparent in nature) could not identify the cap and hence allows it to pass.
Samples provided by Glenmark
AIbeat solution
Deployed on the Glenmark line
SPAN Studied the application and deployed its unique, versatile “AI Beat” solution to serve this application. AI beat uses the power of artificial intelligence to inspect various objects and is quite user friendly. Details of the deployed solution are as below:—
For Dip Tube
Our 1.3-megapixel colour camera system performs two crucial functions: it detects defective tubes, specifically those that are broken, and it also triggers an immediate machine stop. This automated stop feature empowers the operator to promptly remove the defective tube from the production line, preventing further processing.
For Crimping station
A comprehensive inspection of the sealing area was needed to detect various types of seal defects, including half seals, side seals, dents, and scratches. To achieve this, a 360-degree view of the seal was necessary. Therefore, a 5-megapixel colour high-resolution camera, in conjunction with a prism setup and top and bottom lighting, was implemented. This configuration enabled the camera to capture detailed images of the entire seal surface. Furthermore, an integrated rejection mechanism was incorporated into the system. This mechanism automatically finds and removes products with seal defects from the production line without interrupting the overall line speed, ensuring efficient quality control.
For Dust Cap
At the dust cap station, we implemented a 1.3-megapixel colour camera-based inspection system, complete with an automated rejection mechanism. This solution contributes to enhanced efficiency and improves Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) for the customer. The camera system not only verifies the presence or absence of the dust cap but also identifies its colour. If the detected colour doesn't match the expected colour, or if a cap is missing, the vial is automatically rejected before it proceeds to the mono carton packaging stage. Essentially, the system ensures that only vials with the correct cap (both present and of the right colour) are packaged.
Conclusion
By partnering with SPAN and implementing their advanced camera-based inspection solutions, Glenmark successfully addressed critical challenges in their nasal spray production. The tailored solutions for each station—dip tube, crimping, and dust cap—resulted in significant improvements across the board. These included reduced product rejects, minimized customer complaints, increased production efficiency, and enhanced product quality. The combined effect of these improvements contributed to a higher Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) and a stronger brand reputation for Glenmark. This case study shows the effectiveness of SPAN's inspection systems in improving pharmaceutical production processes, ensuring product integrity, and driving operational excellence.
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