Hi-Speed Checkweigher, part of the Mettler Toledo group, introduced a new product specifically designed to handle small, lightweight products weighing less than 200g. The Rx1 system can handle up to 600 containers per minute, detecting missing tablets, components, leaflets, the contents of blister packs and aerosol and fluid levels.
Optel Vision officially lanched the Package Integrity Inspector, a vision inspection system that can perform a simultaneous verification of all the packaging components of a pharmaceutical product, including labels, tamper-evident necklaces, caps and the leaflet and carton, and rejects all flaws from the production line.
A new spray gun for tablet coating was introduced by Spraying Systems. The VMAU is specifically designed to handle viscous liquids and is claimed to offer consistent spraying patterns, reduced clogging and bearding, less downtime and easier maintenance than other products on the market. An accessory called the VMAU Spray Bar has also been unveiled that is designed to reduce installation and maintenance costs by doing away with the need for tubing.
Sturtevant has rolled out a new microniser for small-scale use that should make it easier to scale-up to commercial production of powdered formulations. The Qualification Micronizer jet mill is designed for experimental batches of 5-20g and produces particles as small as a few microns in diameter. It can mill up to half a pound of material per hour, yet is capable of feed rates as low as a few grams per hour with maximum sample recovery.