The RFID Integrated Auto-Colt III System will allow pharmaceutical and other manufacturers to more effectively combat counterfeiting and improve track-and-trace throughout the supply chain, thus achieving a higher level of security and control, claims the company.
RFID has emerged as a strong contender as a track-and-trace technology that can help solve supply chain security problems, which came to the fore once again last week after a report suggested that one in seven drugs on the market around the world is fake.
NJM/CLI said the system, which is based on its existing Auto-Colt III pressure sensitive labeller (pictured) uses an RFID antenna and a track-and-eject-verification system to apply and verify pre-encoded tags. After applying the label, the system reads and verifies every tag and automatically rejects bottles with nonconforming tags from the production line.
The machine can handle round, oval, square and rectangular containers from 1 to 14 inches in height and from 5/8 to 7 inches in diameter at speeds up to 250 units per minute, depending on tag type and reader components, according to NJM/CLI. It can apply wrap around labels as well as single and multi-panel labels.
The company also notes that the labeller can be changed over in less than 15 minutes with no tools required, making it easy to switch between projects.