A to Z detailed Handbook of Vial Capping Machine

What is Vial capping machine?

Vial Capping machine are used to apply the flip off cap or tear off cap on sealed Glass Vial or bottle. Thus, Vial capping machine is quite imperative technology in injectable formulation plant since they assured ideal hermetic seal & hence integrity of Drug / medicine inside the Glass vial or bottle.

Flip off Cap

Tear off Cap

Classification of Injectable Formulation Plant:

These Injectable formulation plants are broadly divided in following section:

LVP	·       Large Volume Parenterals are sterile injectable drugs packaged in containers labelled as containing more than 100 ml ·       Most are terminally sterilized, but some can be sterilized by filtration and aseptically processed. Example :Glass Bottle Like 100 ml Glass bottle , 250 ml Glass Bottle , 500 ml Glass Bottle and 1000 ml Glass Bottle
SVP	·       Small Volume Parenterals are sterile injectable drugs packaged in containers labelled as containing less than 100 mL that are terminally sterilized. Example: Glass Vial Like 2ml ,5 ml , 10 ml , 20 ml , 50 ml vial both molded vial as well as Tubular vial
SVS	·       Small Volume Parenterals are sterilized by filtration and aseptically processed
SVL	·       Small Volume Parenteral are sterilized by filtration, aseptically filled and lyophilized.
SLQ	·       Sterile liquid (other than suspensions and emulsions)

Significance of Vial Capping Machine

·     The vial cap provides final closure element of a sealed vial thus warrant the integrity of the drug / medicine.

·     The capped vial protects the stopper from outer damage, even as firmly holding stopper in the fully seated sealed position.

·    Quality vial capping, which can be helpful to paramedical staff during injection process for smoothly removing the cap without compromising the sterility of drug.

Sealed Vial Example

How Typically Vial Capping Machine works?

The basic working of  Vial Capping machine is divided among the following assembly of machine.

·       in feed conveyor

·       Feed worm assembly

·       Star wheel assembly

·       Vibrator cap feeding unit

·       Capping Turret

Close View of Capping machine 

Load the Sufficient caps in Vibratory Bowl. The Vials are received from in feed of conveyor and moved to feed worm assy through the slat conveyor. Feed worm will create space between two vials, before it is moved in in-feed star wheel.

Vibratory bowl feeds the cap into the cap chute continuously. If there is no sufficient caps in chute, NO-CAP sensor (Fiber optic Sensor) will give signal to control panel & Machine will Stop.

Now, at In feed star vial index further, take a cap from chute and transfer to  Main capping turret wheel. capping head & Turret rotate clockwise, move down the cam operated capping head one by one with cap die, hold the vial with cap, rotate further and sealing chuck will make a thread on cap & seal it properly.

After completion of cap sealing procedure at last station, capping head moves up and release the sealed vial. Now at out feed star plate, neat and cleaned capped vials will index further and transfer to discharge end of conveyor.

Finally, vial moves to the other on-line connected machine through the conveyor. Totalizer (Counter) will give information of Total No. of capped/sealed vials.

Type of Vial capping machine

Today, vial capping machine are available in variety of configuration. They are normally classified in two categories: Automatic and Semi automatic.

Semi Automatic Vial capping machine

Semi automatic Vial Capping machine is suitable Engineering solution for start-up industries where production demand is low. The machine can deliver 30 vial per minute output depending upon operator proficiency. Qualitative ROPP Capping result due to use of motorized sealing head. 

Single Head Automatic Vial capping machine

The Automatic Single Head Vial Capping machine is extension to that of semi Automatic Vial Capping machine which adopts single motor which is concise & synchronizes conveyor, star wheels, platform turret. Automatic Single Head vial Capping machine Rcan deliver 50 Bottle per minute.

Multi Head Vial capping machine:

The series of Multi head Rotary Vial Capping Machine are dedicated to the capping of vials for injectable products which is very critical part of the production process, since they guarantee hermetic seal & hence integrity of the drug inside the container. Depending upon the output requirement, these series of Multi head rotary vial capping machine are available in assorted configuration like 4 head, 6 head, 8 head & 12 head. The series of multi head Rotary vial capping machines can deliver output of 120 Vials per minute to 400 vials per minute depending upon selected configuration.

Author:

N.K Industries has 3 decade of experience in designing the range of Capping machine including ROPP Capping machine, Screw capping machine, Lug Capping machine, and Vial Capping machine with over 2500 successful installation in INDIA and abroad.