 Deblistering
Machine Improves Batch Yield OTC Pepcid is recaptured from rejected blister cards. Savings
paid for two machines in two months. Two deblistering machines helped improve batch yields so much
for J&J Merck, Camp Hill, PA, they paid for themselves in
two months. Installed at J&J Merck's Lancaster, PA facility,
the deblistering machines recapture OTC Pepcid from rejected blister
packs. The machines carefully perforate blisters and remove tablets
which are then inspected and returned to the infeed hopper. Because
the tablets return to the filler so quickly, batch yields increase
savings per shift, adding up to savings of about $50,000 per month. Charlie Love, Senior Packaging Engineer, J&J Merck, managed
the deblistering project. "The two machines speed up recapturing
rejects from the thermoformers. They increase batch yields by
putting more product into the system. And they recover product
in real time - there's no rework afterwards." The deblistering machines are installed next to the reject chute
of the thermoformers. When a number of blisters collect in the reject
bins, operators stack the blisters in the infeed magazines of the
deblistering machines. Pepcid is recovered from each machine at
a rate of 77 blisters per minute. Operation Mr. Deblister™ Product Recovery machines are manufactured
by Gemel Precision Tool Co., Ivyland, PA. The design enables the
machines to recover tablets from push-through and child resistant
blister cards as well as foil-foil and blister cards with stiffening
ribs. The machines recover product so quickly because they handle each
blister card individually. Blister cards are placed into a magazine.
A vacuum cup then pulls an individual blister card out of the magazine
rails and onto it's own nest plate for transfer through the machine. The blister card is then moved to the perforation station. The
lower perforation stripper drives through the nest plate and lifts
the blister card toward the perforation tool. As the blister is
lifted, the sides of the individual blisters touch the tapered wall
of the upper perforation tool. This situates the blister card into
the proper position for accurate knife penetration. The knife penetrates
the blister lidding to a depth of .04 to .08 inches (one to two
mm) but does not damage the tablet inside. After perforation, the blister card is indexed to the knockout
station. Once again the blister is lifted upwards into the upper
knockout tool." The blisters are inverted at the product
push-out station", says Klaus Gehlert, President, Gemel
Precision Tool.
"The perforated lidding opens like a flap and product comes
out of the package and down a chute. The empty blister card continues
down the line where it is knocked out of the nest plate into a
waste receptacle." The transport plate continues to index to the pre-magazine station
where an optical sensor checks to assure the empty blister has been
rejected. If the blister has been removed, the transport plate indexes
to station one and the cycle begins again. Added Benefits Apart from recovering Pepcid quickly, the deblistering machines
have other advantages. They operate with a single person. They work
almost any blister configuration and size, although change parts
are required. Product and scrap are kept separated. And their small
footprint makes them easy to maneuver close to the thermoforming
lines. According to Love, the machines had little difficulty passing all
three validation phases. He would consider using more if the need
arises in the future. PMP News |
