Traceability is a must in the pharmaceutical industry. Ensuring process precision and control, preserving product integrity, and minimizing the risks of contamination and product mix-ups are essential requirements in a sector facing increasingly stringent safety regulations and a growing variety of product types and formats.
These rigorous requirements have been translated into a fully automated industrial solution for sorting and palletizing shipping cases, developed for CINFA. The complexity of the project lies, among other factors, in its ability to process up to 1,200 cases per hour and manage four palletizing patterns, while maintaining full traceability throughout the process. A challenge that required over 1,000 hours of software development.
Beyond current requirements, the system features a flexible configuration that allows new formats to be introduced and adapts to future production changes, helping to extend the equipment’s service life and reduce the need for additional investments, thereby protecting CINFA’s initial investment.
Traceability and batch control system in the pharmaceutical industry
The process begins with the reading of two-dimensional (2D) codes. Based on this identification, an algorithm automatically determines the outfeed line, placement sequence and corresponding palletizing pattern for each product format.
Automated diverters sort cases by size, type and destination, maintaining a continuous and orderly flow.
The software also manages batch information and case contents, providing full visibility into the composition of each destination pallet and ensuring correct product grouping, thereby reducing the risk of mix-ups between different product types or batches.
The system updates the pallet traceability record each time the manipulator places a new layer, until the configured target height is reached. Once completed, the pallet is discharged and stretch-wrapped. Finally, the corresponding label is applied and its readability is verified through an additional scan.
Software development: process control, communication and monitoring
The software controls operations and coordinates communication between the different systems, using the collected data to manage and coordinate the operation of the entire installation.
The algorithm optimizes resource utilization and cycle times, while a monitoring interface provides real-time visibility into the system’s status and allows operators to track the movement of cases throughout the process.
This provides the customer with both an automated control system and full visibility into process operations.
Flexible traceability: a solution ready for future formats
The installation features a batch and case type configuration system that facilitates the introduction of new product variants and formats, adapting sorting and palletizing operations without requiring a complete redesign of the installation.
For CINFA, this capability provides greater flexibility to accommodate production changes, reducing the need for future modifications while helping to extend equipment service life and protect the initial investment.
Over 20 years of collaboration with CINFA in industrial automation
Gurpea’s collaboration with CINFA for over two decades has given us an in-depth understanding of its production processes and specific operational requirements.
This knowledge has helped us develop a solution tailored to its logistics needs, taking into account both the complexity of current sorting operations and the potential integration of new configurations in the future.
This is just one part of the solution developed for CINFA. We will soon share the full success story, with further details on the technologies and developments integrated into the sorting and palletizing system.
