What is Ampoule/vial filling machine?
Ampoule / Vial filling machines are used to fill ampoules and vials with the liquid, which is then sealed. After sealing, the containers are discharged from the output feed for further processing.
Ampoule / Vial filling machines are capable of catering to both ampoules and vials without significant change in their mechanical design. Only specific and few change parts are added to swap between ampoules and vials, without any significant design change and using specialized tools, just like other changeovers.
The filling volume of a container for a particular product is fixed. If the filled volume of the ampoule or Vial is different from the specifications, the container cannot be sent to market and is rejected.
The filling operation is carried out in different stages, where each stage has a specific function, including the following:
Infeed Station - Ampoules / Vials enter the machine through the infeed station, where they are aligned directionally. It consists of a hopper where containers are continuously fed. A star wheel captures individual containers and places them into the filing stage
Filling Station – The filling station consists of a number of needles that fill the specific volume of liquid in the containers. The volume is filled automatically and controlled through pumps. The number of needles depends on the machine's capacity.
Before filling liquid, the containers are blown by an inert gas, usually Nitrogen, for purity and quality enhancement purposes.
When filling is complete and if the container is ampoules, there is a sealing station. In case of vials, the next station is the capping station.
(Ampoule)Sealing Station – After filling, ampoules are advanced to the sealing station, where the flame is used to seal the ampoules. Sealing is performed in more than one stage. In the initial stage, the ampoule tip is warmed to increase the temperature and facilitate the sealing by the main burner. In the final stage, while flaming the tip, a scrapper scraps the ampoule tip from the top, effectively sealing the ampoule and making a curved tip.
(Vial) Capping Station – After filling, Vial is transferred to the capping station, where vials are capped and sealed.
Vials enter the station from the infeed, and caps from the hopper are adjusted on top of the vials. A capper rotates and tightens the cap on the vials. After capping, the seal is placed and sealed.
(Ampoule)Sealing Station – After ampoule sealing and vial capping, ampoules/vials are discharged into the outfeed station, where they are collected for further processing
What can go wrong if a suitable filling machine is not selected?
Let’s discuss some drawbacks of not selecting the appropriate filling machine.
Filled Volume
The strength of any drug product is critical for patients, and doctors prescribe medicine on the basis of strength. There are various ways of expressing the strength of drug products, and the liquid is in milliliters.
Among other functionalities, filling machines are designed for a specific fill volume, and the machine buyer has to specify its fill volume requirement during the purchasing process.
If the ampoule/vial filling machine is not carefully selected, it will fail to fill the container with the required volume. Additionally, it will also become challenging to maintain the volume-to-size ratio of containers.
Ampoule Size
The amount of volume in an ampoule or Vial determines the physical size of the container. Different machine parts, such as change parts and filling needles, are adjusted according to the physical size of the container.
The filling machine must be able to handle all the specified container sizes without any difficulty. Moreover, there must be, under any conditions, no physical damage, such as breakage and scratches to the container. Otherwise, it will be rejected by the quality department.
Satisfactory selecting filling machine is necessary for the production of the specif...
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