Accumulators for reducing downtime and optimizing line efficiency

How can a production line’s performance be increased and downtime reduced? The solution is to have accumulators between upstream and downstream machines. This allows pharmaceutical manufacturers to decouple their machines from one another, so that downstream ones can still be fed with product even if an upstream stoppage occurs. Körber’s flexible solutions help customers achieve significant increases in product throughput.

In a perfect world, every machine in the pharmaceutical production line runs at 100% without interruption. But in reality, every machine has its downtimes. These are usually caused by malfunctions. Furthermore, machines with differing production speeds and reaction times can also have a negative impact on overall line efficiency. If a machine goes down, the product flow is interrupted. This can force an entire production line into a costly standstill.  

The solution for this is quite simple: an accumulator that can cache the product in the transfer zone between machines. So even in case of an upstream stoppage, downstream machines will still receive enough product to keep going. The same thing applies in the opposite case, with upstream machines able to continue by sending product into the accumulator for storage. Furthermore, an accumulator can also help compensate for any small differences in machine speeds.

Smooth operations and precise product handling

“Using a Körber accumulator helps the manufacturer easily overcome any minor fluctuations and unforeseen stoppages, thus ensuring smooth operations,” says Michael Dressle, Senior Sales Manager Handling in the Körber Business Area Pharma.
Whether syringes, vials, ampoules, trays, tubs, blisters or cartons, Körber’s flexible solutions can handle any product type. With fragile syringes, safe transport is guaranteed by a non-contact conveyor belt combined with pick-and-place technology. Precise handling is ensured by an intelligent robot arm that picks each product unit individually from the moving production line and returns it just as precisely. 

Reducing downtime by up to 50%

The advantages of product accumulation are manifold. Pharmaceutical manufacturers can reduce their downtime by up to 50% and significantly decrease the rejection rate, thereby optimizing product throughput. Since each product and each machine has different demands, Körber offers flexible solutions to meet every need. The seamless integration allowed by Körber systems lets them fit into each customer’s specific project requirements. “During the planning stage, our experts analyze the production line as a whole, which is how they can achieve maximum efficiency. They also provide our customers with detailed advice on Körber’s different system types and implementations,” says Dressle.

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