Vial Washing, Filling, Capping & Labeling Machines Precautions for Pharmaceutical Industies

Vials comprise of small containers of different shapes and sizes that are filled with liquid or powder medicines. They are extensively used in pharmaceutical and agrochemical industries to store medications for human, crops and animals. New and recycled vials must be thoroughly cleaned and decontaminated to avoid the risk of bacterial or other pathogens that can cause secondary illness to the patients.

Vial washing precautions

Vial washing must ensure that depyrogenation is achieved. If not, contaminants in the washing process produce pyretic reactions to animals and humans. In addition, failure to clear all bacterial pyrogen such as exotoxins and endotoxins cause various diseases and fever to the consumer.

Safety precautions and cGMP standards must be applied in the washing process. First, these vials must be decontaminated through sterilization and depyrogenating tunnel. These tunnels heat vials to high temperatures eliminating most germs. This is followed by washing process that further eliminates process dirt and other pathogens.

It is important to eliminate contact with human hands which carry many bacteria, pathogen and viruses. An automatic machine prevents most contamination. The washing parts and vials must not come to contact with the environment as due to dirt, bacterial and other contaminants. Sealed washing environment is therefore very important.

The washing process must be carefully controlled to ensure aseptic cleaning. The nozzles or needles used to clean must enter to the glass bottle and spray the required cleaning materials to all parts of bottle before, rising and drying. The tanks used to store cleaning agents must be aseptic to prevent contamination. Each washing station must be independent to avoid cross contamination. Washing and drying must be done in stages as specified in current good manufacturing process (cGMP).

Another important precaution is the materials used to manufacture the cleaning parts. The material must resist corrosion from air, water and the cleaning chemicals. When these parts are corroded, the vials may end up with small metal fragments which can react with the drug and cause contamination. These must be made using high quality stainless steel.

Precautions in filling

The vial filling machine processes encompass both liquid and powder filling. The major precaution is to ensure that the vials are filled with the right quantity of medicine. The pistons, augers must be carefully calibrated and validated to ensure they fill the right amount. Precaution must be taken to ensure that the process is automatic to reduce human and environmental contamination. Parts in contact with vials should be made of stainless steel.

Precautions in capping

Like the washing and filling, aseptic conditions must be maintained by ensuring that there is minimum contact with human hands and environment. Therefore automatic machines are preferred to manual types. The vial capping machine must also provide a 100 % leakage proof seal that does not allow penetration by air, water, pathogens and other pollutants.

Precaution in labeling

The vial labeling machine process is the last operation. Since the machine labels different products; an important precaution is that the right label is used. A wrong label could cause a disaster as patients will be given wrong medicine making their disease worsen while the drug creates a negative reaction due to overdose. In addition, contact parts must be made of materials that resist corrosion.

Inquiry form