Eight robots help to sterilise pharma containers
2 May 2024 
A Greek pharmaceutical manufacturer has installed eight robots to operate a sterilisation line around the clock, boosting throughput and cutting production costs.
Greece’s leading producer of injectable drugs, Demo SA, has successfully automated the loading and unloading processes for the tray-based sterilisation of plastic containers and bags.
Demo, established in 1965, manufactures a variety of injectable drugs from its base near Athens, and exports them to 85 countries around the world. In recent years, it has embraced robotics to help meet the exacting demands of hospitals and other organisations around the globe. It has automated several production and packaging lines with the help of a long-term industrial equipment partner, Sabo SA.
The latest facility that Demo wanted to automate sterilises plastic containers and bags in tray-based systems. After cleaning, the plastic ampoules are filled with injectables. The bags carry sterile solutions, so the highest levels of hygiene are paramount.
As well as meeting high hygiene standards, the robots needed to perform a variety of loading, unloading, picking, placing and transporting operations involving the trays, containers and bags. Sabo specified a total of eight Fanuc robots, consisting of four different models chosen to perform the various tasks.
“For the task of loading and unloading the plastic containers into and out of the trays, we selected a Fanuc M-710iC lightweight six-axis robot,” says Sabo’s sales manager for industrial solutions, Angelos Markou. The robot uses a Sabo-designed end-effector to place and remove multiple plastic containers in a single lift.
To handle the trays, Sabo installed two larger Fanuc six-axis robots – R-2000iC/165F models, which can lift up to 165kg and can operate in tight spaces. The newly automated production line also includes two smaller Fanuc M-10iD/12 robot arms, as well as three DR-3iB/8L delta robots which use end-effector suction cups to handle the bags at high speeds.
Demo has now automated a total of four production lines using a dozen Fanuc robots. “We now have 24/7 uninterrupted production, with faster throughput, reduced production costs and less downtime,” reports the company’s technical director, Argyris Lellos. “We’ve also saved space due to the small footprint of the robots. Further advantages include a better working environment for our employees and a very flexible and easy-to-use operator interface.”
