Lubrication-free medicine dispenser

• What was needed: drylin® SLW-XY table
• Requirements: We were looking for a precise and completely lubrication-free positioning unit for blister packaging.
• Industry: Medical technology
• Success for the customer: The prototype has been used flawlessly for a year so far. The bearings enable completely lubrication-free and maintenance-free operation.

This machine can be used for pharmacies to take medicines out of their original packaging and pack them into standardised blisters. After the tablet is removed from the packaging, it falls into a stainless steel hopper. At the bottom of the hopper, an optical system detects the passage of the tablet, which finally falls into the correct cell through correct positioning of the blister pack. Software then activates the movement of the motors so that the next set-down position is positioned under the hopper. At the same time, the hopper is lifted by a third motor by a few millimetres so that the tablet is not crushed. This work step is repeated until all cells are filled. Finally, the blister is completely returned to the starting position. Normally, two work steps are required for the repackaging process: unpacking the tablets or film-coated tablets and blistering them. This application, on the other hand, reduces these two operations to one. This results in a time saving of 30 to 50%, less contact with the medicines and increased safety during handling. It brings a significant increase in efficiency without being too big and offers itself as a cost-effective alternative to the otherwise extremely space-consuming machines designed for larger capacities.

For the correct positioning and thus the filling of the blister, the designer relies on a drylin® -XY table (Part No. SLWS-XY-0630-R-320-210 with adjusting thread 8 x 15). The positioning unit moves the blister packaging under the steel funnel on a horizontal plane in X and Y axes with precision so that the tablets always land accurately in the respective cell. They are 100 % lubrication-free, which was important in this application due to the direct contact with the tablets.
The XY table is driven by NEMA stepper motors (Part No. 57HS13 NEMA 23, 1.8 Nm), which are controlled by self-programmed software via an InerpCNC electronic control system. For reasons of speed and convenience, this software runs on a PC with a touchscreen.
The use of the drylin® adjustment unit has proved to be a success for the customer. The original prototype has been in continuous use for over a year without any problems.