Performance encapsulated

The ADAPTA series of capsule fillers from IMA Active is known for exceptional precision and flexibility in multi-product dosing. Thanks to the compact performance of its B&R automation platform, the new ADAPTA 50 offers all the advanced functionality of its larger siblings on a one-third smaller footprint.

An apple a day keeps the doctor away – that's easy enough to remember. Unfortunately, reality is often much more complex. Multiple doses of different medications to be taken at different times throughout the day leave us structuring our lives around charts and checklists, fancy pill boxes and organizers. Mix-ups or missed doses can cause dangerous side-effects. Yet, even when we get it right, medication management remains a constant source of stress. And with an aging population, the phenomenon is affecting more people all the time.

"In demanding markets like pharmaceuticals and life sciences, performance is ultimately a matter of patient safety," says IMA Active Automation Manager Marco Minardi. "So, for a best-in-class product line like ADAPTA, every aspect of the machines must meet the absolute highest requirements, particularly the automation technology." The compact size of the new ADAPTA 50 meant that IMA would have to satisfy its demanding performance requirements in a tighter space than ever before.

The intricate timing of multiple-product dosing generates large volumes of data that need to be processed very quickly and coordinated with other features, like the built-in suspension scale used for gravimetric quality control. "With B&R's Automation PC 3100, we got the computing power we needed in a compact, fanless housing," says Minardi. "And running the HMI application directly on a B&R Panel PC 3100 operator panel saved us additional space in the control cabinet."

The ADAPTA 50's dosing unit needs to be aligned very precisely with the fast-moving capsules. "Thanks to the compact performance of B&R's three-axis ACOPOS P3 servo drive, we were able to solve this very dynamic process in only a third of the cabinet space we would otherwise need."

According to Minardi, IMA Active especially values B&R's customer focus. "They're easy to talk to, quick to understand our needs and ready to solve challenges at every phase of the project." Another decisive factor for Minardi is B&R's strong global presence, which is particularly important to a company like IMA, who sells 90% of its machines abroad. "Our partnership with B&R gives us confidence that our machines around the world will always deliver reliable best-in-class performance with the latest the world of automation has to offer."