Pharmaceutical OEMs and their suppliers know all about the concept of ‘Japan quality’ products. This phrase refers to packaged pharmaceuticals that are flawless in appearance. For, in the Japanese culture, perfect packages indicate a strong likelihood of perfect contents (tablets and capsules). To meet this difficult challenge, small and large manufacturers rely on machine vision systems to perform accurate and consistent inspection of these medications sealed in blister packs.
Scanware Electronic GmbH, based in Bickenbach, Germany, has been designing and building custom vision systems since 1989. Managing Director Harald Mätzig says the company has installed more than 2,000 systems worldwide in good manufacturing practice (GMP) facilities operated by pharmaceutical manufacturers. Each system is highly specialized and designed for these facilities, which require strict environmental control to assure the manufacture of sterile, potent and uncontaminated products for human therapies or consumption.