Julian Petersen, director of business development and product management, at Groninger, a manufacturer of filling and closing machines for the pharmaceutical, healthcare and cosmetics industries, told attendees at Interphex 2023, that the use of automation and robotics in pharmaceutical manufacturing is expected to increase, leading to faster and more efficient production processes, higher quality products and reduced costs. 
 

Among the advantages of robotics, according to Petersen, include flexibility and visibility.

“You can directly intervene with a robotic system better than with a human as the robot is constantly generating data,” Petersen told Contract Pharma. “You have the possibility to really get the human out of the process. The human is imposing the biggest risk to the product. Most contaminations come from humans. Lowering the risk is the key. Robots are a risk mitigation to the process.

Petersen pointed out that in today’s pharma environment, robotics are mainly used for container handling in the aseptic fill & finish process; to replace traditional transport systems; and manual interventions to increase process safety and in secondary packaging as requirements are less strict.  

He noted that robotics, when used correctly, can be beneficial. For example, robots significantly lower risk in aseptic manufacturing. 

Other key benefits:

• Minimizing/eliminating humans in aseptic manufacturing 
• Significantly reducing the number of format parts and increased flexibility 
• Higher process visibility, repeatability, and reliability 

Yet, despite all of the positives associated with robotics, they also have their constraints and limitations. Petersen stressed how important it is for personnel to know how to use robotic systems and to make sure that the robot is not compromised. 
 
“You have to be sure about how you use them. You have to make sure that the robot is not compromising the first air,” Petersen said.  
 
Limitations include:

• Robotic movements are often above and close to critical processes (incl. tools, hoses, etc.) 
• Robots are limited in speed, weight, and space
• Robots can be more costly in comparison to traditional transport systems
• Robots require higher qualified personnel for setup 

In the future Petersen said that authorities will focus more on CFD/smoke studies, media fills and on contamination to proof robustness of processes and technologies.

In addition, he predicted that more and more human activities will be automated in aseptic manufacturing, manual operations will be removed out of the grade A environment by using smart robotic technology in compliance with Annex 1. 

Robots will also connect logistics and fill & finish to ensure a seamless transfer to achieve lights out manufacturing. “Robots are advancing, you cannot stop it,” said Peterson. “They are the future in our filling lines.”