Bosch Packaging Technology to present the new exterior washing machine RAN 3080 for vials, ampoules and cartridges at Achema 2015. The machine removes product residue and other contamination from filled and closed glass containers via a newly developed, efficient high-pressure cleaning process. The transport system, which has also been developed by Bosch, grips the containers at the closure, ensuring an effective cleaning of virtually the entire container surface.

“With the RAN 3080, we are consistently expanding our product portfolio for processing and filling of liquid dosage forms,”explains Tobias Göttler, product manager at Bosch Packaging Technology. “By combining the new exterior washing machine with our numerous other solutions, we can design a flexible line concept.”

The safety of employees and patients comes first for pharmaceutical companies. Consequently, the exterior cleaning of containers after filling and closing plays an important role. “The new RAN 3080 enables the elimination of process-related contamination, which could harm recipients’ and patients’ health,” Göttler says. “By combining the high-pressure process with an efficient transportation system, the new development allows for a residue-free cleaning of up to 400 containers per minute for the first time.”

The machine consists of a rotary platform for cleaning and an identical rotary platform for drying. Following the infeed, the transportation system first grips the container by their closure caps. This enables cleaning of virtually the entire container surface, including the neck. The newly developed ring nozzles of the cleaning station, which for the first time operate with high pressure, subsequently wash the containers from top to bottom. Additional bottom nozzles provide for clean container bases. Pressurized air continuously flows across the closure caps. It stops moisture from getting to the closure rim and into the containers, thereby preventing product contamination.

The RAN 3080 features three individual washing stations, which enable the cleaning processes to be optimally adapted to different customer demands. Up to three different media can be used per cycle; apart from water, acids and alkaline solutions are applicable for heavy contamination. Drying also takes place at three stations with pressurized air from both ring and bottom nozzles, and ensures that no residual moisture sticks to the containers. Thanks to a strict separation of cleaning and drying area, the machine further prevents a re-contamination of the containers after washing. “Due to its residue-free cleaning and hygienic design, the RAN 3080 also complies with the high requirements for manufacturing highly potent pharmaceuticals, such as cytostatic drugs,” Göttler underlines. The identical construction of the two rotary platforms further enables significant savings in spare parts inventory.

Depending on production requirements, the washing machine can be equipped with different containment devices: options range from containment housing for the protection against harmful and toxic substances to macrolon covers for nontoxic applications. An optional circulation system achieves significant savings by consistently re-using slightly contaminated cleaning media.