Motivation for Automation
· Fewer clean room personnel result in higher sterility assurance levels and reduced bio-burden. 
· Automation provides operator protection when processing potent products.
· Automatic Loading and Unloading System provides higher efficiency, lower operating costs and increased equipment availability compared to manual system.
· Combining Automatic Loading and Unloading System with barrier system provides better control of risks during aseptic processing.
· Automation provides for higher repeatability and easier validation of the process.

 

Nature of Loading Systems (1)Fixed Automatic Loading and Unloading System (Row-By-Row) Systems build unto the freeze dryer and load each shelf one row or several rows at a time.

 

Advantages:
· Handle a wide range of vial size (2ml ~ 100ml)
· Loading speed up to 400 vpm
· Each loader is dedicated to a freeze dryer
· Multiple freeze dryers and loaders are possible within the same suite
· Mainly loading-unloading from the same side
· Suitable for LAF, RABS and Isolator

 

Main Systems:
· In-feed conveyor and transfer disk
· Loading bridge system
· Loading array system
· Loading pusher system
· Unloading pusher system
· Out-feed conveyor / single liner

 

(2)Flexible Automatic Loading and Unloading System (AGV) Systems using “Automatic Guided Vehicle” to load multiple freeze dryer one shelf at a time.

 

Advantages:
· Capacities up to 600 vpm ·
·Mainly Multiple freeze dryers
· Mainly Loading-Unloading from the same side
·Suitable for LAF or RABS installations

 

Main Systems:
· In-feed conveyor and transfer disk
· Infeed station (IS)
· Automatic Guided Vehicle (AGV)
· Outfeed station (OS)
· Out-feed conveyor

 

(3)Mixed Automatic Loading and Unloading System
Combination of fixed and flexible. Mainly applicable for Passthrough freeze dryer.

 

Freeze Dryer:
· Passthrough and two-floor design
·Mainly Multiple freeze dryers
· Row-by-Row Loading + AGV Unloading
· AGV Loading + Row-by-Row Unloading