You have a COVID-19 vaccine. Now how does it get produced, packaged, and into the hands of those who administer it?
We’re reading articles all over about the success of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccine trials, but one key link in the chain of production is how these vaccines will be commercially manufactured on a mass market scale. Consumers are wondering how quickly these vaccines will be available, and rightfully so, but the factor not being discussed widely is the packaging link in the production chain.
According to Pharmaceutical Technology, we are seeing an unprecedented amount of outsourcing to manufacturers in order to produce the vaccines once they are approved. But one question remains:
“How can these vaccines be produced faster?“
The answer can be simple:Â a focus on automating container handling.
With so many manufactures focusing on one link in the production chain such as filling or capping, robust container handling is key to efficiently get these vaccines throughout the different production processes. Automating your container handling in these cases can eliminate costly labor needs and manual tasks that slow down the production process.
For Thermo Fisher Scientific, we were able to increase their coronavirus test kit production by 20,000% with 16 fully integrated, automated lines for the test kits in 6 months. Our stacked timing screw system was expertly capable of moving the tube from sorting to filling, capping, and labeling at the rate of 120 CPM, increasing production from the original 30 to 55 CPM.
On this project, we experienced just how vital the role of container handling plays in getting emergency pharmaceutical products produced efficiently. In a world where every container counts, integrating machinery that can precisely handle these containers in cold or sticky operating conditions, will be ever important.
How can timing screw technology improve vaccine production?
Timing screw technology is effective as it has more reliability than a human hand, performing the same task with every rotation of the screw, maintaining positive control of the container and receiving the same output every time. Whether it be indexing under a filler or moving the containers to transition to the next production application such as capping or labeling, the reliability of the timing screw is unmatched. It provides peace of mind and support so other operations of production can be focused on and labor can be repurposed to other manual tasks to enhance production capabilities and throughout.
With utilizing timing screw technology, these systems are excellent at giving you peace of mind that your line is operating as it should, more productively, and with better ROI, especially when the stakes are so high.
The CDC estimates to achieve herd immunity 70% of people would need to be vaccinated, or 231 million Americans if we are just focusing on our locale. Many experts predict, if the vaccine required two doses, that in order to vaccinate 70 percent of Americans, the U.S. will need to manufacture 462 million vaccines. To vaccinate the entire U.S. population? That’s a grand total of 660 million doses and a lot of containers that need to be handled precisely. Timing screws can automate these processes and move vaccines consistently.
As a pharmaceutical manufacturer, especially one packaging vaccines, you can control how quickly they are packaged and inserted into the hands of physicians. Contract manufacturers are not experts in container handling, but working with packaging companies like Morrison, who can integrate with those systems keeping in mind this viable piece of the puzzle, has the potential to drastically improve how quickly these vaccines can make it across the world.
While the focus may currently be on acquiring approvals for a coronavirus vaccine, remaining vigilant on how these vaccines, once FDA approved, will be emergency manufactured, packaged, and distributed on a mass scale is just as important. As manufacturers and packagers, we can work together now to prepare to produce what is needed to continue to fight the virus in our communities.
