A substrate cleaning and drying system includes a cleaning station, a drying station positioned adjacent the cleaning station, a cleaner robot to transfer a substrate from the cleaning station to the drying station, an aligner stage adjacent to the drying station, a robot arm rotatable between a substantially vertical first position for receiving the substrate from the drying station and a substantially horizontal second position for releasing the substrate onto the aligner stage, and a factory interface robot to transfer a substrate from the aligner stage into a factory interface module while in a horizontal orientation. The aligner stage includes a rotatable support to hold the substrate in a substantially horizontal orientation and to rotate the substrate to a desired orientation.

A substrate cleaning and drying system includes a cleaning station, a drying station positioned adjacent the cleaning station, a cleaner robot to transfer a substrate from the cleaning station to the drying station, an aligner stage adjacent to the drying station, a robot arm rotatable between a substantially vertical first position for receiving the substrate from the drying station and a substantially horizontal second position for releasing the substrate onto the aligner stage, and a factory interface robot to transfer a substrate from the aligner stage into a factory interface module while in a horizontal orientation. The aligner stage includes a rotatable support to hold the substrate in a substantially horizontal orientation and to rotate the substrate to a desired orientation.

A method and system for picking up painted panels of different dimensions and finishes includes inserting the painted panels into a selective sorting system having two superimposed mobile conveyor sectors of a predefined length and with a driving motor for the alternate advancement in one of two directions. The two mobile conveyor sectors move vertically synchronously and are arranged alternately and in series with a fixed conveyor sector. After uploading in the selective sorting system, the painted panels are kept inside the selective sorting system for a time sufficient for drying, and are withdrawn through an upload and download system, which includes software memorizing the position of the uploaded panels, actuating the lifting and/or lowering motors of the mobile conveyor sectors, and advancing the mobile conveyor sectors and the fixed conveyor sector so as to move the panels due for a customer order, temporarily storing undesired panels in a buffer.

An enclosure includes a furnace 1 and plates 7A to 7D arranged in the furnace 1 and used for placement of articles 5. Each of the plates 7A to 7D is movable vertically in the furnace 1. The enclosure further includes guide members 60A and 60B, each of which is disposed adjacent to a side of one plate of the plates 7A to 7D that is disposed at a loading/unloading position where the articles 5 are allowed to be loaded into or unloaded from the furnace 1. The guide members 60A and 60B guide the articles 5 and are rotatable with vertical movement of the plate.

Disclosed are systems and methods for aseptically filling pharmaceutical containers with a pharmaceutical substance and then lyophilizing it. In one general aspect, the system and method can employ a lyophilizer loader subsystem having an interior chamber in communication with an interior chamber of a lyophilizer subsystem via a portal with a sealable door, with the collective interior being aseptically sealable. An articulated robotic arm can be employed to batch transfer to the lyophilizer subsystem container nests bearing the pharmaceutical containers. In one embodiment, the nests may be transferred serially to the loader subsystem, with the articulated robotic arm being configured to transfer the nests of containers in batches to the lyophilizer subsystem. The articulated robotic arm can also be configured to be used to move batches of nests within the lyophilizer subsystem. One implementation includes two articulated arms and a joint rotary wrist driven by two rotary shoulders.

A method and system for picking up painted panels of different dimensions and finishes includes inserting the painted panels into a selective sorting system having two superimposed mobile conveyor sectors of a predefined length and with a driving motor for the alternate advancement in one of two directions. The two mobile conveyor sectors move vertically synchronously and are arranged alternately and in series with a fixed conveyor sector. After uploading in the selective sorting system, the painted panels are kept inside the selective sorting system for a time sufficient for drying, and are withdrawn through an upload and download system, which includes software memorizing the position of the uploaded panels, actuating the lifting and/or lowering motors of the mobile conveyor sectors, and advancing the mobile conveyor sectors and the fixed conveyor sector so as to move the panels due for a customer order, temporarily storing undesired panels in a buffer.

The disclosure in some aspects relates to systems and related methods for the continuous freeze-drying of materials (e.g., pharmaceuticals) with high speed and control.

Disclosed are systems and methods for aseptically filling pharmaceutical containers with a pharmaceutical substance and then lyophilizing it. In one general aspect, the system and method can employ a lyophilizer loader subsystem having an interior chamber in communication with an interior chamber of a lyophilizer subsystem via a portal with a sealable door, with the collective interior being aseptically sealable. An articulated robotic arm can be employed to batch transfer to the lyophilizer subsystem container nests bearing the pharmaceutical containers. In one embodiment, the nests may be transferred serially to the loader subsystem, with the articulated robotic arm being configured to transfer the nests of containers in batches to the lyophilizer subsystem. The articulated robotic arm can also be configured to be used to move batches of nests within the lyophilizer subsystem. One implementation includes two articulated arms and a joint rotary wrist driven by two rotary shoulders.

A transport device comprises: a plate 10; an unloading apparatus 30 to push a plurality of articles 20 disposed on the plate 10; a conveyor 40 to transport the articles pushed from the plate 10; and a pusher 80 to push articles 20, from among the articles 20 pushed onto the conveyor 40, that have not tipped over back toward the plate 10, and to separate, on the conveyor 40, articles 20A that have not tipped over from articles 20Z that have tipped over.

A vertical oven for drying and temporarily storing painted panels includes racks for supporting the panels; an uploading/downloading system into/from the vertical oven; and a stacker crane having two multiple forks each including a plurality of single forks, a first multiple fork withdrawing the panels from a first side of the oven and a second multiple fork withdrawing the panels from the opposed side of the oven, the panels being positioned on the racks side by side or alone based on width. A control unit controls panel uploading/downloading and/or the stacker crane through a control software. Each single fork has an independent actuator and is separately controlled by the control unit. The software configures the control unit to determine the number of single forks to be actuated according to the length of the panel to be withdrawn, and the length of the stroke of the forks based on panel width.