A device for co-metering liquid and/or pasty products includes: a first metering unit for metering a first product; a second metering unit for metering a second product; and a nozzle including a first duct supplied by the first metering unit and opening out into a first orifice, a second duct supplied by the second metering unit and opening out into a second orifice, and a third duct opening out into a third orifice. The device is configured such that the third duct is supplied by the first and second metering units such that a mixture of the first and second products is discharged by the third orifice.

A method is described for filling packages open on one side with flowable products in a filling machine. In order for the packages open on one side to be processed reliably, it is provided that hot air, drying air, sterilising agent and/or flowable product is introduced via at least one nozzle into packages open on one side, that the packages are moved from a starting position, before the introduction of the air, agent, and/or flowable product, into an end position, after the introduction of the air, agent, and/or flowable product, and that the packages, during the introduction of the air, agent, and/or flowable product, are moved along a straight or continuously curved transport direction defined by the starting position and the end position and are moved in a processing movement overlaying the transport direction and extending at least in sections transversely to the transport direction.

Embodiments of product handling systems facilitate transfer of individual product items from incoming bulk form into dedicated trays for inspection, sorting, selection, and packaging. Inspection may comprise interrogation of product items within a tray by electromagnetic (e.g., optical, hyperspectral) or other (e.g., physical, acoustic, gas sensing, etc.) techniques. Prior to packaging, product items disposed within the tray may be stored in a moveable carousel responsible for controlling environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, illumination, ambient gases, product-to-product interactions, and/or others. Movement of product items from a carousel's transfer station to an outside staging position may be accomplished using robots and/or conveyor belts. Embodiments may allow rapid, low-cost consumer selection of specific individual product items based upon their accompanying metadata (e.g., source, identifier), in combination with the results of inspection (e.g., visual appearance). Embodiments may receive product items pre-packaged in tray format to expedite inspection, sorting, selection, and packaging.

Embodiments of product handling systems facilitate transfer of individual product items from incoming bulk form into dedicated trays for inspection, sorting, selection, and packaging. Inspection may comprise interrogation of product items within a tray by electromagnetic (e.g., optical, hyperspectral) or other (e.g., physical, acoustic, gas sensing, etc.) techniques. Prior to packaging, product items disposed within the tray may be stored in a moveable carousel responsible for controlling environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, illumination, ambient gases, product-to-product interactions, and/or others. Movement of product items from a carousel's transfer station to an outside staging position may be accomplished using robots and/or conveyor belts. Embodiments may allow rapid, low-cost consumer selection of specific individual product items based upon their accompanying metadata (e.g., source, identifier), in combination with the results of inspection (e.g., visual appearance). Embodiments may receive product items pre-packaged in tray format to expedite inspection, sorting, selection, and packaging.

There is described a method of aseptically filling a plurality of nested containers with a pharmaceutical product and applying closures to filled containers in an aseptic environment, said method comprising: removing any coverings from the nested containers and nested closures; locating the uncovered containers laterally adjacent to the closures on a shuttle; moving the uncovered containers and uncovered closures to an aseptic filling zone; transferring the uncovered containers and closures to a multi-nest holder; locating the uncovered containers laterally adjacent to a plurality of closures in the multi-nest holder; filling the containers with a pharmaceutical product; removing a closure from the nest of closures into a closure transfer device; moving the nest of filled containers beneath the closure transfer device; and removing a closure from the closure transfer device into the filled container thereby scaling the filled container.

There is described a method of aseptically filling a plurality of nested containers with a pharmaceutical product and applying closures to filled containers in an aseptic environment, said method comprising: removing any coverings from the nested containers and nested closures; locating the uncovered containers laterally adjacent to the closures on a shuttle; moving the uncovered containers and uncovered closures to an aseptic filling zone; transferring the uncovered containers and closures to a multi-nest holder; locating the uncovered containers laterally adjacent to a plurality of closures in the multi-nest holder; filling the containers with a pharmaceutical product; removing a closure from the nest of closures into a closure transfer device; moving the nest of filled containers beneath the closure transfer device; and removing a closure from the closure transfer device into the filled container thereby scaling the filled container.

A system is disclosed for loading cases with items. An item delivery apparatus delivers a plurality of items to a location for collating the items on a collation platform. A transfer apparatus transfers a plurality of items from the collation platform to a pedestal, where the plurality of items are surrounded, on three sides, by a fence. A case movement apparatus, such as a cartesian robot moves an erected case blank in a path that sheaths, with the erected case blank, a group of items located on the pedestal. As the case blank is dropped vertically downward to sheath the group of items, the fence is moved vertically downward and out of the way of further processing of the, now loaded, case blank.

A system is disclosed for loading cases with items. An item delivery apparatus delivers a plurality of items to a location for collating the items on a collation platform. A transfer apparatus transfers a plurality of items from the collation platform to a pedestal, where the plurality of items are surrounded, on three sides, by a fence. A case movement apparatus, such as a cartesian robot moves an erected case blank in a path that sheaths, with the erected case blank, a group of items located on the pedestal. As the case blank is dropped vertically downward to sheath the group of items, the fence is moved vertically downward and out of the way of further processing of the, now loaded, case blank.

The invention relates to a device for co-metering liquid and/or pasty products, including: a first metering unit (41) for metering a first product; a second metering unit (42) for metering a second product (P2); a nozzle (B) including a first duct (1) supplied by the first metering unit (41) and opening out into a first orifice (11), a second duct (2) supplied by the second metering unit (42) and opening out into a second orifice (21), and a third duct (3) opening out into a third orifice (31), the device being configured such that the third duct (3) is supplied by the first and second metering units (41, 42), such that a mixture of the first and second products is discharged by said third orifice (31). The invention also relates to an associated metering method.

The invention relates to a device for co-metering liquid and/or pasty products, including: a first metering unit (41) for metering a first product; a second metering unit (42) for metering a second product (P2); a nozzle (B) including a first duct (1) supplied by the first metering unit (41) and opening out into a first orifice (11), a second duct (2) supplied by the second metering unit (42) and opening out into a second orifice (21), and a third duct (3) opening out into a third orifice (31), the device being configured such that the third duct (3) is supplied by the first and second metering units (41, 42), such that a mixture of the first and second products is discharged by said third orifice (31). The invention also relates to an associated metering method.