A method for producing sterile solution product bags includes positioning a manifold assembly onto a filling machine. The manifold assembly includes a plurality of bags, a first filter, and a connection line in fluid communication with the first filter. Each of the plurality of bags includes a bladder and a stem in fluid communication with the bladder and with the connection line. The method includes activating a pump and at least partially filling one or more of the bladders by pumping fluid through the feed line, the first filter, and the connection line. The method includes sealing the stem of each of the filled product bags at a location between the connection line and the bladder, thereby creating one or more at least partially filled and sealed product bags. The method includes separating each of the at least partially filled and sealed product bags from the connection line.

A filling machine for food products in cans, particularly of the type with product density control, comprising a supporting frame which forms a chamber and a feeding tunnel which is adapted to convey a food product into the chamber that is provided with a plunger which can move along the chamber, along a predefined compression direction; the chamber being provided with an expulsion piston configured to move transversely with respect to the compression direction for the expulsion of at least one preset shape in the direction of a station for canning the food product; a motor being provided which is associated with the plunger for a movement along the compression direction; and elements for measuring the density of the food product compressed in the chamber in order to control the driving torque of the motor as a function of the achievement of a predetermined density value.

A fluid supply assembly having a multi-way valve unit which comprises at least one inlet and at least one first and one second outlet. The fluid supply assembly comprises at least one first fluid path for feeding a fluid from a product tank, wherein the at least one first fluid path is in fluid connection with the at least one inlet of the multi-way valve unit. The fluid supply assembly comprises a second fluid path for directing a fluid to a filling unit, wherein the second fluid path is in fluid connection with the first outlet of the multi-way valve unit. The fluid supply assembly comprises at least a first sensor for detecting gas bubbles in the at least one first fluid path, and wherein the fluid supply assembly has a control unit for controlling the multi-way valve unit, wherein the control unit is coupled to the at least one first sensor.

A method comprising controlling a beverage-filling system that comprises a filling machine with a ring bowl that feeds beverage to filling elements, each having a valve and a flow meter includes deriving a flow signal and using it to derive a regulating signal for regulating an inflow of beverage into the ring bowl, thereby maintaining a target level of beverage in the ring bowl. The flow signal comes from either summing signals from all flow meters to obtain aggregate quantity of beverage being filled into all containers or a calculation that relies on a measured speed of the filling machine, the number of filling elements in the filling machine, and the volumes of the bottles to be filled.

A method and system for forming a packaged product (100) and ensuring that the packaged product (100) is adequately filled. In one aspect, the method includes forming a product (101); introducing the product (101) into a package (103), thereby forming a packaged product (100); obtaining an x-ray image (201) of the packaged product (100); analyzing the x-ray image (201) utilizing a processor (118) to identify whether bounded contours (200) exist in the x-ray image (201) for each of the bounded contours (200), the processor (118) determining whether the bounded contour (200) is a threshold defect based at least in part on bounded area (208) of the bounded contour (200) for each of the threshold defects, the processor (118) classifying the threshold defect as one of a plurality of pre-determined defect types; and determining a source of at least one of the threshold defects in the packaged product (100) based at least in part on the classification of the at least one of the threshold defects.

Refill station comprising a receiving device for receiving a dispenser can which is to be refilled with an active substance, a capturing unit for capturing if an active substance which is to be refilled into the dispenser can which is received at the receiving device fulfills at least one predetermined permissibility criterion, and a control unit which is configured for permitting a refill of the dispenser can with the active substance via the receiving device only when the active substance which is captured at the capturing unit fulfills the at least one predetermined permissibility criterion.

A method of changing container sizes on a container filling carousel, the carousel and container supports thereon, which carousel has one or more pairs of side-by-side first and second container supports, each container support having a frame, a container support platform and at least one pair of container support arms above the container support platform. Each of said container supports is structured to accept a first small-sized container. The second container support is structured to accept a second larger-sized container, relative to said first small-sized container. The carousel includes a product filling head above each of said first and second container supports. The first container support can be radially retracted from a side of the second container support and from beneath its corresponding product filling head to allow the second container support to accommodate a larger-sized container.

A system is presented for monitoring and controlling in a sterilizable environment the peeling of a cover from a tub sealed by the cover. The system employs a platform having a fiducial source locating structure for holding the tub, a cover removal station disposed to engage with the cover and to peel the cover from the tub, a light source disposed to illuminate a portion of the platform proximate the cover removal station, a light sensor sensitive to light from the light source and disposed to preferentially collect and measure light diffusely reflected from the illuminated portion of the platform, and a controller with software to operate the system. An associated method for monitoring and controlling the peeling of the cover involves moving a peeled portion of the cover into a predetermined peeling monitor zone within the illuminated portion of the platform, and measuring an intensity of light from the light source diffusely reflected specifically from the peeling monitor zone. The positioning of the elements of the system and the peeling monitor zone allow measured light intensity to be employed as a control measure for the peeling process.

A control device, comprising a processor and a memory that contains computer readable instructions. When executed by the processor, the computer readable instructions cause the processor to receive a first user input corresponding to first parameters for forming a first unit of packaging material, add first instructions corresponding to the first unit to a queue for a packaging device, receive a second user input corresponding to second parameters for forming a second unit of packaging material, add second instructions corresponding to the second unit to the queue, and transmit the queue to the packaging device to cause the packaging device to create the first and second units of packaging material according to the first and second parameters.

Automatic packager for pharmaceuticals and method of operating the same. The method includes receiving a prescription to be filled by a pharmacy management system and identifying one or more bulk containers that contain medications to fill the prescription. The method also includes counting, using a pre-counter, medications from the one or more bulk containers to fill the prescription and depositing the counted medications in one or more cartridges. The method also includes placing the one or more cartridges including the counted medications at an automatic packager and dispensing the medications in the one or more cartridges. The method also includes packaging medications dispensed from the one or more cartridges into packages and verifying whether the medications are correctly packaged.