Antares Vision, a global manufacturer of tracking systems for the pharmaceutical industry, develops and manufactures inspection machines and systems based on a network of high-definition video cameras that ensure the high quality of pharmaceuticals and the integrity of pharmaceutical containers intended for primary and secondary packaging lines. The company works with most of the top pharmaceutical companies in the world. It has its headquarters in Brescia, five international branches – in Italy, Germany, the US, Brazil and China – and 26 sales and support companies that provide expert technical and sales support across the globe.
Antares Vision is a standard-setting manufacturer of inspection systems machines for every type of pharmaceutical and container. All of its inspection machines follow the main pharmaceutical trends, such as robust validation procedures, high-performance results and continuous improvement. The types of machines include TCI (tablets and capsules inspector), VLI (vials linear inspection) and VRI (vials rotating inspection) series. Its newest inspection technologies guarantee extraordinary performances with an improved throughput, reaching a speed of up to 30,000 bottles an hour and 300,000 tablets an hour.
The accuracy of the new inspection machines is impressive, as they are able to detect defects of up to 40μm.
Tablets and capsules inspector
The tablets and capsules inspector is an automatic, stand-alone machine designed to inspect a wide range of pharmaceutical products. TCI gently manipulates the products, assuring the detection of even the smallest defect or imperfection. It does this with six colour, high-resolution cameras that take up to 12 images per product with an image resolution of up to 0.002mm².
Capsules and tablets are illuminated by customised white LED lights, which use different lighting techniques – dark field and bright field light. Defects identified on tablets and capsules include damaged edges, colour deviation, dots, dirt, uneven surfaces, cracks, dents, chips, holes, joints, coating defects, low imprint and embossed quality. Products found to be defective following an analysis are automatically rejected by a force of air, which blows them into a specific stainless steel container for rejected drugs. The active optical detector for products’ output verification ensures the safe and effective division of the high-quality and usable drugs, and the ineffective and subsequently rejected drugs.
Vials linear inspector
With 15 electronic eyes, the vials linear inspector series is capable of simultaneously detecting dents, anomalies, scratches, chips and any foreign bodies in the bottles that contain the medical powder. VLI is able to perform controls on vials stored in medical glass of various formats, with diameters ranging from 24 to 50mm. The machine is able to control up to 18,000 vials an hour and can automatically reject faulty ones. The machine is built to inspect the glass body of the bottle, its closing elements and of course the powder itself.
Vials rotating inspector
Vials rotating inspector machines are inline and stand-alone machines designed to inspect a wide range of glass or plastic medical containers to hold liquids, powder or lyophilised drugs.
VRI machines are made of four product families and ten different models to cover all inspection needs. The Argo and Angkor machines, specifically, are intended for visual particulates and cosmetic inspection. The Icon is designed to check the container integrity, especially for sterile products. And the Evo machine range is a combination of all the aforementioned functions in one single unit mono-block machine. Depending on container formats, the VRI range can inspect up to a speed of 30,000 units an hour.
