TurboFil Packaging Machines LLC, an equipment specialist dedicated solely to the design and development of liquid filling and assembly machines, has introduced a benchtop syringe filling machine providing a welcome step up from manual operations. Offering full control of filling parameters in single or dual operation, the TipFil Syringe Filler is designed to provide accurate, consistent fills at a rate of up to 12 pieces per minute.
The TipFil Syringe Filler utilizes a piston mechanism that draws the needle back via the plunger, the amount of drug filled being dictated by the distance the plunger is pulled back. Among other benefits, this should eliminate the need to clean a metering device, says the company. For premium accuracy, the plunger motion is driven by a servo motor for precise, repeatable product filling.
Among the TipFil Syringe Filler’s key attributes is its versatility: the unit can perform through-the-tip filling for liquids or viscous products in a variety of typical infeed scenarios including hoppers and reservoirs, and an optional attachment allows for filling via bottles and vials. Suckback control helps ensure heightened fill accuracy. All product contact parts are fully disposable, single-use plastic.
Fill volumes are electronically adjustable via HMI, and a priming function–also programmed via HMI–is meant to efficiently facilitate air bubble removal. Once a filling cycle is complete, the TipFil Syringe Filler retracts syringes to their starting position so the operator can remove and replace them with new ones.
In addition to accuracy, the TipFil Syringe Filler’s draw-filling method brings a number of advantages, including operator safety, easy changeover, and flexible parameters to accommodate a wide variety of syringe sizes and product types. The unit can fit under a laminar flow hood, making it suitable for aseptic filling. Intuitive operation combines a user-friendly HMI with pushbuttons or a footswitch. Recipes for various product and fill volumes are accessible by an optional barcode scanner, and validation packages also are available.
“The TipFil Syringe Filler is an option for pharmacy settings seeking more efficient, consistent options for filling a wide array of syringes and product types,” says Deborah Smook, VP of marketing & business development for TurboFil Packaging Machines LLC. “The intuitive unit makes the switch to semi-automatic filling simply and, as a bonus, helps prevent the sort of muscle strain injuries that can result from repetitive motion–a frequent issue with manual syringe filling techniques.”
