Lorne Laboratories has installed a Flexicon FF30 filling and capping machine from Watson-Marlow, helping it to fulfil orders from blood-transfusion, immunology and sero-diagnosis professionals.
Based on peristaltic pumping principles, the semi-automatic tabletop machine offers handling, aseptic filling and cap tightening for volumes up to 1,200 units an hour, depending on the application.
It is said to be easy to clean as all format parts are mounted by finger screws and all surfaces in contact with the vials are made of stainless steel.
Other advantages include filling accuracy of +/-0.5 per cent, as well as system flexibility - vital as many of the blood reagents vary significantly in viscosity.
The company's production manager, Andy Gould, said: 'We've had the Flexicon machine since September 2009 and it has already doubled our throughput to 5,000-7,000 vials a day.
'Some reagents are like water but others, such as bovine albumin, are sticky and very viscous, however the Flexicon machine pumps them all without problem,' he added.
A complete vial and product changeover can be performed in less than 10min.
The acquisition of the FF30 means that Lorne can produce diagnostic test kits and reagents in vials, or in bulk if required, to customers in transfusion services, hospitals or the armed forces, or to scientists or clinicians working in laboratories.
