Track medication in real time

To reliably fulfil all the requirements of the Medicine Tracing System (MTS), Sanofi Turkey installed an advanced traceability solution from Antares Vision based on image processing technology from Cognex in its production and logistics.

Sanofi is the second largest pharmaceutical company in Turkey with the country's largest pharmaceutical production plant and the largest distribution centre. The production facility in Lüleburgaz processes all major medical products, from capsules to liquids. Most of the 24 production lines are highly automated and are equipped with banding machines, shrink-wrappers, cartoners and robots. Sanofi produces on six weekdays in two shifts, resulting in an output of 150 million consumer units per year.

In its distribution centre, Sanofi handles more than 120 million units per year. Almost 3,000 medicines are delivered to pharmacies and hospitals every day, and even 4,000 at peak times. In order to track a medical product in real time, the Turkish MTS requires constantly updated information on its condition, origin, storage and means of transport. In order to fulfil the MTS requirements, Sanofi needed a Comprehensive data tracking system for all 24 production lines and for its huge distribution centre.

[infotext icon]In order to combat the sale of counterfeit and falsified medicines, the Turkish Ministry of Health began to tighten its laws in 2012. With a Medicine Tracing System (MTS), which works electronically with barcodes and ID numbers, the government is aiming for seamless, 100 per cent traceability of medicines from the manufacturer to the point of sale[/infotext].

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Implementation of ready-to-install modules

Antares Vision won the project with a state-of-the-art traceability solution. Not only was the company able to fulfil all the technical requirements, it was also able to develop a sophisticated solution within a very short project duration of less than seven months. The decision was made to integrate as many Ready-to-install modules into the production lines. The approach with a modular solution was faster than using complete modules. It only took a few hours and was much safer, as it was already possible to before final commissioning all components of the module are thoroughly tested, including cameras, hand scanners, user interfaces, thermal and inkjet printers, labellers and ejectors.

Antares Vision integrated ready-to-install modules for serialisation, bundling, packaging in boxes and palletising into the production line. The Serialisation modules label the outer packaging with unique codes. The bundling modules are used to combine multi-layer consumption units in one container, which receives the article master data either at the top, front or side. The modules for box packaging, on the other hand, are used to combine several packs, whereby the Article master data are applied to the corresponding box. The palletising modules aggregate several boxes, applying the item master data to the pallet. In the Sanofi distribution centre, on the other hand, the packaging station module is normally used for the distribution and order return of packaging, for example when a previously aggregated box or already packaged pallet needs to be opened to change its contents before shipping to the customer.

„Different products from one or more customers can be brought together in the production process without having to reconfigure the vision system,“ emphasises Janina Guptill, Marcom Specialist at Cognex Germany Inc.

Integrated image processing systems

In almost all modules Image processing systems from Cognex the global manufacturer of vision systems, software, sensors and industrial ID readers. In the various stations of the production and packaging process, Cognex In-Sight Micro 1,400 cameras are responsible for reading the DataMatrix codes that are assigned by the MTS and printed on each individual package in the Antares vision stations. The In-Sight micro image processing systems The cameras measure just 30 mm x 30 mm x 60 mm, making them the smallest complete smart cameras in the world and ideally suited for the compact modules within Sanofi's production lines. The cameras deliver outstanding performance with a frame rate of 60 fps for reliable reading of 2D codes on the containers.

In particular, the ability of the In-Sight Micro Smart Camera to recognise and scan article master data in any position means a major advantage in terms of the duration of the packaging process and production costs. It does not matter where the code is applied to the packaging: The camera finds it and reads it reliably.

Algorithm for code reading

The smart cameras with their highly developed algorithm for code reading achieve a Read rate of 99.9 per cent. One reason for this is the special integration technology, for which Antares Vision has optimised the lighting and automation technology and Cognex has configured the In-Sight Explorer software. Even barcode labels that have been damaged during production or handling, or those that are difficult to read due to reflections on packs with film packaging, are reliably recognised by the In-Sight Micro system.

Use in the distribution centres

Exactly the same image processing technology was installed in Sanofi's distribution centres. In the Antares Vision packaging modules, Cognex In-Sight Micro 1,400 cameras now read the DataMatrix codes on all packaging. In addition, the stations are equipped with a ergonomic ID hand scanner to be able to process the packaging manually. These robust scanners also use the world-leading Cognex algorithm to decode the 2D codes. Even during night shifts, when challenging lighting situations occasionally occur, the DataMan with its integrated LED lighting ensures the Smooth identification. The Warehouse Tracking System, a special software from Antares Vision, guarantees the Consistency of serial numbers during the execution of individual work steps such as pallet transfer, dispatch, pick & place and product recalls.

Sanofi can now use the new image processing system in its production and distribution facilities to retrieve data on every single medical product - from production to distribution to the retailer. This Information processing happens in real time. This means that any medicine can be traced by the MTS of the Turkish Ministry of Health.