The new Track and Trace system from Bosch Packaging Technology addresses the need for pharmaceutical manufacturers to significantly reduce the possibility of counterfeit products on the market. The number of counterfeit medicines that have been confiscated at European borders has significantly increased in the past five years, creating a growing threat to patients worldwide. According to a report by the European Commission1, 118 million products were stopped by customs in 2009, of which 10% accounted for medical goods. With the Track and Trace system, a unique identifying code is printed onto each product after it has been packaged, which allows for the traceability of individual products throughout the supply chain and facilitates the identification of counterfeit products. It also provides manufacturers with documented proof of what has been produced at item level.
The Track and Trace system uses a Carton Printing System (CPS) module consisting of a printer and camera, which automatically prints and verifies products. To trace each product individually, a unique serial number as well as an expiration date are printed on to the package. The information also includes a batch number and global trade identification number (GTIN). The system encodes the data into a machine-readable 2D data matrix code, which is printed onto the package, eliminating the possibility for human error in the tracking process.
Printed tracking data is automatically checked for accuracy by the camera which reads and verifies each printed digit (OCR/OCV). Within milliseconds it cross-checks the human-readable text with the 2D data matrix code. All information is then stored in a centralized database, ensuring tracking and tracing of the product is possible after each exits the factory. The database can also be modified to provide the printed data to regulatory bodies like the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or the Ministry of Health. Regulation of the serialization of pharmaceutical products is currently in place or being implemented in several countries, among them Turkey, France and the USA.
"We offer Track and Trace on machine level in packaging lines as well as on plant level where numerous systems are linked to the same database," said Franz Ludwig, Product Manager, Track and Trace, Bosch Packaging Technology. "Manufacturers do not have to compromise on efficiency in order to maintain high standards of production control and product liability. With the implementation of this solution, counterfeit products no longer stand a chance."
The advanced solution can be integrated into existing lines, including packaging machines, checkweighers, printing modules for cartons and bottles, hand-packing tables and, validation tables for quality assurance. The CPS printer and camera module is designed to minimize impact on overall production output. It maintains a consistently high Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) as it is designed to minimize impact on overall production output, and the solution can be perfectly integrated into the overall system, which results in unrivaled print quality and reliability but still maintains speed and the flexibility to handle different product formats
