Procedure for Operation of Liquid Filling and Cap Sealing Machine

1. OBJECTIVE
To lay down the procedure operation liquid filling and cap sealing machine

2. SCOPE
This procedure is applicable to Production, in the filling area of syrup section

3. RESPONSIBILITY
• Supervisor/ Machine Operator
• Production Pharmacist/ Above

4. SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
• Normal electrical precautions should be followed.
• Gloves, eye and ear protection are required.
• While loading and unloading use hand gloves

5. PROCEDURE
5.1 Growing procedure is followed as per SOP.
5.2 Production person shall ensure the cleanliness of the machine & area and ‘CLEANED’ label on it.
5.3 Before starting the operation production person get the line clearance from Q.A person and affix the status label with product name, batch details to equipment & area.
5.4 Put ‘ON’ the mains of the machine.
5.5 Washed empty bottles are conveyed to the machine through stainless steel (SS) slat conveyor and feeds them into the round/ star wheel which in turn, leads the bottles to the platform of the filling section.
5.6 The bottles are centered below the filling nozzles by a guide which orients the bottles below the nozzle.
5.7 The sensor provided acknowledges the presence of bottle and actuates the pneumatic cylinder to rotate the valve in the discharge position to dispense the pre-determined volume of the liquid into the bottles.
5.8 The liquid is transferred from the storage tank through a stainless steel pipeline connected to solenoid valve. This enables immediate filling of the liquid tank as soon as the level decrease.
5.9 Pistons of the syringes move up and down on a cam track while they suck liquid from the filler tank into the syringes through rotary valves.
5.10 After the liquid fills into the bottles, the bottle-holding platform transfers them to the sealing head via the intermediate round/ star wheel.
5.11 The bottle picks up the cap from the shoe of the chute which is connected to the hopper of the capping section.
5.12 Caps can be loaded to the hopper either manually or through a cap loading unit.
5.13 The filled bottles are conveyed to the slat conveyor of the inspection unit.
5.14 The bottles pass through the inspection unit in a tilted position and rotate through a specially designed conveyor track.
5.15 The unit is provided with magnifying glass and a lighting arrangement. Since the bottles are rotating in a tilted position, the operator inspecting the bottles can identify any foreign particles, cap rejection and cracks in the bottles without picking them.
5.16 The rejected bottles are picked up and kept in a separate rejection tray provided at the side of the inspection table.
5.17 Put Off the mains after completion of operation
5.18 Affix ‘To BE CLEANED’ status label
5.19 And fill the Machine log book

6. RELATED DOCUMENTS
Machine Usage Log Book- Annex -I

7. DISTRIBUTION INDEX
Original Copy will be retained by Quality Assurance Department.

8. ABBREVIATIONS
SS Stainless Steel
SOP Standard Operating Procedure

9. REVISION HISTORY