Pharmacode Reader Automation Application
In the pharmaceutical industry, precision, reliable product tracking and product traceability is paramount to success.
To ensure standards and quality control; the pharmaceutical industry use an industry standard barcode known as a Pharmacode as a packing control system to regulate and identify all pharmaceutical packaging.
A pharmacode is designed to be readable despite printing errors. Pharmacode's can also be printed in multiple colours as a check to ensure that the reminder of the packaging is correctly printed. (This is essential as the pharmaceutical company must print the Pharmacode to protect itself from legal liability)
Pharmacode Reader Application
More Control was asked to design and adapt an existing Pharmacode system to enable the use of different coloured packaging to be scanned via the Pharmacode reader.
The customer had several existing Pharmacode readers and associated Argus control units. However, the readers did not perform well with coloured a Pharmacode, as the readers used red light. This was a particular problem with red, yellow and orange coloured bars, as the reader could not detect the Pharmacode accurately.
The More Control solution was to use a Pepperel Fuchs MAC intelligent scanner to overcome the problem. The MAC intelligent scanner is a camera based technology and uses white light.
The white illumination allows any colour to be detected against a white carton background.
A control enclosure was also provided which housed a PLC and HMI to allow the operator to enter the correct barcode information. The PLC was programmed with a shift register to utilise the customer existing reject system.
Overall, this simple yet effective automation application, allowed the customer to accurately register and detect any Pharmacode, against any packaging colour.
If you have a Pharmacode application that you wish to have designed or developed, feel free to contact More Control on: 0345 00 00 400 and one of our technical engineers can provide a consultation service to determine the ideal Pharmacode application solution for you.
