Printer Friendly
Email a Friend
Flow Measurement is Top Priority in Production of Asthma Inhalers
01 Oct 2005
Bespak is a leading supplier of specialty medical devices, with scientific expertise and world-class facilities supporting the production of products such as pressurised metered dose inhalers (pMDIs), dry powder inhalers and other complex medical devices. Each unit is tested before it leaves the factory using Flexair Gauges from specialist company, Quality Gauging Systems.
In order to function efficiently and effectively it is essential that each and every asthma inhaler component that Bespak manufactures helps deliver exactly the correct dose of medication. The plastic actuator, for example, incorporates a spray hole that is critical to the performance of the finished inhaler so Bespak measure the flow through the hole which is almost too small to see with the naked eye, sometimes just 0.22mm in diameter.
Most of the inhaler components are plastic injection moulded and as many as 64 components are formed in a single mould tool. Bespak's quality measurement process eliminates the chance of problems the moulding process such as butt-off or partial buttoff and the consequent unacceptable flow-reduction in the finished inhaler.
Metrology engineer, Peter Haken, explains: "With the production volumes that we are tackling, it is essential that we have really reliable and rapid flowgauging equipment. We have QGS Flexair Gauges integrated into our assembly machines, some of which are testing inhaler units at the rate of 1 per second, so they really do form a vital part of our production quality process."
www.bespak.com
