Charly Coulon began his presentation by introducing the concept of the Next Generation Container (NGC), a collaborative effort developed by over 20 contributors from various companies. The primary aim was to address the challenges in automating pharmaceutical packaging lines, particularly for small to medium-sized operations. Coulon highlighted the main issues, such as the lack of standardised packaging materials, high costs, and the large footprint of automation equipment, which made it difficult to automate these lines effectively.
The presentation detailed the expected benefits of implementing the NGC, including significant cost reductions, increased overall equipment efficiency, quality improvements, sustainability, shorter time to market, and scalability. These benefits were seen as highly attractive targets for the industry.
Coulon then shared various concepts and proposals developed by the companies involved in the project. These included ideas such as repackaging on-site, pre-kitted boxes, flexible and modular designs, and automated supply using robots and Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs). The common ground among these concepts was the focus on standardisation and flexibility.
The roadmap for making the NGC accessible and implemented in the industry was also outlined. This will involve developing scenarios for small and medium lines, calculating business cases, and sharing evaluations with decision-makers. The goal is to gather positive feedback and support from pharmaceutical companies and equipment suppliers to adopt the NGC concept.
Throughout the presentation, Coulon the role of collaboration. The aim is to refine the concepts further and ensure they met the needs of the industry. Coulon concluded by encouraging the audience to share the ideas with their colleagues and provide feedback to help improve the NGC concept.
