Date of Award
11-2022
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Mechanical Engineering
Committee Chair/Advisor
Yue Wang
Committee Member
Wagner, John R.
Committee Member
Schweisinger, Todd
Abstract
Automation and robotics have become a staple in the biological manufacturing sector due to their ability to efficiently work without operator inputs, with a high degree of accuracy and repeatability. Industrial robotic arms, in particular, present themselves as valuable tools for biological manufacturing scenarios that require customized solutions due to their ease of programming and flexibility. The traditional hospital-focused healthcare system was organically developed to address acute conditions, however, in recent years, due to the unprecedented occurrence of emergencies happening more frequently, fast and efficient drug production becomes important [17]. This thesis represents the use of a benchtop robot and automation system capable of manufacturing in-syringe liquid drugs. The compacted production space and design is aimed to provide an efficient production rate. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) compliant robotic arm (St¨aubli TX2-60), customized designed end-effector, syringe venting system, and Cartesian gantry platform were designed, prototyped, and integrated to create an automated solution for manufacturing cyclic olefin copolymer (COC) polymer syringes. A Siemens programmable logic controller (PLC) system is developed to interface with the robot (through the St¨aubli Robotic Suite (SRS)) and the Nema-17 motor-driven Cartesian gantry platform. Automated filling of a tray of 50ml syringes was proven to be feasible, and the process of stoppering a COC syringe utilizing a customized designed venting tube was demonstrated as a proof of concept. An automated gantry system was also demonstrated as a proof of concept for a complete manufacturing system.
Recommended Citation
Zhong, Yehua, "A Benchtop Robotic Automation Approach for Manufacturing Prefilled Syringes" (2022). All Theses. 3917.
https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/all_theses/3917