HERMA labelling machines at Catalent Biologics

Leading contract manufacturer for biologics, including COVID-19 vaccines, commissions two HERMA labelling machines.

“These new labelling machines are vital to how quickly we can manufacture and package medicines for our customers and their patients.”

The US company Catalent Biologics recently commissioned two high-performance wrap-around labelling machines from HERMA for use in the production of biologics, including COVID-19 vaccines. The initiative involved delivering the machines in 10 weeks, and making them fully validated and ready for production in another four weeks. Under normal circumstances, that process can take up to a year. Leadership of the project for the self-adhesive solutions specialist was undertaken by its American subsidiary, HERMA US, which worked closely on the order with experts from HERMA’s headquarters in Filderstadt. Catalent Biologics is a global leader in the contract research, development and manufacturing of biologics and has production facilities in Europe and North America. The two machines acquired by the company are HERMA 132M HC wrap-around labellers, which are designed to meet the stringent requirements of round pharmaceutical and healthcare products, including glass vials produced in high quantities. The efficiency-minded modules offer optimisation-minded features such as innovative rotary tables, digital position indicators and format sets that can be changed without tools for fast format changes, as well as operation of the entire machine, including the camera and printer, via an industrial panel PC (IPC).

Special project team

“We appreciate the dedication and partnership HERMA’s team has shown us,” said Dominick Marino, Vice President of Global Procurement at Catalent. “These new labelling machines are vital to how quickly we can manufacture and package medicines for our customers and their patients.” For HERMA US, the initiative’s expeditiousness exemplifies the company’s proactive approach to the ongoing battle against COVID-19. “Recognizing the urgency in delivering labelling machinery during the pandemic, HERMA decided to prebuild batches of the 132M at our factory in Germany,” said Peter Goff, Managing director of HERMA US. “A special project team was coordinated to expedite customer orders and fast track procurement of 3rd party items such as printers and vision systems. This has allowed delivery times to be dramatically reduced, and allowed us to proudly assist with the worldwide drive to vaccinate the population as soon as possible.”