The New Hi-Tech Bulk Tablet Counting Technology

Today, in order to pack their products, most Pharmaceutical companies rely on slat, vibratory or rotary wheel technologies. Although these machines differ from one another in their counting method and speed, the main similarity lays in the fact that each machine counts one tablet at a time.
Vibratory Feed tablet counters, also known as 'Electronic Vibratory', use feeding channels in which the tablets align in one form, passing through the scanning area one by one. This technology, although being flexible to changes in the tablet types, requires a large standing area and is difficult to maintain.


Using a rotary wheel combines both cavities and a track system. Reaching the desired tablet count per bottle requires the present of track quantity with accordance to the required number of tablets per battle; therefore this type of machine is dramatically larger than other counting machines, and requires a large surface place.
The slat counter, however, uses special cavities in order to count the tablets. This technology is relatively faster than the electronic vibratory, however, as each cavity is set to match specific tablet type, changing between tablets requires cavities changing, thus although the counting procedure can be done quickly, the necessity of changing cavities results in long and complicated procedures.


Examining existing technology, we at DATA Detection Technologies realized that the Pharmaceutical solid packaging industry lacks a hi-tech tablet counter that can fully meet market needs.
Bearing that in mind, DATA developed the ICU Tablet Counter, and by using advanced property-owned real time image processing technology we managed to develop and implement bulk tablet counting.


Instead of using a narrow track which conveys one tablet at a time due to past scanning limitations, DATA's image processing technology enables wide track counting of multiple objects at once, eliminating the need for separating the tablets before counting. This, for the first time, enables bulk tablet/capsule counting with 3 times the output per footprint.


The Bulk Tablet counter consists of 1-4 modules with a counting rate of 40-160 bpm. Each module includes a two channel system, a wide channel (Gross) for bulk counting and a narrow channel (Fine) for counting completion resulting in an accuracy of 100%.


DATA’s ICU unique cGMP design includes counting unit positioning separately from the feeding channels allowing constant visual monitoring of the objects all through the counting process (no “blind spots”).
Each module has 4 small tool free contact parts enabling changeover in less than 5 minutes and fast and easy maintenance.
Main Features:

• Can be integrated with any bottling machine
• Available 1-4 module configuration
• 40 to 160 bpm depending on number of modules (100% accuracy).
• 3 times the output of existing counters per footprint.
• 4 tool free release contact parts per module for easy maintenance
• Less than 5 Min Changeover without tools (Excluding cleaning)
• Counts all round and oval tablet and capsules(L:3-29,W:2-21)
• Complete cGMP design - no “blind spots”
• CFR Part 11 compliance 

For further information, please contact us at: www.data-technologies.com
or at: info@data-technologies.com

Challenges faced by nurseries

Challenges faced by nurseries

In the normal flow, nurseries purchase vast amounts of seed from seed manufacturers, sow and raise inventory, and ultimately sell their end-products to customers, landscapers, gardeners, etc. Amazingly enough, the seed industry largely remains one that conducts transactions by relying on estimated weights rather than exact numbers.
When someone places an order with a seed manufacturer, many of them will include a certain percentage of overage to ensure meeting the number specified in the order. Nurseries are largely left to trust the seed packaging process and either do not check what they receive, or check with the same inaccurate method.
Finally, if the nursery does discover a problem, typically it is during the sowing stage or after a long delay, during which the seeds were in storage.Returning to the seed manufacturer may not be possible, and even if it is,there is no guarantee that sufficient seed will be available to counter any problem in the original delivery.

Industry requirementsNurseries are tasked with processing thousands, perhaps tens of thousands of seeds each season. Any solution that would involve verifying the exact number of seeds received from seed manufacturers would need to be:

• Extremely accurate

• Cost-effective

• Fast and easy-to-integrate

• Scalable to accurately count large and small quantities of seeds

Estimated Weight versus Exact CountFollowing are examples of some of the issues faced by nurseries that may arise as a result of receiving seeds based on estimated weights, as is currently very common in the industry.
65%- 85% of the plant’s selling price is typically based on the price paid for the seed. This means that the more accurate the seed control process is, the higher the increase in profitability. The economic risk to a nursery is very high. Like many businesses, the nursery must balance stock on hand against possible orders.
Unlike businesses that sell non-perishable items, a nursery carries additional risks and therefore must be even more diligent to keep minimal stock on hand while still finding a way to be ready to process any order that is received. Only by having an accurate accounting can a nursery maximize its profits and reach this goal.

• Using the seed overage effectively
As previously explained, many seed manufacturers package and sell their product based on an estimated weight rather than an actual count. To offset the possibility of not supplying at least the amount ordered, some seed manufacturers add an additional percentage.
On the nursery side, the inventory is run based on the ordered amount and not the actual number delivered. This overage is not used effectively to against future orders. By counting the seeds when they arrive, the inventory can be adjusted to an actual number and the nursery can take advantage of this extra profit margin. Future orders can be lower because they will be based on the actual seeds on hand, rather than based on an estimation.

• Taking seeds from stock for sowing
When preparing seeds for sowing, it is more efficient to properly count the number of seeds you wish to sow rather than working with a whole package and then bringing back unused seeds. This is nearly impossible to accomplish when working with estimations based on weight and very simple and cost-effective when working with a solution that counts small and large quantities of seeds quickly and precisely.

• Efficiency of the sowing process
When you transfer seeds in exact numbers to the sowing department, you can track the efficiency of the sowing process. For example, if the sowing machine is not calibrated properly, it can sow more than one seed in each hole. Knowing the exact number of seeds you had at the start will help you to easily track this process and determine if there is any problem in the sowing process (or if the problem was not having received the proper number ofseeds to begin with).

• Receiving seeds from the seeds supplier

• Receiving seeds from growers
When seeds are received from growers, the seeds usually are not packaged in their original bags. If you want to know how many seeds are actually in these bags, the most cost-effective technology will enable you to count the seeds using a method that reflects the actual number of seeds.

For more information visit: http://www.data-technologies.com/

Challenges Faced by Seed Manufacturers

In the normal flow, seed manufacturers package and sell tens, perhaps even hundreds of millions of seeds during each season. These packages, in varying quantities, are sold to nurseries, gardening stores, landscapers, gardeners,perhaps even packaged for sale to home owners.

Amazingly enough, the seed industry largely remains one that conducts transactions by relying on estimated weights rather than exact numbers. Still, many seed purchases are made based on the number of seeds, rather than weight. The result of this inconsistency in measurable scales, typically results in a loss factor for the seed manufacturer. To offset the possibility of not supplying at least the numerical amount ordered, some seed manufacturers add an additional percentage for no additional charge.

• For large orders, the additional “give-away” amount can represent a loss factor of 2-3%, which translates to hundreds of thousands of dollars of inventory simply given away to customers because seed manufacturers lack the technology to accurately count their own stock.

• For smaller orders, where the quantities of seeds are smaller, the same overage may even account for a tolerance factor of up to 30%. In either case, for small orders or large ones, this is not a small loss factor.

Finally, because seed manufacturers provide extra seeds without charging because they are not counting the seeds, but rather approximating the count based on weight and then adding in a buffer to ensure the minimum order, the damage done to their profit margin is two-fold.

• First, they are giving away a product with value against no income.

• Second, if customers are reselling or planting the seeds based on an actual number that they can reliably verify, they can take full advantage of the seed manufacturer’s overage and purchase less seeds in future orders.

Thus the seed manufacturer is giving away free seeds in the first purchase and selling less seeds in the second and future purchases. Up until now, this has been a known factor resulting from a lack of technology that could successfully perform an accurate counting of vast quantities of seeds.

Seed Processing Industry Requirements

Seed manufacturers are tasked with processing hundreds of millions of seeds each season. Any solution that would involve verifying the exact number of seeds received from seed manufacturers would need to be:

• Extremely accurate
• Cost-effective
• Fast and easy-to-integrate
• Scalable to accurately count large and small quantities of seeds and be adaptable to small, medium, and large manufacturers

Easily integrated into current packaging infrastructure to maximize return on investment (ROI) and minimize integration cost or delays.

Until recently, a technology that could deliver these requirements was unavailable for the seed industry.

DATA Technologies has taken their existing technology and adapted it for the seed industry.
Unable to accurately count large quantities of seeds, current manufacturing principles include packing extra quantities of seeds per package to ensure that the buyer receives, at minimum, the proper amounts. Employing DATA’s counting solutions, seed manufacturers can accurately package the correct numbers, offering enormous cost-savings. DATA solutions quickly achieve payback within a period of several months up to two years (depending on the type of seeds and quantities processed).
Using the DATA counting solutions, there is immediate savings because companies can actually sell according to number and not weight and therefore can match their sales order with their packaging. Customers are still content to receive the number of seeds they purchased, while manufacturers are able to benefit from actually selling a much higher percentage of their seed stock. The DATA counting solutions are significantly more accurate, with no loss in speed. It can pack thousands of seeds per minute with an accuracy of 99.5-99.9%.

For more information visit: www.data-technologies.com