Eye Drop Filling & Plugging Monoblock Machine

Description & Operating Principle

HMEC’s Eye Drop Filling & Plugging Monoblock Machine is an integrated rotary packaging system purpose-built for the stringent aseptic demands of pharmaceutical ophthalmic and otic liquids. Operating on a synchronized central indexing star wheel, the machine performs three critical operations in continuous sequence:

Sterile Liquid Micro-Dosing: High-precision peristaltic or ceramic valve-less piston pumps dispense exact doses (typically 5ml to 30ml) without product dripping.
Automatic Dropper Tip / Inner Plug Insertion: Vibratory bowl feeder delivers dropper plugs, and a mechanical pick-and-place vacuum gripper presses the inner plug firmly into the bottle neck.
Outer Cap Placement & Torque Sealing: Vibratory cap feeder delivers the outer screw cap, which is picked and torqued onto the bottle using adjustable magnetic or servo hysteresis capping heads.

This seamless single-station integration completely eliminates manual handling, minimizes bottle transfer friction, and seamlessly accommodates Class 100 / ISO 5 Laminar Air Flow (LAF) hood integration.

Target Products & Applications

The Monoblock is specifically designed for small-volume bottles requiring inner plugs, dropper tips, or brush inserts:

👁️ Ophthalmic Eye Drops

Sterile lubricating eye drops, antibiotic ophthalmic solutions, allergy drops, and glaucoma treatments (3ml to 15ml).

👃 Nasal & Ear Drops

Saline nasal drops, decongestants, otic ear drop solutions, and pediatric oral drops.

🧪 Diagnostics & Essential Oils

Diagnostic reagent dropper vials, pure essential oil dropper bottles, and specialty cosmetic serum droppers.

💨 E-Liquids & Tinctures

Nicotine e-liquid bottles with dropper tips, herbal CBD extracts, and botanical tinctures.

Pros & Cons Comparison

✅ Advantages (Pros)

All-in-One Compact Footprint: Combines 3 separate machines (Filler + Plugger + Capper) into a compact single chassis.
Zero Human Contact: Completely automated process prevents biological contamination in cleanrooms.
Smart Sensor Interlocks: "No Bottle - No Fill", "No Bottle - No Plug", and "No Plug - No Cap" safety logic.
LAF & Isolator Compatibility: Streamlined top enclosure integrates seamlessly with Class 100 Laminar Flow units.
High-Speed Automated Rejection: Instantly rejects bottles with missing plug, tilted cap, or improper torque.

⚠️ Considerations & Limitations (Cons)

Dedicated Tooling Per Format: Changing between distinct bottle diameters or plug styles requires format star wheels and feeder bowls.
Bottle Size Range: Engineered specifically for small bottles (3ml to 60ml); not suited for large 1-liter containers.

Type & Range of Eye Drop Monoblocks

On basis of speed & indexing

✅ Semi-Automatic Benchtop Eye Drop Filler & Capper
✅ Single Index Rotary Monoblock (30 - 60 BPM)
✅ Double Index High-Speed Monoblock (80 - 120 BPM)

On basis of dosing mechanism

✅ Peristaltic Pump (Single-Use Disposable Tubing)
✅ Ceramic Valveless Piston Pump (High Micro-Precision)
✅ SS 316L Precision Micro-Syringe Pump

On basis of features

✅ With Class 100 / ISO 5 Laminar Air Flow (LAF) Hood
✅ With Pre & Post Nitrogen Gas Purging
✅ With Missing Plug / Missing Cap Auto-Rejection
✅ With Vibratory Feeders & Cap Elevator

3-in-1 synchronized architecture: Filling, Inner Dropper Plugging & Screw Capping
Contamination-free peristaltic or ceramic dosing ensures strict cGMP sterility
Precision mechanical pick-and-place gripper guarantees 100% accurate plug seating
Magnetic hysteresis torque capping head prevents overtightening and thread damage
Triple safety interlocks: "No Bottle - No Fill", "No Plug - No Cap", and "Defect Reject"
Integrated automatic rejection system for bottles missing inner plugs or outer caps
Full SS 316L product contact parts with sanitary mirror-polished cleanroom exterior
Supported by over 40 years of precision pharmaceutical packaging engineering

Output / Speed	30 to 120 Bottles Per Minute (BPM) depending on indexing model and volume
Filling Range	2 ml to 60 ml (Specially optimized for 5ml, 10ml, 15ml, 30ml ophthalmic bottles)
Dosing Accuracy	± 0.5% to ± 1.0% of target volume
Plugging & Capping Success	≥ 99.8% accurate placement and seating
Bottle Compatibility	LDPE, HDPE, Glass, PET dropper bottles
Closure Types	Dropper tips, Inner plugs, Tamper-evident screw caps, Child-resistant caps
Material of Construction	Stainless Steel AISI 316L (Contact Parts), AISI 304 (Chassis and Panels)
Control Architecture	Siemens / Allen-Bradley PLC with Color Touchscreen HMI
Rejection System	Pneumatic cylinder rejecter with separate optical verification station
Power Supply	415V / 3 Phase / 50Hz (Customizable to 220V Single/Three Phase)
Air Supply	6 Bar Clean, Dry Compressed Air

Quick-release change parts are supplied to adapt the monoblock to different bottle capacities:

Central Indexing Star Wheels (for 5ml, 10ml, 15ml, 30ml bottles)
Dropper Plug Vibratory Bowl Feeder Chute & Pick Head
Outer Cap Vibratory Feeder Chute & Capping Chuck
Peristaltic Dosing Nozzle Holder & Tubing Assembly
Infeed Unscrambler Guide Rails & Outfeed Star Plate
Format Parts Tool Kit

How does the machine verify that an inner dropper plug is present?

An optical fiber sensor inspects every bottle immediately after the plug-insertion station. If a plug is missing, the PLC registers the defect, skips cap dispensing to save caps, and triggers the pneumatic rejection station.

What capping torque mechanism is used?

We use adjustable magnetic hysteresis capping chucks that slip smoothly once target torque is reached, preventing cap stripping, scuff marks, and overtightening.

Can this machine be supplied with a Class 100 Laminar Air Flow (LAF) unit?

Yes, the top structure is designed with aerodynamic stainless steel profiles ready to receive an integrated Class 100 / ISO 5 HEPA filter LAF module with differential pressure gauge.

How long does format changeover take?

Using quick-release star wheels and tool-less chute adjustments, a complete format changeover between bottle sizes (e.g., 5ml to 10ml) takes less than 30 minutes.